After news broke that golf’s governing bodies were set to unveil a plan to roll back of the golf ball for everyone by 2030, Rory McIlroy chimed in to voice his support for the USGA and R&A.
McIlroy argued on X, formerly Twitter, that the rollback would make “no difference” to the average golfer while heightening the importance of other skills in the game, likely long-iron play, which McIlroy has talked about in the past.
He then went on to explain that he’s really most for bifurcation, which he says is the “logical answer,” but that equipment manufacturers and tour pros were to blame for that not happening.
Here’s McIlroy’s full response:
“I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball rollback,” McIlroy wrote. “It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability. It will also help bring back certain skills in the pro game that have been eradicated over the past two decades.
“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 bodies presented us with that option earlier this year. Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when in reality, the game 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.”
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