“The ball is the ball” – When Adam Scott questioned the change in drivers while commenting on the golf ball rollback argument

The golf ball rollback rules are a hot topic with the R&A CEO Martin Slumbers continuously pushing to implement it. The company along with United States Golf Association (USGA) are set to roll out the proposed rollback rules soon. However, several players are not excited for the move, including Adam Scott.

Like many other PGA Tour regulars, Scott has openly commented against the rollback argument. According to the Aussie, the increase in driving distances comes as a result of the ease in use of drivers. The 43-year-old veteran golfer noted that the drivers used to be the “hardest club to hit” in the past.

However, it has since grown to be the easiest. He coined this the “biggest evolutionary change” in the sport. For Scott, “the ball is the ball” and it needs no change. However, he notes that the change in rules around drivers is the first issue to address at the moment.

Speaking in an episode of the Smylie Show Podcast back in the summer, Adam Scott said:

“The biggest fundamental change in the game since I’ve been a pro, is traditionally the driver has been the hardest club to hit in the bag, and now it’s the most forgiving. And that’s the biggest evolutionary change in the golf bag to me out of the equipment.

The ball is the ball, but the driver went from the hardest club to hit to now the most forgiving and the go-to club for guys if they are nervous. The penalty for missing a driver just isn’t high enough anymore, in my opinion, at the top level. I’d like to address that first and see what knock-on effects that has. If guys want to swing at it 130 with a tiny driver head then good luck.”

It is important to note that Scott is not the first player to speak against the golf ball rollback. Masters champion Jon Rahm had earlier raised his concerns over the proposed move.

LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau called it the "most atrocious thing" to do. However, PGA Tour’s most influential stars Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have openly accepted the rollback, dubbing it part of “innovation” in the sport.

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Jon Rahm on USGA's golf ball rollback

The World No.3 golfer was evidently unhappy with the golf ball rollback move. The Spaniard questioned the new Model Local Rule soon after its proposal and asked “why change what’s working.” Speaking at the pre-event press conference of the World Golf Championships Match Play event in Texas, back in March, Rahm asked why the sports ruling bodies were looking to reduce the driving distances.

Commenting on the proposed golf ball rollback, Rahm said at the presser:

"My biggest question for them to be we're in a golden era of golf where it's exploded since COVID, a lot of people are watching, you have a completely different tour, all these things are happening for the game and it's growing. Why change what's working?"

Like Scott, Rahm also said that there were ways other than golf ball rollback to make the sport difficult. The Masters champion, who is one of the longest hitters of the golf ball with an average driving distance of 314 yards, noted that the officials could change golf course designs and its setup to control the driving.