Justin Thomas slams ‘selfish’ distance-reducing ball proposal as ‘so bad’ for golf

Justin Thomas believes the prospect of a distance-reducing ball being used in elite competition is “so bad” for golf and has criticised the “pretty selfish decisions” made by one of the game’s governing bodies.

The R&A and USGA said in February 2020 that they intended to “break the ever-increasing cycle of hitting distance” and on Tuesday announced the proposal of a Model Local Rule (MLR) to give tournament organisers the option to require the use of balls that will travel approximately 15 yards less.

The R&A chief executive, Martin Slumbers, and his USGA counterpart, Mike Whan, confirmed that the MLR would be used in their own elite events, most notably the Open Championship and US Open respectively. However, the PGA Tour did not immediately back the proposal with top equipment manufacturing company Acushnet, which produces the Titleist balls used by Thomas, claiming it would turn back the game 30 years.

“My reaction was disappointed and also not surprised, to be honest,” the former world No 1 Thomas said in a press conference for the Valspar Championship.

“I think the USGA over the years has in my eyes, it’s harsh, but made some pretty selfish decisions. They definitely, in my mind, have done a lot of things that aren’t for the betterment of the game.

“I don’t understand how it’s growing the game. For them to say in the same sentence that ‘golf is in the best place it’s ever been, everything is great, but …’ and I’m like: ‘Well, there shouldn’t be a but. You’re trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn’t exist.’ To me, it’s just so bad for the game of golf.

“The fact that you can play the exact same golf ball that I play – I mean, that’s cool. For an every day amateur golfer, it’s very unique that we are