USGA CEO Mike Whan was apparently listening to SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio on his way into the office Friday morning when a conversation piqued him.
The topic on “A New Breed of Golf,” a radio show hosted by former Golf Channel talent and Team Titleist instructor Michael Breed, was Rory McIlroy’s show-stopping drive Thursday at Austin Country Club, where McIlroy hit a 375-yard tee shot to inside of 5 feet at the par-4 finishing hole to win his match at the WGC-Dell Match Play. Naturally, the mammoth shot sparked a discussion on the USGA’s recent model local rule proposal, which aims to effectively roll the golf ball back for elite competitors.