The United States Golf Association (USGA) has recently reaffirmed its commitment to preserving its controversial driver testing procedures. This decision finds a backdrop of increasing criticism of, and even calls from pro golfers for, a greater focus on testing equipment ahead of tournaments. This new announcement comes on the heels of successful trials at Oakmont Country Club. It’s important to deny that assertion because multiple drivers used by popular players such as Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy were nonconforming.
USGA CEO Mike Whan provided fascinating details of the golf organization’s testing process. They analyze drivers for “characteristic time creep,” which is a fancy term for how long a golf ball remains in contact with a clubface. A driver starts getting nonconforming if a ball is left on its face for more than 257 microseconds. This raises the opposite implication—that the club is too accommodating.
90 percent of the drivers we got at those test facilities are put on the first tee. So we try to play them there in our evaluations. Whan stated. This raises serious questions about the integrity of any equipment that is used in competitive play.
In debates over driver regulation, golfer Xander Schauffele has been particularly outspoken on the issue, calling for stricter testing standards. He recommended that no driver be allowed within a 100 meter radius of any tournament venue without first being tested. “It just depends if you want anyone playing with a hot one or not,” Schauffele remarked, emphasizing the potential advantages of nonconforming equipment.
Furthermore, Schauffele proposed a more rigorous approach by stating, “If I were in charge, I would test everyone and get their driver’s serial number.” This new demand for accountability is part of an increasing sentiment among players that more attention should be paid to fair play and competitive balance.
Lucas Glover jumped into the discussion to offer his perspective. He pointed out that many golfers now carry two drivers in their bag. One they use all the time and one they don’t. “They give them their backup just in case,” Glover noted, suggesting that this trend could complicate testing efforts. He further illustrated the issue by saying, “Hey, oh, yeah, it’s this one. It’s this one right here. Yeah, do this, test this one,” indicating that some players may not present their actual game-day drivers during inspections.
Even with these conversations and input from players, Whan stuck to his guns on driver testing in the USGA. “With what we’re seeing today, it would be a greater interruption. The juice wouldn’t be worth the squeeze,” he remarked, expressing confidence in the current testing methods. He added that if there were alarming trends regarding driver performance or compliance, the USGA would consider changing its approach.
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