BY Robert j. matthews
Rory McIlroy, a top golfer on the PGA Tour, is one of many players who hit the ball really far.
Last season, 98 professional golfers hit the ball farther than the average distance of 299.9 yards.
In 2002, only one player, John Daly, hit a golf ball over 300 yards. This year, the Masters had to make the famous par-five 13th hole at Augusta longer.
It went from 510 to 545 yards to keep it challenging enough.
The new rules start in January 2028 for professional golfers and will be gradually implemented for casual players in 2030.
Golf balls have to follow rules and pass tests to meet the 'Overall Distance Standard'.
The way a ball plays can change based on what it's made of and how it's shaped, which can affect how much it spins and how far it can go.
The announcement today follows guidelines called "the Vancouver Protocol" that were agreed upon by the golf industry in the early 2000s.
I think this rule change in our sport has received a lot of feedback, and that feedback is shown in the final outcome.
These are new golf rules. One important thing about our sport is that we all follow the rules of golf.