Golf's distance debate has been going on for years. Governing bodies have tried one solution after another. Sir Nick Faldo thinks he has a better answer, and Aaron Rai isn't so sure it works.

Rai, the 31-year-old, has spoken to reporters ahead of the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Tuesday, July 15, 2026. He was responding to Faldo's idea that the PGA Tour should limit tee height at some events or ban tees on shorter courses.

Rai shared his doubts about the idea.

"I think in particular with tee heights, that's probably not something that many golfers have really practised over a period of time," he said, per a transcript by ASAP Sports."So I think to impose that and also to govern that might be quite challenging. I'm not sure how good that may be in the grand scheme of things."

He acknowledged the wider uncertainty around golf's distance debate.

"I think, as you said, there are a lot of things that are very much up in the air at the moment, and no one quite knows which way it's going to go," Rai said. "Whatever changes are made, it's going to be a big adjustment, whether it's golf ball, whether it's tee heights."

This debate is important because of the golf ball rollback. The rollback was first planned for top players in 2028, but it has now been delayed until at least 2030. Cameron Young also won the Cadillac Championship with a ball that would have followed the new rules. That made more people question if the rollback would really make a big difference.

Faldo first shared the idea on the Sliced podcast in September 2025, according to The Golfing Gazette. He suggested limiting tee height to 7/8 of an inch in tournaments and not allowing tees at courses shorter than 7,100 yards. He also said wedge lofts should be limited to 56 degrees.

Rai did not completely disagree with the idea.

"Obviously something will be done," he said. "I'm sure as time goes on, it will be for the betterment of the game over a period of time."

Rai spoke about more than just equipment rules ahead of Royal Birkdale.

Aaron Rai arrives at Royal Birkdale as a major champion with a new perspective

Rai won the PGA Championship at Aronimink in May, his first major title. He spoke openly about what has changed since then.

"Maybe the most challenging, just time commitments really and kind of scheduling my time, still getting my practice in, doing all the things that I need to do in terms of golf, but also making space for myself and my family," Rai said. "That's been a little trickier since then, but that's also part of the learning curve."

The Open at Royal Birkdale is his next major start since Aronimink. He arrives as a first-time major champion.

Do you think limiting tee heights is the right fix for golf's distance problem? Tell us in the comments!

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi