McIlroy: “I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball roll back. It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability. The people who are upset shouldn’t be mad at the governing bodies, they should be at club/ball manufacturers”
Final Up to date: 03/12/23 6:15pm
Rory McIlroy says golf’s anticipated rule change to scale back how far balls journey will no make no distinction to common golfer
Rory McIlroy believes “elite pros” and tools makers are responsible for an anticipated rule change which is able to cut back how far golf balls journey.
Golf’s governing our bodies introduced in March the proposal of a Mannequin Native Rule (MLR) to offer tournaments the choice to require using balls which might journey round 15 yards much less.
R&A chief government Martin Slumbers and USGA counterpart Mike Whan confirmed that the MLR would apply in their very own elite occasions, most notably the Open Championship and US Open, respectively.
McIlroy and Tiger Woods spoke out in assist of the proposal but it surely was opposed by the PGA Tour and strongly criticised by prime tools manufacturing firm Acushnet and former world No 1 Justin Thomas, who performs with their market-leading Titleist balls.
In response to what Slumbers termed “very strong pushback”, the R&A and USGA at the moment are understood to be on the verge of asserting a revision to the best way balls are examined, which is able to successfully make present variations non-conforming and require shorter balls to be made.
Golf Digest, which first reported intimately on the revision, say it is going to apply on the elite degree from 2028, but additionally for leisure gamers from 2030.
Writing on X, previously generally known as Twitter, McIlroy mentioned: “I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball roll back.
“It’s going to make no distinction in anyway to the common golfer and places golf again on a path of sustainability. It’s going to additionally assist deliver again sure abilities within the professional sport which were eradicated over the previous 2 a long time.
“The people who are upset about this decision shouldn’t be mad at the governing bodies, they should be mad at elite pros and club/ball manufacturers because they didn’t want bifurcation.
“The governing our bodies offered us with that choice earlier this yr. Elite professionals and ball producers suppose bifurcation would negatively have an effect on their backside traces, when in actuality, the sport is already bifurcated.
“You think we play the same stuff you do? They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone. Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but yet again in this game, money talks.”
In response to a follower who queried his view that the change would make no distinction to the common golfer, McIlroy wrote: “I don’t believe an average golfer giving up 5-10 yards off the tee is going to have a material effect on their actual score, handicap or enjoyment of the game.”
