"I think the intention is to bring back a lot of the skills that were really important -- ball control, trajectory control, distance control," said Verplank. "Those things have kind of gone out the window with drivers that you can swing as hard as you can and grooves that let you spin it out of the rough. Kids are coming out now that can't necessarily play all the shots. That's the thing that makes Tiger so good. He still plays with clubs that are old style, and he can hit all the shots. He can change his trajectory and do all that. That's one reason why he's so darn good."
That he is. And Woods says he may already have a head start on some of his peers when it comes to adapting to the new groove rule as well. "I think it'll be an advantage to the guys who play spin golf balls already," said Woods. "Guys who play a harder ball are going to have to make a bigger adjustment to the grooves and there are few guys who play a softer ball. I do play a pretty soft ball, and I'll have to make less of an adjustment than most."
For the rest of the tour, those words may pack more clout than those uttered by Finchem earlier in the day.
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