Bryson DeChambeau fumes at “atrocious” rollback proposals

Bryson DeChambeau has waded into news that the R&A and USGA plan to roll back golf balls for the game’s top players – and he’s not happy.

Speaking to the LIV Golf website, the big-hitting former US Open champion branded the proposals “atrocious” and “uninspiring”.

DeChambeau was responding to news that the game’s governing bodies have pitched the idea of limiting golf balls in elite competitions in order to, as R&A CEO Martin Slumbers put it, “protect the inherent qualities of the sport and reduce the pressure to lengthen courses.”

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It is understood that that the changes – which will come into effect in January 2026 at the earliest – could reduce hitting distances by between ten and 15 yards for the longest players with the fastest clubhead speeds.

DeChambeau most certainly fits that bill.

He led the PGA Tour in driving distance in 2020 and 2021, and continued his big-hitting ways on the LIV Golf Invitational Series last year after aligning with the Saudi-funded enterprise.

He also finished second in the PLDA Long Drive World Championship last October.

To say he’s not impressed with the proposed changes would be putting it mildly.

“If you could say I’m the complete opposite times 1,000, that’s what I would be,” he told Mike McAllister ahead of this week’s LIV event in Arizona.

“It’s a great handicap for us guys that have worked really hard to learn how to hit it farther.

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“If they do it in a way where it only affects the top end, I see the rationale. But I think it’s the most atrocious thing that you could possibly do to the game of golf. It’s not about rolling golf balls back; it’s about making golf courses more difficult.”

He added: “I think it’s the most unimaginative, uninspiring, game-cutting thing you could do. Everybody wants to see people hit it farther. That’s part of the reason why a lot of people like what I do. It’s part of the reason a lot of people don’t like what I do.

“But again, it creates more conversation in a positive way than cutting it back and trying to make everybody equal. I’m all about equality. I’m not about equity on this front.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor