PGA of America ‘struggling’ with the idea of bifurcation for proposed rollback

PITTSFORD, N.Y. – PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh didn’t say Tuesday whether the organization would adopt the proposed model local rule that would limit the distance boom at the professional level.

As the last major organization to weigh in on the proposed rollback, which would go into effect in 2026, Waugh said that he and other members of the PGA were still “struggling” with the idea of bifurcation – two sets of rules for elite and recreational play.

“We’re glad they’ve left the recreational game alone because we think now is not a time to make it harder or less fun – we’re finally growing in a way that we want to grow,” Waugh said Tuesday ahead of the PGA Championship. “We’re struggling with the bifurcation case, like a lot of folks are, in the sense we think that that’s an integral part of the game that we can all test ourselves against others.”

Full-field tee times from the PGA Championship

Waugh said, however, that the process has been “very interactive” with the game’s governing bodies, with a comment period for manufacturers and golf shareholders running through mid-August.

All eyes were on the PGA, after Masters chairman Fred Ridley said last month that the club was “supportive” of a rollback, keeping them in line with the USGA and R&A.

Kerry Haigh, the PGA’s chief championships officer, said it was too early to speculate what the organization would do.

“We’re not rushing to make a decision until we know what actually is going to take place,” Haigh said.

Added Waugh: “We’re always going to work with our partners in the game and figure out what’s in the best interest of the game. We do this once a week, but every day we’re out there trying to make the game better. Our true north is always going to be what’s in the best interest of the overall game, and that’s where we come from.”