ZOZO: Tiger Woods On Bryson's Speed Chase, State Of The Distance Debate
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Returning to Sherwood Country Club for the ZOZO Championship, Tiger Woods was asked about the speed chase by players.
TIGER WOODS: Well, distance has always been an advantage. Now that we have the tools, that being the launch monitor, the fitting of the golf clubs, the adjustability. I think all that plays into the fact that you're able to maximize the capabilities of a driver. There's no reason why you can't pick up more yardage and guys have done that. They've changed shafts, they've changed lofts, they've changed weights on their heads and length of clubs. Driving is such a huge part of the game and it's so advantageous if you're able to get the ball out there. It just makes the game so much easier.
And this on distance was nice. Someone else has lost patience.
Q. Just one last question, and on the back of an earlier question about driving distance of the ball. As you know, the administrators are a little worried about where the game's going. Should they be worried?
TIGER WOODS: They should have been worried a long time ago, but the genie's out of the bag now. It's about what do we do going forward and how soon can they do it. I don't know if they're going--you're not going to stop the guys who are there right now. You can carry--guys are figuring out how to carry the ball 320-plus yards, and it's not just a few of them. There's a lot of guys can do it. That's where the game's going. There's only going to be a small amount of property that we can do, we can alter golf courses. I just don't see how they can roll everything back. I would like to have--like to be able to see that, as far as our game, but then we go back down the road of what do you bifurcate, at what level? So that's a long discussion we've had for a number of years, for 20-plus years now, and I think it's only going to continue.
Tiger is correct, well, about everything here.
A) It’s about what we do and how soon. Since the genie’s out of the bag/bottle, this means that bifurcation is the only real solution.
B) At what level. Yep, a complicated, annoying discussion to have. But since equipment companies shower amateur golfers now with free stuff and college golfers are on the freebie circuit too, that line should not be tough to draw if we are talking balls, or more tightly regulated drivers. But all of this would require an actual discussion, one governing bodies have tabled for (another) year. At least.
