The difference between a driver measuring 239 microseconds and a non-conforming head at 258 microseconds is negligible. The bigger concern for the Tour (and the USGA) at the moment is finding a way to conduct these random tests with consistency — something that’s difficult to accomplish when multiple pendulum devices are being used to conduct CT tests.
“When the Tour is using one CT machine and the manufacturer is using their own, the chances of getting a different CT reading are high unless both machines are being calibrated the same way,” a veteran golf-equipment marketer told GOLF.com. “We’re talking about razor-thin tolerances here. It doesn’t take much — a difference in how the machine is recalibrated or how the test is conducted — to spit out a different number on each machine.”
The situation all five players are currently facing is eerily similar to what Schauffele went through at Royal Portrush. Chip Brewer, Callaway’s CEO, confirmed Schauffele’s driver was, in fact, legal — at 255 microseconds — when the manufacturer tested it during the tournament week. But when the R&A performed its own independent test, the driver came in one point over the limit at 258. Callaway and the R&A used their own CT machines to check the springlike effect on Schauffele’s driver.
The Reuters report noted “some players are questioning the accuracy of the tour’s testing procedure, and have sent their drivers back to their various manufacturers for re-testing.” Tyler Dennis, the Tour’s Chief of Operations, has reportedly declined to discuss testing specifics with players, “citing the need for confidentiality.”
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