Golf claimed to be making radical change to the whole sport just to protect St. Andrews and Augusta National courses

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LIV lead commentator Jerry Foltz believes an impending rule change to professional golf is being made with two courses in mind.

From 2028, new regulation will mean that a ball can go no further than 320 yards when hit with a club head speed of 125mph during testing.

The ball rollback comes at a time when the likes of Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau are reaching new heights off the tee. DeChambeau, for example, won the 2020 US Open at Winged Foot whilst employing a ‘bomb and gauge’ game plan, something many thought impossible at the notoriously difficult Mamaroneck venue.

If current trends continue, many of the game’s most challenging courses will soon become uncompetitive. Jake Knapp’s 59 at PGA National is a very recent example of professionals finding current set-ups relatively straightforward. Golf fans were critical of the first-round scoring after the American’s blistering 18 at the Cognizant Classic.

Foltz, however, believes the ball rollback is being made with just two courses in mind: St Andrews and Augusta National.

Jerry Foltz reacts to ball rollback

Speaking during the most recent Fairway to Heaven Podcast, Foltz claimed that the new regulation is being made purely to protect the two of golf’s most prestigious venues.

“The long guy who hits it straight. All the top players and major winners – Brian Harman being the outlier when he won the Open Championship – all of them hit it long. It’s just the way it is,” Foltz said.

“The major courses are getting lengthened, other than St Andrews and maybe Augusta, to an extent, which is the reason we are rolling back the ball. It’s to protect those two courses and those two courses only.”

He added: “They can say whatever they want; it’s complete b*******. The R&A and USGA rollback of the ball is for Augusta National and St. Andrews to try to protect those courses. My theory is that a low score still wins. It doesn’t matter if it’s -30 or -2. Low score still wins. Everybody is playing the same course; it doesn’t matter where they hit it.”

• READ MORE: What Billy Horschel admitted to Jake Knapp after seeing him shoot 59 at The Cognizant Classic

What Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy said about ball rollback

The ball rollback will likely take around 12 yards off an average professional’s driving distance.

As a result, DeChambeau’s current average will decrease to around 311 yards and Mcllroy’s to around 308. However, if physical and technological advancements are made after 2028, distance will start to increase once more, even with the new regulation in place.

DeChambeau, unsurprisingly, has been outspoken about the new legislation that will restrict his notoriously long driving distance.

“They’re saying it’s like a ten to 11-yard difference, but it’s like 15 to 20. I don’t like it,” DeChambeau said on his YouTube channel.

“Because the ball is going shorter, it’s just not curving as much. It’s curving completely differently from what I’m used to. I’m thankful I’m not playing it right now. I’d have to change my whole game just because of the golf ball.”