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Phil Mickelson has hit out at the R&A and USGA over the introduction of a new rule that will allow tournament organisers to restrict the maximum length of players’ clubs.
From January 1, a new Model Local Rule (MLR G-10) will be at the disposal of those running professional or elite amateur golf competitions, given them the option to limit the maximum length of a golf club – excluding putters – to 46 inches.
This is seen reckoned to the first, tentative step towards bifurcation and is seen by many as a direct response to the big-hitting exploits of Bryson DeChambeau and the game’s other top pros.
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Earlier this year, DeChambeau revealed he was toying with the idea of putting a 48-inch driver – then the maximum allowed length – into play in a bid to hit the ball even further.
Whilst he ultimately decided not to, others took heed of the former US Open champ’s experimentations, including Mickelson who used a 47.5˚ driver when he won the US PGA Championship in record-breaking fashion in May.
Mickelson has been an outspoken opponent of this change since it was first proposed by the game’s governing bodies earlier this year.
After news of its introduction was confirmed earlier today, he took to Twitter to vent his frustration – quoting a line from Forrest Gump to illustrate his point.
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“Are the amateurs trying their best to govern the professional game the stupid ones?” he added. “Or the professionals for letting them?”
“Stupid is as stupid does.”Mrs Gump
— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) October 12, 2021
Really though, are the amateurs trying their best to govern the professional game the stupid ones? Or the professionals for letting them? https://t.co/3zt4LyH3UW
The 51-year-old isn’t the only top player aggrieved at the news.
Speaking ahead of this week’s CJ CUP in Las Vegas, Justin Thomas said: “I don’t really agree with it. I feel like there’s a lot of other things, like the arm bar putter, that they should be approaching as opposed to the length of driver.
“I think the fact that you see only a few people using a long driver speaks for itself, that it’s not really that big of an advantage. It’s a lot harder to hit it straight.”
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