Two years after he put up resistance to the idea, Rory McIlroy has thrown his support behind golf 's plans to reduce hitting distance in the sport.
It was in February 2020 that golf's governing bodies announced they were examining ways in which a shorter ball might be used in top-tier competitions. And the 'Distance Insights Project' last week proposed the 'Model Local Rule (MLR)', which would give events the option of using a ball that travels around 15 yards less.
McIlroy, 33, criticised the R&A and USGA 's reform project in February 2021 and suggested golf was better off focusing its efforts on other aspects of the game. His view "has evolved" since then - despite other golf stars voicing their distaste for the plans that could come into effect as soon as 2026 - as he compared it to Wimbledon slowing down courts and balls to stop big servers dominating tennis.
