"Something needs to be done" - 3x Major winner Nick Price expresses candid views on the inclusion of technology in modern golf
Making comparisons between eras is tricky unless, like Nick Price, you have lived through it all. Price is not the biggest fan of technology in golf and he recently argued that the sweet spot of the clubs in his youth was "the size of a pea" and very different from what it is today.
Nick Price made these statements during one of the interviews he gave while participating in the 2023 PNC Championship. The three-time Major champion addressed the ball rollback golf debate and said that "something needs to be done."
This was part of what Nick Price said, as per Golfweek:
"Equipment is making all of our great courses redundant... A lot of guys are working out, which is great, and they work on the right things and whatever, but the sweet spot on the driver is the size of a peach now.
"When I was playing it was the size of a pea. I’m not saying we need to go back, but these poor golf courses, you’ve got 620-yard par 5s and they’re reaching them in driver-4-iron. Something needs to be done."
In addition to his extensive and relevant background in professional golf, Nick Price has practical experience in golf equipment evaluation. In the recent past, he has served on the Executive, Championships, and Equipment Standards committees of the United States Golf Association (USGA).
Price is not alone in his opinion about the current clubs' sweet spot. After the ball rollback rule was made official by the USGA and the R&A, Billy Horschel spoke out in favor of making the sweet spots smaller as an alternative for reducing distances.
Who is Nick Price?
Nick Price, 66, was one of the biggest names in world golf during the 1980s and 1990s. The Zimbabwean native has won 48 professional tournaments, 18 of them on the PGA Tour (3 Majors).
Price began playing professionally on the South African Tour, but quickly transitioned to the European Tour (now the DP World Tour) and the PGA Tour. He earned his membership on the world's premier tour in 1983.
That same year he won his first tournament at the highest level, defeating none other than Jack Nicklaus in the World Series of Golf. His best season was undoubtedly 1994, during which he reached the number 1 spot in the world ranking and won six times on the PGA Tour, including two Majors (The Open Championship and the PGA Championship).
Price had achieved his first victory in Majors two years earlier (1992 PGA Championship). His participation in Majors eventually reached 85 editions, with the astronomical figure of 21 top 10s (including his three victories).
Among the many awards received during his career, Price was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003 and also given the Bob Jones Award.