Bryson DeChambeau has never been shy about holding his position, and his latest one is sure to ignite discussions about the impending (albeit debatable) equipment rollback that will begin The golf ball of 2030 for all golfers.
Speaking ahead of this week’s LIV golf event in South Africa, DeChambeau was asked whether it was the equipment arms race or the raw athleticism that should be given more credit for allowing Tour players to hit the ball farther than ever before.
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His answer was clear.
“If you want to say that the drivers in 2009 were worse than they are now, I would disagree with that,” he said. “I think they’re relatively the same and haven’t changed much. With the rules as they are, you can’t change them that much.”
That’s a bold claim. The average driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2025 was 302.8 yards, a jump of about 15 yards from the 2009 tour average (287.9 yards). It’s not unreasonable to think that driver technology plays a role in increasing distance.
DeChambeau isn’t ignoring the numbers, he just thinks they tell the wrong story. His broader argument is more nuanced than simple equipment scrapping. He immediately pointed to the person holding the club. “I think it’s much more about athleticism and not being afraid to chase shots and swing harder and be more aggressive,” he said.
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That part is difficult to discuss. Launch monitors, elite fitness routines, and a generation’s drive to give it their all have all truly moved the needle. No one disputes that.
But to honor this athlete’s accomplishments, there’s no need to discredit the engineers who spent two decades sourcing new materials and optimizing MOI and aerodynamics to make every off-center strike more playable.
The latest tests using Golf Digest’s Golf Laboratories swing robot have also confirmed that driving distance is increased by reducing the penalty for off-center hits. The size of the head hasn’t changed, but the inside has certainly changed.
One thing is clear from the robot data. That means the gear is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. When you put a 2009 swing into 2009 equipment, you’re left with actual yards. The same could be said if Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy were tasked with playing a full season in a circa 2009 model. Equipment and athleticism are not competing explanations. Simply put, it’s a multiplier.
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Where DeChambeau could find stronger ground is in the rollback argument. Rather than simply opposing change, he frames it as a question that governing bodies have not yet fully answered. “What is the golf body trying to accomplish?” he asked. “Are they trying to preserve the tradition and history of the game, or are they trying to grow the game? Because those are two different things.”
That’s a valid distinction. When you unwind the ball, it’s like threading a needle. While protecting a classic course for professionals, it could also alienate the next generation of fans who came to visit. Because it’s really thrilling to watch someone carry a par 5 for two.
“If you want to grow the game, that’s not the way to get kids to hit the golf ball farther and have fun and want to be a part of this game,” DeChambeau said. “I like to convey the joy of golf, not the difficulty of golf.”
It’s a message worth hearing, even if the data and driver debate complicates the equipment side of his argument.
