Masters Announces Support of Ball Rollback

Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley made it clear the Masters supports the USGA and R&A’s golf ball rollback plans, slated to take effect in 2028 for professionals.

Ridley, speaking during his annual Wednesday press conference on the eve of the Masters, commented on Augusta National’s reluctance to continue lengthening the course—which has consistently occurred over the past two decades.

“I’ve said in the past that I hope we will not play the Masters at 8,000 yards but that is likely to happen in the not-too-distant future under current standards,” Ridley said. “Accordingly, we support the decisions that have been made by the R&A and the USGA as they have addressed the impact of distance at all levels of the game.”

A complete breakdown of the rollback can be read here but the short summary is that golf’s governing bodies are changing golf ball testing standards to limit distance. The new rules, announced at the end of last year, go into effect Jan. 1, 2028, as they relate to professional golf.

There is skepticism over whether the PGA Tour will adopt the new rules but Ridley said he hoped it would be universally accepted so the golf world could avoid additional heartburn.

“I certainly hope they will be, were they not, it would cause a great deal of stress in the game it doesn’t need right now,” Ridley said.

Ridley made an interesting note that whatever distance is limited by more stringent technology standards would likely be offset by players in other forms like other efficiencies in equipment and physical training.

“What we found, though, over the years is that we lengthen the golf course, everybody says it’s really long and then two or three years later it’s not so really long,” Ridley said.

He also signaled his intention to hold 8,000 yards as a mark that won’t be passed under his leadership. That included an adamant statement that the iconic par-3 12th will never be lengthened while he is the chairman.

“I can say it won’t happen while I’m chairman,” Ridley said, comparing it to touching up the Mona Lisa.

The Masters had been played at roughly the same yardage for nearly 70 years until Augusta National lengthened the course as it became out of scale, given hitting distances in the modern game.

Last year was the debut of the newly lengthened par-5 13th which featured a higher percentage of players going for the green in two. The scoring average dropped slightly but the hole played as it was originally intended, according to Ridley.

Ridley said this week’s Masters could be the first to have a round played at more than 7,600 yards and plans to lengthen the course could be considered based on distance trends. The winning score in the tournament has been trending lower despite the lengthening.

“We have some more room (to add distance),” Ridley said, “but we don’t have a lot.”

It’s not surprising, given Ridley’s previous comments about limiting distance, but the confirmation was still significant.

Stay tuned for more of our Masters coverage throughout the week. Here are some stories leading up into the tournament to get you ready:

• The Best Part of Attending the Masters? Being Fully Present Without a Phone
• The Perfect One-Day Itinerary for First-Time Masters Patrons
• Golf Nerd Numbers: How Masters Scoring Has Evolved Over 90 Years
• Making a Bag With 14 Memorable Masters Clubs
• Why the Masters Champ Will Come From These 10 Players