Opinion & Analysis

Barney Adams: Ball rollback isn’t the right move to combat “The Golfer of Tomorrow”

Published

6 years ago

Oct 23, 2020

The announcing crew at the 2020 U.S. Open seemed obsessed with “the bombers”—players who drove the ball extreme distances with little regard for the occasional tee shot into the rough. TV has selected Bryson DeChambeau as their representative, given his length and victory.

I thought I’d wait a bit to see what the industry sources had to say. I can’t say it’s unanimous, because I haven’t seen everything, but the theme is: “Get Ready for The Golfer of Tomorrow”

350-yard carry
Clubhead speed which tears through the rough allowing the ball to launch high and carry to the green
The ‘new’ instructor who teaches distance be it ground up or whatever new method is used
Gym sessions producing athletes who look more like football players
And last, a whole new shelf of steroids for golf

At the same time the USGA and its organizational allies are planning meetings focusing on not if the ball will be rolled back, but when—clearly, influenced by visual evidence from a great Winged Foot course in our national championship.

Let’s look deeper!

A hypothetical: go back a few months. You are on the planning committee for the U.S. Open to be held at Winged Foot, one of America’s great venues. This year because of COVID-19 there will be no galleries, something never experienced at a USGA major golf event. I repeat, your committee is planning for the U.S. Open. That implies “Open Rough” a term that is significant on its own. You don’t play from Open Rough, you escape…maybe.

The nature of Open Rough is a thick chunky base with long tendrils reaching skyward. These make it very difficult to find your ball in the best of circumstances and when attempting to advance these tendrils wrap themselves around your hosel closing the face, sending your ball deeper into hostile territory. That’s if you can even find it, Open rough has “disappeared” many balls over the years and done so within full view of gallery spectators aiding course marshals. The rule of thumb for competitors has always been to find the most reasonable patch of fairway and get out.

But this is the year of COVID-19. No galleries. Marshals, but relatively few because of no galleries. Now, considering that normal U.S. Open rough will produce many searches where marshals are important, the shortage of them will cause endless searches—which don’t make for great TV viewing. So, a decision is made, cut the rough down so shots can be found. Still in the rough but sitting on the chunky base and very often can be played. A tough call for the purist but an objective economic evaluation leaves no choice.

The announcers regale us with astonishing distances and swing speeds that allow escape from Open Rough that used to be impossible! The golf publications jump on this theme and predict that the Golfer of Tomorrow will be “DeChambeau-like” not sweet swingers but physical hulks rewriting the book on distance strongly influenced by no fear of the rough.

My point here is those publications and instructors, jumping on the “longer and slightly crooked is better” bandwagon have added 2+2 and gotten 5 when using the 2020 U.S. Open as a premise.

DeChambeau is a great and powerful player, however, I don’t think he’s known for his putting. Now I may have dozed off but I don’t remember him being widely praised for his putting. He should have been, it was terrific, probably influenced his score! He is our National Champion, an unsurpassable honor. But his style has me betting that the USGA is working on dates to discuss changing the golf ball, as in making it shorter.

I’m 100% against such a move. Golf is a game where amateurs can go to the same course play the same clubs and given a huge difference in skill achieve some measure of affiliation with the pros. A birdie is a birdie, not a long or short ball birdie. From a business perspective, the overwhelming majority of those golfers financially supporting golf are over 50. And we want them to hit it shorter?

Well, Mr. Adams what would you do? I know zero about golf ball manufacturing, but keeping the distance the same I’d change the dimples to increase curvature—just enough so it doesn’t affect slower swings that much but very high swing speeds so it’s in the player’s head

More thoughts. As an admitted TV viewer, get rid of those yardage books. Fine for practice rounds but when the bell rings it should be player and caddie, not an “on green” conference. What’s next, a staff meeting?

I’ll conclude with a note to the PGA Tour and, importantly, an admonition. To the PGA Tour: The minute a tee goes into the ground on #1 every player is on the clock. Stroke penalties, not fines, will get their attention.

To the rest of the golfing world: Let’s not blindly pursue the Golfer of Tomorrow concept without considerably deeper study.

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Barney Adams

Barney Adams is the founder of Adams Golf and the inventor of the iconic "Tight Lies" fairway wood. He served as Chairman of the Board for Adams until 2012, when the company was purchased by TaylorMade-Adidas. Adams is one of golf's most distinguished entrepreneurs, receiving honors such as Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 1999 and the 2010 Ernie Sabayrac Award for lifetime contribution to the golf industry by the PGA of America. His journey in the golf industry started as as a club fitter, however, and has the epoxy filled shirts as a testimony to his days as an assembler. Have an equipment question? Adams holds seven patents on club design and has conducted research on every club in the bag. He welcomes your equipment questions through email at barneyadams9@gmail.com Adams is now retired from the golf equipment industry, but his passion for the game endures through his writing. He is the author of "The WOW Factor," a book published in 2008 that offers an insider's view of the golf industry and business advice to entrepreneurs, and he continues to contribute articles to outlets like GolfWRX that offer his solutions to grow the game of golf.

53 Comments

Larry

Oct 26, 2020 at 3:20 pm

Ultimately is there an audience for what is basically a Pitch & Putt match. Without fans professional golf will vanish.

Reply Report comment
John

Oct 26, 2020 at 5:28 am

The PGA have, for years, tried to put the shackles on the big hitters by lengthening the courses when, in fact, all they are doing is playing into their hands. The solution is simple and blindingly obvious – make the courses shorter and and trick them up so that skill and imagination is rewarded rather than sheer brute strength.

Reply Report comment
8thehardway

Oct 25, 2020 at 3:32 pm

Gentlemen, allow me to suggest a solution that burdens neither courses nor manufacturers of equipment; one that eliminates a pre-existing bifurcation and draws us closer to our favorite players as they traverse difficult courses; in short, I propose ruling bodies eliminate the caddy.

A moment’s reflection suggests that the energy required to lug a tour bag over 18 holes, searching for errant drives by yourself under time constraints, raking traps, cleaning clubs and confirming yardages reduces both the ability and incentive to launch 400-yard drives while holistically involving each pro in the more complete and authentic process we experience daily.

Reply Report comment
geohogan

Oct 25, 2020 at 1:37 pm

“Gym sessions producing athletes who look more like football players
And last, a whole new shelf of steroids for golf”

Seems Bryson has a lock on the last two points, that go hand and hand.

Reply Report comment
Karsten’s Ghost

Oct 25, 2020 at 3:23 am

No equipment bifurcation. If you want to, make 80-compression a maximum for everyone. Then your amateurs don’t get dumped on.

Reply Report comment
ray arcade

Oct 24, 2020 at 11:49 pm

Don’t do anything to the ball. Limit clubhead speed. Every tournament has a launch monitor on the tee… Anything over some PGA/USGA defined limit is penalized.

Reply Report comment
- Ur legit insane
  
  Oct 25, 2020 at 3:03 am
  
  Lol what buddy
  
  Reply Report comment
Larry

Oct 24, 2020 at 10:33 pm

Just cut the max club length for PGA events to 42 inches and we will see only a few 320 yard drives.

Reply Report comment
Speedy

Oct 24, 2020 at 2:47 pm

Rock on, Barney, you’re always a good read.

Reply Report comment
WiggyM

Oct 24, 2020 at 2:08 pm

Some golf holes could have an “offside/hazard” line that runs across the hole at a certain yardage, be it 380, 400 yards, whatever it may be on depending on the actual strategy of the hole. One stroke penalty if your ball crosses that line with your tee ball.

It would still reward distance but it would make you put some thought into your tee shot if you were a long bomber. It would never be a factor for 99.9% of amateurs so no need to roll back any equipment…. Or they could just not play golf courses and hold long drive contests on a Trackman every weekend.

Reply Report comment
Jack

Oct 24, 2020 at 8:21 am

Yes, Mr. Adams, you obviously “dozed off”. Sort of like Rip Van Winkle. Over the past few years, DeChambeau has transformed himself into one of the best putters on tour. Perhaps you should drink more coffee.

Reply Report comment
- Brad
  
  Oct 24, 2020 at 11:29 pm
  
  Unfortunately, Jack, II think you may have “dozed off” during English class. Mr Adams was correctly making the point that Bryson is not KNOWN for his putting, but that he SHOULD be. The opposite of what you are implying he said.
  
  “…I don’t remember him being widely praised for his putting. He should have been, it was terrific…”
  
  Reply Report comment
Paulo

Oct 24, 2020 at 5:37 am

I’m sick to death of this debate. Golf is a sport and like any sport the athlete pushes themselves and the champion is the one who breaks the ceiling. When the first sub 10 second 100m was recorded they didn’t make a 100m longer. So what if we keep going and going until 49’s are winning ? As long as there’s separation keep pushing the boundaries until everyone is tied. Well done Bryson. WhT he’s doing now isn’t different to what tiger did to the likes of Tom Kite abd Colin Montgomery back in 97.

Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Oct 24, 2020 at 2:19 pm
  
  Several holes in that logic:
  
  — Running faster doesn’t make the track obsolete, but hitting the golf ball so much farther has taken some golf courses out of the scene for professionals
  
  — Sports like track (and tennis and baseball and football and basketball) are competed against other competitors, not the course or venue. That’s why NBA players can be much taller and stronger, yet the court can stay at 94 feet and the basket can stay at 10 feet. Golf is played against the course. As we know, courses have gotten a lot longer–and some made obsolete–because of the distance phenomenon.
  
  This has been an issue since a long time before BDC, but it still hasn’t been addressed. I’m in favor of returning the risk/reward factor in distance. Distance would still be an advantage, especially when coupled with accuracy. But when distance totally trumps accuracy, you have little more than a long-distance contest….and those are really boring.
  
  My solution: change the ball and clubs in ways that hamper the pros and yet do not really affect the weekend duffer. Spinnier balls, lower COR, and less-effective grooves would be where I’d start.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Paulo
    
    Oct 27, 2020 at 11:56 am
    
    You’re completely wrong. Players play against each other on a course. Lowest score wins , so worst if somebody shoots 57,57,56 etc etc to win. Lowest score wins . I just don’t get your logic here at all
    
    Reply Report comment
Bear

Oct 24, 2020 at 5:27 am

The opinions posted here show how small minded the amateur golfer is. Roll back the ball 20%. Deal with it. Its not about punishing any one player, its about returning the game to a spot where courses aren’t obsolete. There will always be a bomber on tour but the golf ball of today goes 20-30% further than in 1930 regardless of who’s swinging the bat.

Reply Report comment
- Jbone
  
  Oct 24, 2020 at 8:28 am
  
  20% is absurd and will never happen.
  
  Let’s be serious and not even try to appeal to somebody like this.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Barry
    
    Oct 24, 2020 at 10:27 am
    
    No, not absurd, very doable. Probably a necessity at this point.
    
    Would be good for golf at every level.
    
    Bad for a ball manufacturers for a few months, but they’ll go back to making the same profits as before when they realize “wow, people still need these.”
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Bear
    
    Oct 24, 2020 at 10:44 am
    
    20% Is absolutely accurate and should happen. People will quickly get over it when they realize they are still the longest hitter in their foursome. If you can’t reach the green in two Jbone, maybe its time you moved up a set of tees or took up croquet.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Jbone
      
      Oct 24, 2020 at 8:34 pm
      
      It won’t ever happen so what’s the point in arguing. It is absurd imo. People like you can continue to be pessimistic about the state of the game.
      
      Reply Report comment
- Not dumb barry
  
  Oct 25, 2020 at 3:04 am
  
  You’re really really dumb
  
  Reply Report comment
Matt

Oct 24, 2020 at 12:11 am

2 piece golf balls only. Want short game spin you also get high driver spin. Want low driver spin to hit long bombs you sacrifice short game spin and feel. Core and cover thats it. Simple fix.

Reply Report comment
- Hogan Mike
  
  Oct 25, 2020 at 2:23 pm
  
  This is actually a cool idea! It will also make golf balls more affordable
  
  Reply Report comment
Rwj

Oct 23, 2020 at 10:14 pm

Ban metal spikes. Most Local clubs have for everyone else. Make stability an issue

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Rwj

Oct 23, 2020 at 10:02 pm

Im a fan of banning green reading books. Green reading should be a skill.

Yardage books are okay, just not fully detailed.

Make bunkers true hazards. Long teeth rakes, not beautiful smooth beaches that are easy to play from.

Plant trees

More “out of bounds” stakes and areas

Out of box ideas for pro tournaments:
Make the hole smaller
Limit # of clubs
Limit the maximum club length
Required grooves on entire driver faces

Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Oct 24, 2020 at 2:20 pm
  
  Grooves don’t affect driver spin.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Rwj
    
    Oct 24, 2020 at 9:38 pm
    
    Alright. Good job ?
    
    Reply Report comment
Rich

Oct 23, 2020 at 8:57 pm

No manufacturer–like the author–wants bifurcation. The only other sport that bifurcates (other than some accommodations for women, like forward tees or a smaller basketball) is MLB with its wooden bat requirement. No sport commonly played by adults is bifurcated.

But I like Barney’s thinking around making errors at high speeds more dangerous. (Like NASCAR?) Or changing other characteristics–driver length comes to mind, or limits on wedges’ lofts or grooves–that professionals and top players can take advantage of that most weekend duffers cannot. As Barney says, perhaps the ball can be changed to make it more dangerous at high speeds–frankly, the way wound balls with balata covers were at one time.

Reply Report comment
Jeff Allen

Oct 23, 2020 at 8:57 pm

Because I want to see Usain Bolt running in Jesse Owens’ track shoes to protect Track & Field par. athletes and people are bigger, stronger and faster. Even with all that WRX just published an article that said the average single digit index hits the ball less than 225 yards. I say bombs away

Reply Report comment
Chadd

Oct 23, 2020 at 7:44 pm

How about going back to V groves? We no longer see flyers coming out of the rough. And I would second the comment above regarding wedges not exceeding a certain loft.

Reply Report comment
- The dude
  
  Oct 23, 2020 at 8:59 pm
  
  This gets ZERO consideration
  
  Reply Report comment
The Truth Jr.

Oct 23, 2020 at 7:21 pm

I enjoyed this article. Not sure why people are so bent out of shape with BAD. He won a few tournaments, so what. Throughout history some of the best golfers were long hitters. I’m sure Bobby Jones pounded the ball in his day. Remember Tiger Woods? He hit the ball super far too.

Don’t change equipment, don’t modify rules to limit ball flight. Let BAD play the game his way, that’s what’s cool about golf. Let the sport evolve, let people hit it far. Hitting it far is a skill, its really hard to do and its every golfers dream to hit bombs. If someone says they don’t want to hit the driver farther they are lying.

Lets move on and enjoy the ride! The pros who are complaining need to step up their games or loose their cards.

Reply Report comment
Bobby44

Oct 23, 2020 at 6:13 pm

Why does everyone blame the ball?
Amateurs are not hitting it any further.
And why is Bryson hitting it 30 yards further, the ball?
Hell no! He went to the gym, put on 40 pounds and focused on one thing; speed!
I’m pretty sure he was using the same ball pre-Bryson 2020 so it’s not the damn ball.
If you wind back the ball, the guys that hit the gym and do the work will have an even bigger advantage.
Let’s say no Bryson hits SW into a par 4 that other guys are hitting with a 7-iron.
You think they’re gonna do better if he’s hitting 7-iron and they’re hitting 3-iron? I doubt it!
There are always guys that come and go that are super long, but most aren’t prolific winners or winners at all because they can’t chip, pitch or putt like Bryson. So it ain’t just the length, it’s the short game that goes with it.
Last time this happened no one complained! There was a kid who was hitting it 20 yards past everyone, with his 2-iron no less, and he had a short game that matched too. He was incredible and no one complained that he hit it too far, which was due to his superior technique and physicality.
His name was Tiger Woods.

Reply Report comment
Jeff

Oct 23, 2020 at 5:09 pm

Get rid of yardage books and lines on the ball. Also you are only allowed to mark the ball once on the green unless you are in another golfer’s line. Finally get rid of the alignment line on the ball. Nothing worse that watching these guys fiddle with the ball trying to line up the hole with the line on the ball.

Reply Report comment
Barry

Oct 23, 2020 at 4:59 pm

Breaking news! “Equipment industry lifer against additional equipment regulations.” In related news…sky blue, water wet.

Just as turkeys will never vote for Thanksgiving, those with a financial stake in manufacturing and selling equipment will never support anything that threatens the illusion that “we play the same game as the pros” because it is financially beneficial.

In another surprise, readers of GolfWRX, a website of the hardest core equipment junkies known to man, think anything that might even cost them two yards off the tee is unthinkable. We are talking about people who regularly drop $500 on a driver shaft that maybe provides a 1% performance gain. Yeah, another shocker folks here are dead set against a rollback.
Mr. Adams, you say you are 100% against a ball rollback, I am 100% for it. I think it’s entirely possible that this could be accomplished in such a way that 99% of golfers would never know the difference. It’s by far the best and most sensible idea because:

1)You cannot regulate athlete size, physical training, or coaching. You can barely regulate the performance enhancing substances modern pros put in their bodies (and that is highly suspect).

2)The golf ball is for all intents and purposes a consumable commodity. It is by far the easiest item to regulate and adjust and keep the game in scale.

3)PGA Tour golf is first and foremost an entertainment product. Watching pros go driver lob wedge into every hole is as boring as golf can get. Seriously, why bother putting? Let’s just go full LDA because accuracy doesn’t matter at all in the modern game.

4)All non-insane sports realize that some adjustments to rules are necessary to keep a product entertaining over time as athletes improve. When something gets out of balance, you test a few theories, then you try some things to restore balance. You don’t sit on your hands for 20 years saying “This is fine” because you’re deathly afraid of an Acushnet lawsuit.

5)Preparing a golf course that presents a comprehensive test of a golfer that carries the ball in excess of 350 yards with driver is an absurd and unnecessary use of water, land, and energy. Golf needs to be becoming more ecologically aware, not less.

Do we really want a game where you can’t play the Open at St Andrews? We are in such a poor state of affairs because the USGA and R&A have been asleep at the wheel on this issue for decades.

Reply Report comment
- Bear
  
  Oct 24, 2020 at 11:22 am
  
  I think we’d get along Barry. No BS. You should try the hickory game! Its a breath of fresh air although these turds are finding ways to slowly ruin that too.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Darnie
  
  Oct 24, 2020 at 10:36 pm
  
  Correct. “that carries the ball in excess of 350 yards with driver is an absurd and unnecessary use of water, land, and energy. Golf needs to be becoming more ecologically aware, not less.”
  The ball limits were wrong, the COR limits were wrong and the driver size limits were wrong.Where does it end? 20% increase in 1980’s PGA courses would put them at over 8000+ yards. They are playing courses that would be equivalent of a person hitting it 275 playing the up tees at many courses. It just illogical for this to continue.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Barney Adams
  
  Oct 26, 2020 at 4:36 pm
  
  I had to re read my article. There it was , change the spin , makes the tee shot much more challenging ! A perfect solution ? Nobody knows but it’s a relatively painless way to start.
  
  Reply Report comment
Dave

Oct 23, 2020 at 2:57 pm

Barney, why do you assume the ball has to roll back also for the weekend duffer? You kind of jumped the shark there…
Dave

Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Oct 23, 2020 at 9:34 pm
  
  Because golf manufacturers are absolutely against bifurcation. They thrive on the illusion that the equipment you buy is the same as the equipment the pros use.
  
  They also conveniently ignore the fact that professionals play an entirely different game. Their courses are immensely more difficult, they have a personal assistant with them who knows their games intimately, etc.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mike

Oct 23, 2020 at 2:39 pm

Dechambeau, over 4 days, averaged 1.5 strokes under par per round & his short game / putting was fantastic. That’s 1.5 strokes per round, & I don’t think anyone else broke par over the 4 days. Sorry, looking at those scores, I don’t see the ruination of golf as we know it.

Reply Report comment
Jbone

Oct 23, 2020 at 2:06 pm

Persimmon, wound balata, no graphite, 56* limit wedge.

Reply Report comment
- Travis
  
  Oct 23, 2020 at 5:36 pm
  
  Should they also play in full wool suits and knickers too?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - The dude
    
    Oct 23, 2020 at 9:02 pm
    
    Funny
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Trav's Mommie
    
    Oct 25, 2020 at 1:50 am
    
    Your mom does
    
    Reply Report comment
Carolyn

Oct 23, 2020 at 1:16 pm

Just adjust the COR on the driver face to give less or NO rebound…90% of players do not swing fast enough to get any benefit anyway…so with out rebound effect the 350 drive becomes 325..better.

Reply Report comment
Jason G

Oct 23, 2020 at 11:58 am

Bifurcation is the answer to rolling the golf ball back. College football players play with a slightly smaller ball than the NFL and it is much stickier than the “Duke” that is played in the NFL. Junior High basketballs are smaller than high school. The 3 point line in high school is closer than the NBA. NASCAR had the “car of tomorrow” that was required for particular races and ended up teaching us a lot about how to better protect drivers.

Reply Report comment
- Jbone
  
  Oct 23, 2020 at 12:44 pm
  
  Ridiculous comparisons that just do not translate to golf
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Moosejaw McWilligher
    
    Oct 23, 2020 at 2:12 pm
    
    The apt comparisons in golf would be that shorter players use shorter (and lighter) golf clubs, and that there are multiple sets of tee boxes which you can choose based on strength and handicap. AND, there is the handicap system.
    
    Bifurcation in golf changes one of the core premises of golf – that we are all playing the same game.
    
    There are also MANY questions unanswered about what a golf ball “rollback” would mean: a “single” tour ball? Is that fair? Would this ball affect the longest hitters disproportionately? Is that fair? Will the current short hitters drive the ball even less far – and would that eliminate their chances anyway?
    
    Like Tiger said, it’s pretty hard to put the genie back in the “bag”.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Joey5Picks
  
  Oct 23, 2020 at 3:26 pm
  
  Excellent comparisons. There’s already bifurcation in golf. Professionals play 7200+ yard courses. We don’t. Pros play on 12+ stimp greens. We don’t. Pros play under the “one-ball” rule. We don’t.
  
  Who cares if my score wouldn’t be directly comparable to a Tour Pro because they were playing a “tour ball”? It’s already not comparable because:
  1) even if we play the same course, it’s not in PGA Tour tournament condition
  2) we’re playing a course that’s ~1,000 yards shorter
  
  Again, it’s already bifurcated. Shave 5% off the Tour Ball
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Moosejaw McWilligher
    
    Oct 23, 2020 at 7:49 pm
    
    You can take %5 off the ball all you want. Pros will find a way to get that distance right back with their fitting, their fitness, etc. That’s what has happened in recent years – the “ball” has not continued to fly further. Everything else has gotten better as well. You would need a seriously limited “tour ball” to achieve any significant reduction in current distance. And if that happens – will it remove XX% across the board? Will longer players be “penalized” more than shorter hitters? Is driving distance not at all part of the golf skill set? Maybe just make drivers illegal – let everyone tee off with hybrids and long irons.
    
    Reply Report comment
Jbone

Oct 23, 2020 at 11:50 am

Good thoughtful article.

The rollback of the ball is such a shortsighted and elitist view.

Reply Report comment
- Roy
  
  Oct 23, 2020 at 3:18 pm
  
  “The rollback of the ball is such a shortsighted and elitist view”
  
  And that why it scares me what the USGA might do about it…..
  
  Reply Report comment

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Opinion & Analysis

5 Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

Published

2 weeks ago

May 15, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.

Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.

First, meet Min Woo Lee

Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.

Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter

The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.

Third, meet Martin Kaymer

Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.

Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler

Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.

Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger

Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!

Club Junkie

Club Junkie’s Titleist GTS driver fitting results!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.

I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.

To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.

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Club Junkie

Club Junkie WITB, week 16: New Titleist GTS woods!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.

Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s

5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour

Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag