Rory McIlroy - Photo: © F.FROGER / 3Ds

Rory McIlroy wanted to talk. And when McIlroy wants to talk, you better listen. His press conference ahead of his Waste Management Phoenix Open debut ended with no one asking him about the USGA / R & A's announcement Tuesday that they are moving into the one-year “solution phase”. after publishing their “Distance Insights” report on keystroke distances.

“No one asked me about the equipment,” said Rory McIlroy in a tone of surprise and disappointment.

The camera was still rolling, his mic was still hot and McIlroy said: “I have all day. "

So we asked and Rory McIlroy didn't hold back.

“So I think the authorities, the R&A and the USGA, are looking at the game through such a small lens, what they're trying to do is change something that affects 0,1% of the community. golfers. Ninety-nine percent of the people who play this game do so for fun, for entertainment. They don't need to be told which ball or which clubs to use ”, did he declare. “We need to make the game as easy and accessible as possible for the majority of golfers. "

“Honestly, I think this distance report was a huge waste of time and money, because the money it cost to do this audit could have been used much better to introduce golf, to introduce young people to play, to introduce minorities to play. ", continued Rory McIlroy.

“I heard Mike Davis say that we are trying to protect golf for the next hundred years. This is not the way to do it. It's so small and unimportant compared to the other things that go on in golf. This is the basis. There are more and more people interested in golf. This is where they should be spending their money, not on a hit distance report. "

Asked if he would be in favor of a local rule or different rules for the pros, Rory McIlroy replied: “I would totally agree. If they want to try to make the game harder for us or more - trying to incorporate more skill into the game, yes I would be all for it, because I think it only benefits the better game, what I feel like I'm doing. "

“I think maybe they said that in terms of local rules and maybe some kind of fork, but we're only a tiny part of the golf course. Golf is much more important than professional play. We are only a tiny part of it. It's the other things that really matter, and those are the things that they need to focus on. "

In other words, Rory McIlroy wouldn't be opposed to bifurcation, a word to which governing bodies seem to have an allergic reaction whenever it's mentioned.

"It would not be the worst result", confirmed Rory McIlroy. “If they want to make it harder for us and bring in more skills at the highest level, I agree with that. "

Rory McIlroy continued his rant in an interview with the Golf Channel soon after, saying that the governing bodies seek to regulate striking distance through a tiny, narrow lens.

"The point is, they're looking on the wrong side", did he declare. “They spent millions of dollars making this hit distance report. This is not going to be a game-changer at all. They could put in any new regulations they want, the manufacturers are going to find a way around them. This is how good they are. "

To know more : https://www.randa.org/

To read our last article on the same subject :

USGA and R&A want to limit pros hitting distance