Rory McIlroy supports golf ball-distance rules if implemented

One of the biggest names in golf is one of the few players who speak out in support of proposed changes that would limit the distance golf balls travel when struck by the game's most elite hitters.

Rory McIlroy said this week that he thinks the rules, if implemented, would be positive for the sport's top level of play.

I really like it for elite-level play. I really do, said McIlroy, a four-time major winner and one of golf's longest hitters, in an interview with the No Laying Up podcast. I know that is an unpopular opinion amongst my peers, but I think it will help identify who the best players are a bit easier to identify. The Golf Association USGA and Royal Ancient Golf R&A is calling it a Model Local Rule, which could reduce an elite golfer's tee shot by about 15 yards on average. The USGA talked about looking at the golf ball in a unique way after analyzing a driving-distance study. The process is currently in the notice and comment period.

The USGA and R&A distance insights report shows that the average driving distance for a male amateur golfer is 215 yards versus nearly 300 yards for the average PGA Tour player.

Mike Whan, USGA CEO, told FOX Business that we don't want to get in the way of athleticism. We don't want long hitters to not pursue length as an advantage. It is the heart of the game. We're trying not to interrupt that. He said that the groups are aware of the challenges of keeping hitting distances and that it is going to become unsustainable for the game. It's a terrible thing to hand a generation or two to deal with later when we should be making smart decisions about that. Whan said that the group notified manufacturers of the direction and timing of the potential change.

Other players on the PGA Tour were not pleased with the USGA and R&A announcement, unlike McIlroy. Justin Thomas slammed the proposal, saying it is bad for the game, while at the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida.

For two of the four biggest events of the year, we are going to have to use a different ball to explain to me how that is better for the game of golf. Thomas told Golfweek that they were basing it off the top 1 percent of all golfers.

At the same time, Sam Burns criticized the potential changes, calling them silly. In an interview with Golf Today, Burns said that they were an entertainment sport at the end of the day. And so people want to come out here and watch us hit it far, and I think there's a skill to that. I don't think it's an unfair advantage for anyone. I don't agree with what it's going to do to our game. Whan said he has heard responses from both sides of the argument.

Some people who think 'Where have you guys been, you should have had this 10 years ago, and this isn't enough, he said. And then you got the other side saying, I can't believe you're asking me to accept a ball that could maybe not fly as far for the first couple of years as the ball now. The new rule would likely take effect in January 2026, if passed.