Bubba Watson said he didn’t like the golf ball changes. Then he sounded off

Bubba Watson was requested for his ideas on the proposed modifications to the golf ball — and he answered with a reputation.

“Justin Thomas,” Watson said. 

“I do not like it. That’s pretty much what he said.”

Opinions on the topic, it appears, haven’t been tough to search out. On Tuesday, the USGA and the R&A launched a proposal that features a Model Local Rule that — for excursions and championships that undertake it — would successfully imply rolling again the golf ball and introducing bifurcation, i.e., creating a unique algorithm for professionals and high amateurs vs. the remainder of the golf world. And the takes got here, together with one from Thomas, who on Wednesday went on a three-minute rant — his phrase — in opposition. 

On Thursday, forward of the yr’s second LIV Golf occasion, Watson agreed with the roast. Then he was requested why, and the two-time Masters winner had some ideas. 

His reply was about 275 phrases and included a bit of little bit of every little thing.    

He talked about “commercialism.” 

“Well, there’s many reasons,” Watson started, “but first off, first of all, the commercialism is the one that’s paying all these bills for USGA and all these other organizations, and now you’re asking them to spend millions to change a ball or design a new ball and do all those things. Why?” 

He then went in one other path and talked about making drivers that go straighter and farther. 

“Professional golfers are a small — minute in the game of golf as a whole, who all plays it, so why not make a driver that lets some guy hit it straighter, further,” he said. “Make a ball that lets a guy or a woman, kid, hit it further.”

He then talked about fellow LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau. 

“Just because you hit it further doesn’t mean it’s going to go straighter,” Watson said. “I’m not trying to throw Bryson under the bus, but Bryson tried to do something, he did do it, but he dialed it back a little. He still hits it further than everybody, but he dialed it back a little because he realized your misses are further — because I’ve been dealing with that for a while; my misses are further off.”

He then said that golf is the solely sport altering. 

“Going back to the ball, I just don’t see the reason why,” Watson said. “We’re the one sport that’s changing what we do, and we get mad when a guy shoots 10-under for three straight days, but we celebrate when a guy scores 50 points or scores three home runs or four home runs, a guy throws seven touchdowns. We celebrate that. We don’t make him, hey, you can’t throw that many passes the next game. So why are we messing with that?”

He then said that you just shouldn’t mess with an excellent factor. 

“The sport is at an all-time high, so let’s don’t mess with it, let’s just keep it growing,” Watson said.  

“That’s my short answer.”

Indeed. At the press convention, Watson and fellow LIV golfer Harold Varner have been then requested if they might see a state of affairs the place they might flip down taking part in a unique ball in a serious. 

“I’ll ask my sponsor first if I’m allowed to, and then I will gladly play that ball if they let me,” Watson said. “If I’m in a major …”

“I’m going to play whatever they tell me to play,” Varner said.

“Or if LIV says you’ve got to play this ball, then …” Watson said. 

“That’s the only thing that gets me about the whole ball thing,” Varner said. “Everyone is complaining about the millions of dollars, there’s a lot of money, but if they change the golf ball and they give you a golf ball, we’re going to play the golf ball.”

Watson then said lengthy hitters are nonetheless going to be lengthy hitters. 

“Corey Pavin,” he said, “I’m not trying to call out Corey Pavin. Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk …”

“Harold mentioned you in that conversation,” a reporter said.

“That’s fine,” Watson said. 

“Hey, I haven’t seen him play tomorrow,” Varner said. “He’s old and decrepit.”

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Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his function, he is answerable for enhancing, writing and growing tales throughout the golf area. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be taking part in the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and brief, and ingesting a chilly beer to clean away his rating. You can attain out to him about any of those subjects — his tales, his sport or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.