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R&A's ruling not as big as it seems
The natural reaction to hearing that the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews has decided to break with the United States Golf Association on regulating so-called "spring-like effect" in oversized metal drivers is that the sky is falling. But upon further review, that's an overreaction. Certainly there is a downside. There are now two sets of equipment regulations in the world of golf, with the USGA governing the United States and Mexico, and the R&A the rest of the world. "The resultant lack of uniformity is undesirable," admits the R&A. It means that professionals can use Callaway's ERC driver in the season-ending American Express Championship at Valderrama in November and at the World Cup in December in Buenos Aires, even though the same club has been found non-conforming by the USGA and is deemed illegal for PGA Tour events in America. Most problematic, the situation could lead to the ERC -- or one of 20 other drivers banned for too much spring-like effect by the USGA -- being used to win a major championship at a future British Open. At least one player, Tom Watson, believes such a victory should carry an asterisk. But the R&A clearly believes the driver issue has been overblown, and that the resulting schism between the two ruling bodies is nowhere as big as it was for years until 1974, when they disagreed on the size of the golf ball. Since choosing to wait come up with its own findings after the USGA in 1998 instituted a procedure to test the amount of rebound -- called coefficient of restitution -- in the ultra-thin faces of oversized metal drivers, the R&A's research has told them that the increased distance the new drivers provide -- generally about 10 yards more for a professional -- is simply not that big a deal. "Based on the data currently available to the R&A, any consequential increase in driving distance ... is not considered to be detrimental to the game," the R&A said in a statement. Instead, they have decided that unless future equipment technology proves revolutionary, other factors, including improved golf swings, fitter athletes, and improved agronomic conditions that allow more roll, are as or more important. And at least since March, when the R&A did not join the USGA in banning the Callaway ERC driver, that decision seems to be based on sound reasoning. The fact is that on the European Tour, where golfers have had the freedom to use the banned drivers in competition, few have actually switched. Indeed, Colin Montgomerie experimented extensively with the ERC before deciding to stick with his regular driver, finding that the increased distance was not worth the corresponding loss in accuracy. So far, only one golfer, Pierre Fulke of Sweden, has won with the ERC, last month at the Scottish PGA.
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