"Obviously from the manufacturer's side, the reason that they pay us to use equipment and have us play their stuff is because the general public can get the same stuff that we play, for the most part."

Kevin Streelman seems like a nice enough fellow and he's in a no-win situation getting asked about the USGA's ball testing in Canada. Still, this gives you an idea what you're dealing with in trying to educate a golf professional about the situation.

KEVIN STREELMAN: I think they accomplish some of what they want to do with the groove change. I would say if you looked at the scoring average and the tournament winning scores, they probably haven't changed drastically with those changes.

So if they wanted to do more, it would probably take some time. I don't think they can just jump right in and say, okay, now we're doing this. Try and bring it back.

I think it would be difficult to go somewhere with the technological advancements and then bring it back, especially -- I don't think they could play the length golf courses we're playing now and you're going to hit it 20 percent shorter, and now you have hybrid in every par 4s, I don't think the general public would want to watch that as much.

Okay I said I wouldn't interrupt. Uh Kev, tees can move UP you know. They don't have to be played all the way back.

Q. This is a hypothetical, but what about from a equipment company standpoint, just the possibility that you have PGA TOUR players playing one level of equipment and the general public playing another, is that something that obviously has been resistant for a long time?

KEVIN STREELMAN: Obviously from the manufacturer's side, the reason that they pay us to use equipment and have us play their stuff is because the general public can get the same stuff that we play, for the most part.

For the most part.

It's maybe not identical, but it's very similar to the stuff we play, especially golf balls and even down to shoes and to be able to have a hole different groove and stuff just for the pros, that might take a little bit away from our relationship, the manufacturers in that regard. Maybe even take a little bit away from the general public's connection with us to say, hey, I'm teeing up the same golf ball or the same driver that Tiger is playing this week and the same shaft he's playing.

You can do that, you can go to club stores and find all that stuff. I think when I was growing up, I got a kick out of that. You feel the closeness and the relationship with the players and the TOUR.

As the dwindling ratings, attendance and participation in the game all confirm!