How far Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy’s drives will go if new USGA rule emerges in 2028

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A groundbreaking rule change is set to influence professional and amateur golf in 2028 and 2030.

For the first time since 2004, golf ball testing and the rules governing what a ball conforms to are being altered.

With players breaking new barriers in terms of ball speed and distance, concerns have emerged that courses will eventually become outdated for the modern professional.

Bryson DeChambeau currently carries his driver over 350 yards, and Rory McIlroy is the second-longest hitter on the PGA Tour behind Cameron Champ.

However, the big-hitting superstars will have to deal with significant changes in 2028. The new regulation means that the ball can go no further than 320 yards when hit with a club head speed of 125mph during testing.

As a result, several balls now in use will become non-conforming.

USGA ball rollback: How Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau will be impacted

• READ MORE: How many holes in one Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau have had in their golfing careers

USGA chief Mike Whan has shared the latest on what the change could mean for some of the game’s elite players, with 12 yards likely to be knocked off as a result.

“A change that I would’ve liked to implement in 2026 will now happen in 2028 and 2030,” he told Golf Digest.

“A difference that I wish would’ve been 22 yards for the longest hitter will probably be more like 12 yards. Of course, those 12 yards will be gone in 20 years. The goal isn’t to set us back but to slow the pace by which we’re obsoleting courses from hosting championships and qualifiers.”

If the figures are to be believed, McIlroy’s driving average will be in the region of 308 yards, and DeChambeau, who averages 323 yards, will see his distance cut to 311 yards.

Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau react to golf ball rollback

McIlroy, perhaps to the surprise of some, is actually open to the forthcoming changes. “I think it’ll just bring back some skills into the pro game that have maybe been lost, and I actually think it will make the pro game more entertaining to watch,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “I think you’re going to see a different variety of games succeed.”

“It’s not just going to be this bomb and gouge that we see predominantly now when you watch the top level of golf, and it’ll bring some of the great classic courses back into consideration when we go to major championships.”

DeChambeau, however, isn’t looking forward to the changes. After playing with a Nike One Tour, a ball which would pass new regulation, for nine holes at Dallas National Golf Club, the 2024 US Open champion delivered a damning verdict.

“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,” he added. ‘When it’s going shorter it’s just not curving as much. Normally, that ball would be going farther and curving more.

“It’s curving completely differently to 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.”