Lucas Glover didn’t just poke the bear—he walked straight into the den and slapped it. On his SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show, the 2009 U.S. Open champ made waves this week by claiming that many PGA Tour pros are gaming the system when it comes to driver testing, handing over backup clubs instead of the ones they actually play in competition.
With the PGA Tour’s already limited driver inspection protocols under scrutiny, Glover’s candid commentary has added fresh fuel to an old fire.
“They Don’t Give Them the Real Driver”
The current process? Each week, the PGA Tour selects 30 drivers for testing, a small fraction of the total in play. That limited pool creates both a logistical challenge—and an easy workaround. According to Glover, many players are exploiting it.
“Most guys don’t give them their real driver anyway,” Glover said bluntly. “They give them their backup just in case.”
He explained that some players even carry two drivers in their bag—one to actually compete with and one to conveniently hand over for testing. It’s a loophole that’s apparently more common than fans—or governing bodies—might suspect.
Why It Matters: The Spring-Like Effect
The issue at hand is COR—Coefficient of Restitution—essentially how “springy” the clubface is. The PGA Tour and USGA limit how much the face can flex on impact to maintain fairness. But repeated use can thin the clubface, especially for high-swing-speed bombers like Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler, potentially giving those clubs an edge that’s outside the rules.
At the PGA Championship, both McIlroy and Scheffler had drivers fail testing. McIlroy reportedly had to replace his go-to club after it was deemed “no longer permissible.” While the exact details are confidential, speculation suggests repeated wear may have given his driver a noncompliant boost.
Glover’s take? That moment reinforced just how much variance exists even within the same club model. McIlroy still used a TaylorMade model identical to the one he dominated Augusta with—but he struggled off the tee at Quail Hollow. To Glover, that proves the point:
“No two drivers are exactly the same.”
Testing the System—or Just Testing at All?
Glover’s remarks open the door to broader questions:
- Should all drivers be tested every week?
- Is a random sample of 30 still meaningful in an era where millions ride on minute performance edges?
- And if players are knowingly handing over decoys, what does that say about enforcement?
At a time when golf’s governing bodies are pushing ball rollback rules and equipment bifurcation to preserve the integrity of the game, driver testing may now be their next flashpoint.
A Call for Transparency?
Driver testing has always been a behind-the-scenes process. But now, thanks to Glover’s revelations and McIlroy and Scheffler’s high-profile fails, the system is in the spotlight.
Fans and players alike may ask for more consistent testing, greater transparency, and stricter enforcement—because, as Glover put it, if a PGA Tour win comes down to inches off the tee, everyone better play by the same rules. This isn’t just about one driver. It’s about the integrity of the game—and whether or not the Tour is doing enough to protect it.
