Rory McIlroy slams R&A's Distance Insights Project

Rory McIlroy didn't hold back when asked about the R&A's proposal to enforce a number of big golf equipment changes.

The Distance Insights Project looks at how manufacturers can stop the hitting distances in golf from constantly increasing (a dig at Bryson Dechambeau no doubt). It examines the rules surrounding driver shaft length, golf balls and the spring-like effect on driver faces.

Basically, it wants to stop golf equipment from making it so easy to hit the ball high and far.

Which if you're like me, and you need all the help you can get with hitting the ball high and far, perhaps isn't the best news.

Rory makes a stand

In my opinion, Rory really hit the nail on the head in his interview above.

Golf has many issues and barriers that are stopping people from getting into the game, but the idea that equipment is making it 'too easy' to hit the ball, certainly isn't one of them.

“I think the R&A and USGA are looking at the game of golf through such a tiny little lens that what they’re trying to do is change something that pertains to 0.1% of the golfing community,” said the four-time major winner.

“99.9% of people that play this game play it for enjoyment, they play it for entertainment, they don’t need to be told what ball to use or clubs to use.

“I mean, we have to make the game as easy and as approachable as possible for the majority of golfers."

Waste of money

He then went on to call the report a huge "waste of time and a huge waste of money", saying that after golf's "unbelievable boom" in popularity in 2020, the resources would have been much better spent trying to keep these new golfers engaged in the game, and building on this success.

"This pandemic has been so good for golf and the fact is they are looking at the wrong thing," continued the 31 year old.

"The money that it’s cost do this report could have been way better distributed to getting people into the game, introducing younger kids to the game, introducing minorities to the game.

“I heard Mike Davis [USGA Chief Executive] say something about ‘We’re trying to protect the game for next 100 years,’ but this isn’t how you do it.

“We need more younger people in the game, we need more minorities in the game. That’s how we keep the game going for the next 100 years.”

I couldn't agree more.

The R&A responds

Following Rory's comments, a spokesman for the R&A said: "We have said all along that we were going to conduct this process openly and invite feedback from serious voices throughout golf.

"So we welcome the contributions from players and others involved in the sport and will take them into consideration as we move forward on this important subject."

Perhaps having such a popular and influencial figure as Rory speak out will make the governing bodies reconsider. Particularly as he is friends with Modest! Golf founder Niall Horan, who has just been recruited by the R&A to help them get more young people into golf.

Different rules for pros

Although he made it clear that he was against changing equipment for amateurs, Rory spoke out in favour of bifurcation - another aspect that was proposed in the report.

Bifurcation means that professionals would use different equipment and play by different rules to amateurs.

“If they try to make the game more difficult for us or try to incorporate more skill to the game, yeah I would be all for that because I think it only benefits the better player, which I feel like I am. But we are such a tiny portion of golf.

“Like golf is way bigger than the professional game."

Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau even went as far to say that he was "flattered" by the idea of the possible rule changes being directed at him.

"I'm going to do what that they say is legal and find the best way to play for me under the rules of golf," he said at a Saudi Invitational press conference this week.

You can find out more about the Distance Insights Project HERE.