Jake Knapp Slams Golf Ball Rollback, Tees Up PXG Driver Giveaway

In the world of professional golf, where drives soar longer than ever, the debate over golf ball technology is heating up. Jake Knapp, a rising star with a swing smoother than a morning fairway dew, is making waves not just with his 298.9-yard average drive but also with his candid take on the USGA's golf ball rollback plan. Knapp, who ranks 31st in driving distance and joined the elite 59 Club at this year’s Cognizant Classic, isn’t thrilled about the proposed changes.

The USGA aims to dial back golf ball technology to preserve the game’s traditional challenge, as players like Knapp, armed with cutting-edge equipment, dominate courses with sheer power. But Knapp argues that changing the ball’s distance messes with a player’s finely tuned feel, developed over years. “I’ve been hitting balls the same distance since I was a kid,” he told WTFNewsRoom. “You can tweak equipment to offset most of that anyway, so I’m not sure it’ll matter as much as they think.”

Instead of rolling back the ball, Knapp suggests tighter regulations on club design for pros—smaller, less forgiving clubs to up the difficulty without altering the ball’s flight. His stance aligns with his latest venture: a collaboration with PXG and Pennzoil to give away a high-performance driver that’s anything but restrained. From May 29 to June 25, buyers of a Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic bundle at Advance Auto Parts or Carquest can enter to win this limited-edition driver, boasting high ball speed, low spin, and unmatched forgiveness.

“When you’ve got two top-tier brands like PXG and Pennzoil, it’s a no-brainer,” Knapp said, praising the driver’s massive sweet spot and fairway-finding precision. For a player whose drives have already covered 113 miles this season, this partnership is a hole-in-one. But as the rollback debate rolls on, Knapp’s clear: keep the ball flying and let the clubs take the hit.