In the end, the United States Golf Association just wasn't ready to make golfing criminals of millions of duffers.
Talk of banning some oversized titanium drivers to protect the integrity of game proved to be just that as golf's ruling body decided to embrace a new standard that virtually assures the hottest clubs on the market today will remain legal.Much to the relief of the golf manufacturing industry, the USGA on Wednesday said it was comfortable with the newest clubs and does not believe that they give too much help to either bad golfers or those playing in the U.S. Open.
"We don't believe that clubs submitted to this point have lessened the skill to play the game at championships such as the U.S. Open or at a recreational level," said David Fay, executive director of the USGA.
The decision means clubs such as the Biggest Big Bertha and the Taylor Made Titanium 2 drivers will continue to be stuffed into golfer's bags around the country. It came after the industry mounted an aggressive campaign against a possible ban after the USGA said it was considering altering rules on equipment.
Fay said, however, that the organization was working on a new standard to test clubs, one that could be in place by fall to regulate the so-called "spring-like effect" in the faces of golf clubs.
That caused some concern from manufacturers, who said they aren't willing to submit to standards that might slow the development of clubs that have revolutionized the golfing industry.