‘The Lady Doth Protest Too Much’: Rory McIlroy Becomes a Victim of Online Mockery For Continuing His Support for Rollback Policy
Rory McIlroy has doubled down on his assertion that the new ball rules will make professional golf more entertaining. The Northern Irishman, who is a staunch bifurcation-backer, believes limiting the distances reached by golf balls will not impact the game at the elite level; rather it will bring back certain skills into the game that have gone missing.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the four-time Major winner said that not only from a skill-set point of view but even from an environmental perspective, the decision taken by the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) has enough merit. The parent bodies are bringing about a change in the testing conditions for golf ball conformance.
Under the change, a golf ball, when hit by a club at a speed of 125 miles per hour, can go no further than 320 yards. As of now, the speed limit for testing was set at 120 miles per hour for a distance of 320 yards. McIlroy had earlier voiced his support, posting on his X handle. In the interview, he said: “This conversation has been going on in golf for the last 20 years. Tiger (Woods) said a couple of days ago that the golf ball’s been getting faster ever since he came on tour, which is 1997.”
With the average driving distance increasing rapidly, the golf courses are getting longer and accounting for more acreage. “Is that sustainable?” McIlroy asked. More acreage means more water for maintenance. “There’s all these sort of environmental factors that come into it. I think that’s the biggest reason we should do this,” said the 34-year-old.
