DUBLIN, Ohio – An anonymous and scathing story in this month’s Golf Digest calls out the USGA for everything from how the association sets up the U.S. Open to recent changes to the Rules of Golf.

On Wednesday at the Memorial Tournament, USGA executive director Mike Davis addressed the criticism and what the association is doing to bridge a widening gap with some PGA Tour players.

“We’re listening a lot and having a dialogue with them,” Davis said. “Some of it was about new rules. Some of it is concerns about the distance initiative, some of it is U.S. Open. It’s a combination of things. But we’re looking forward and we obviously want to work with the Tour. There are so many great players and we want to get it right.”

In March, the USGA hired former Tour winner Jason Gore to serve as the player relations director in an attempt to smooth over the tensions between the two organizations and association officials have regularly been onsite at Tour events this season to answer player questions.

“Just getting more dialogue with the Tour was important,” Davis said. “It was evident with the new rules that a lot of the complaints happen because I don’t think they actually understood the rationale. Why would you drop from your knee? Why would you have the flagstick in? Why are we changing some rules on the putting green? If it’s down to more ‘why’ than it’s because you aren’t communicating enough.”

Justin Thomas was among the players who were critical of the USGA and the changes this year to the Rules of Golf. The issue boiled over earlier this season when the USGA claimed Thomas had cancelled numerous meetings with the association. The USGA later corrected the claim and conceded he had not cancelled any meetings.

“I'm very cordial with a lot of the USGA guys, it's not like it's a very hostile relationship or anything like that,” Thomas said. “That stuff, at least in my opinion, is very much in the past. Although it may not have seemed like it at the time, it was something that potentially was better for the both of us. As long as we can continue to make the game better, then I feel like we accomplished something.”