"U.S.G.A. CEO Mike Whan Discusses Overblown Media Attention Regarding PGA Championship Driver Testing Scandal"
Chatting with Mike Whan, the USGA's CEO
Mike Whan, Chief Executive Officer of the USGA, has been cool as a cucumber about the recent hullabaloo surrounding driver testing at the PGA Championship. The controversy was sparked when it was announced that Rory McIlroy had to swap his driver for a new one as it no longer met the necessary standards.
In response, the PGA of America issued a statement, revealing that confidential club testing protocols had been in place before the event. The claim was later confirmed that even tournament winner Scottie Scheffler was among those who faced driver failures. However, just like the PGA of America, Whan played it down, stating there was nothing out of the ordinary about the situation.
Leading up to the US Women's Open at Erin Hills, Whan was questioned about the possibility of lifting the confidentiality veil over the testing owing to the controversy. He admitted that some weeks were more talk-worthy than others, but the PGA Tour had asked the USGA to help with club testing. He pointed out that it is challenging to maintain a calibrated machine that syncs with the USGA's testing procedures.
More than two weeks after the PGA Championship, 2009 US Open winner Lucas Glover expressed his view regarding the testing on his SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show. He claimed that most players rarely hand over their actual driver for testing. Whan, however, maintained that safeguards were in place to prevent anyone from gaming the system.
He further clarified that the USGA keeps serial numbers of the drivers given for tests, and about 90% of the drivers handed in are used during the event. Whan also expressed his opinion that the media frenzy was blown out of proportion. In his words, "It seemed like a big week to everybody else, but for us it was a pretty standard week."
The US Women's Open will not witness any testing, as Whan confirmed. He mentioned that the women's game hasn't shown significant signs of "CT creep," where the club's performance characteristics change over time due to wear. Furthermore, the USGA is open to implementing additional testing if the LPGA or LET requests it.
Whan also praised the growth and strength of the women's game. In his opinion, women's golf is the driving force behind the growth of the game as a whole, and if it were a stock, it would be a good investment. He concluded his thoughts by stating, "the future of the game looks more female than it's ever looked in 100 years. That's an exciting time."
In a discussion about the future of golf, Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA, expressed that the US Women's Open will not include driver testing, as the women's game has not shown significant signs of "CT creep". He also mentioned his enthusiasm for the growth and strength of women's golf, commenting that it could be a good investment for the future of the sport. Additionally, Whan acknowledged that sports such as golf, including the PGA Tour, have mechanisms in place to avoid anyone trying to game the system when it comes to club testing.
