Cameron Young, one of the hottest players on the PGA Tour over the last eight months, just dropped an interesting revelation: the golf ball he's been using would actually be legal under the USGA and R&A's upcoming rollback rules. According to a Golf Channel report from Tuesday night, Young's Titleist prototype Pro V1x Double Dot ball—which he started playing last summer—meets the conditions of the new Overall Distance Standard (ODS) test.

Both Titleist and the USGA have stayed quiet on the matter, but Young himself addressed it at the PGA Championship on Wednesday. "Obviously, there is no conforming list," he said. "I suppose I read something that said it passed that test, but I wasn't aware of that until very recently. So at no point was that a consideration. It was just really me trying to optimize my golf, and it's the ball that seems to work the best for me."

For context, the rollback—announced in 2023—aims to rein in extreme driving distances at the elite level. The new testing conditions will bump clubhead speed to 125 mph (up from 120) and launch angle to 11 degrees (up from 10), while keeping the maximum distance at 317 yards with a 3-yard tolerance. The rule is set to hit professional play in 2028 and recreational golf by 2030.

Young first put this prototype into competition at the Wyndham Championship in August, where he cruised to a six-stroke victory. He told reporters he only learned a few weeks ago that the ball would pass the new test. The ball itself is part of Titleist's Customized Performance Option (CPO) line, designed to fine-tune flight and performance. Young first tested it about two years ago, and Titleist's director of tour research and validation, Fordie Pitts, delivered the finished prototypes just before the Wyndham. Since then, it's been in his bag full-time.

Interestingly, Data Golf analyzed Young's 50-round stretch with the ball and found some intriguing numbers—underscoring just how much this piece of equipment has become part of his winning formula. For golfers watching the rollback debate closely, this story adds a fascinating twist: even the prototypes players are using today might already be ahead of the curve.