The USGA, R&A, PGA Tour and DP World Tour issued a joint statement Wednesday announcing no changes will be made to the Overall Distance Standard testing approach until January 2030, while the governing bodies reassess their strategy for addressing distance at the elite level.
The statement marks a shift from the plan announced in December 2023, which called for a phased rollback beginning in 2028 with updated ODS testing parameters.
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Two developments drove the change. Industry feedback indicated majority support for a single 2030 implementation date over the original two-date phased approach. Discussions between the governing bodies, PGA Tour leadership, the Player Advisory Council, and DP World Tour leadership yielded three key outcomes: distance at the elite level continues to increase, the updated ODS testing approach may not achieve the desired results, and all parties expressed willingness to explore alternative solutions.
The governing bodies said they will work closely with the Tours to review, test, and implement options that have a meaningful impact on distance at the elite level. The statement cited a desire to ensure the elite game does not become too one-dimensional while preserving the importance of shotmaking.
No ODS changes will take effect until January 2030 at the earliest.
USGA CEO Mike Whan addressed the announcement at his annual pre-U.S. Open press conference at Shinnecock Hills shortly after the statement was released. Whan said he met with the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council at the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago.
“A simpler, more narrow solution is exactly what we’re going to spend time looking at,” Whan said. “I think the alternative to what’s on the table for 2030, things that we’re going to look at together as a group are simpler, more narrow solutions, yes.”
Asked what gives him confidence the leading tours will accept golf ball regulation of any kind, Whan called himself a “glass half full” guy. “I’m not sure, if I’m being honest with you and being very personal, whether or not we’ll create or re-create an even better approach,” Whan said, “but I will tell you on a personal level I’m both willing and excited to pursue them with some of the best players in the world.”
The USGA and R&A first raised concerns about distance increases over eight years ago. In December 2023, the governing bodies formally adopted updated ODS testing parameters, projecting the changes would reduce driving distances at the elite level by as much as 9 to 15 yards.
The original plan called for professionals to begin using the revised ball in 2028, with recreational golfers following in 2030. The PGA Tour opposed the rule from the start. In a July 2023 memo to players, then-commissioner Jay Monahan wrote that “there is widespread and significant belief the proposed Modified Local Rule is not warranted and is not in the best interest of the game.”
By early 2026, the USGA and R&A had already floated moving to a single 2030 universal start date in response to continued pushback. The PGA Tour surveyed its membership in May, asking players whether driving distance was truly a problem and whether the Tour should have greater control over its own equipment rules.
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Player reaction to the rollback has been mixed. Justin Thomas called the proposal “so bad for the game of golf,” while Bryson DeChambeau said it was “the most atrocious thing that you could possibly do to the game of golf.”
Rory McIlroy previously said the rollback would “make no difference whatsoever” to the average golfer. Lucas Glover pushed back on the premise entirely, saying “It’s laughable that they think we use the longest golf balls that are available to us. Nobody hits the ball we can hit the furthest, we use a ball that’s the best all around.”
At the Memorial Tournament earlier this month, Jack Nicklaus called the effort “throwing a deck chair off the Titanic,” saying the rollback would make “maybe a yard, maybe two at the absolute most” of difference for recreational players.
The statement was released one day before the first round of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
