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The expected universal golf-ball rollback plan has been roiling the golf world all weekend, with many critics venting their anger at golf’s governing bodies over how their decision will impact recreational golfers. Rory McIlroy sees it differently.

On Sunday morning, the four-time major champion posted a lengthy message on X (formerly Twitter) explaining his unique perspective on the decision to limit golf-ball distance for pros and amateurs alike.

McIlroy first wrote that he didn’t understand “the anger about the golf ball roll back,” arguing that it will not impact regular golfers as critics have alleged.

“It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability,” McIlroy continued. “It will also help bring back certain skills in the pro game that have been eradicated over the past 2 decades.”

As for who is to blame for the universal rollback plan, McIlroy says critics are angry at the wrong people. Instead of blaming golf’s governing bodies, he argued, they should aim their ire at the “elite pros and club/ball manufacturers.”

“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,” McIlroy wrote. “The governing bodies presented us with that option earlier this year… They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone.”

That’s not to say McIlroy fully supports the rollback plan over any other option. The USGA and R&A’s original bifurcation proposal, in which a rolled-back golf ball would be created only for pro tournaments, would have been Rory’s preferred solution, but he claimed that “elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines,” so they lobbied against it.

“In reality, the game is already bifurcated,” McIlroy wrote. “You think we play the same stuff you do?”

He put an emphasis on that point his closing remark, writing, “Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but yet again in this game, money talks.”

When a commenter replied that he didn’t understand how the rollback plan wouldn’t affect regular golfers, McIlroy wrote back, “I don’t believe an average golfer giving up 5-10 yards off the tee is going to have a material effect on their actual score, handicap or enjoyment of the game.”

McIlroy is the most notable golf figure to publicly voice his support for the golf-ball rollback plan. Previously, several figures had shared different perspectives, most notably Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee.

Chamblee made his own lengthy post on X Saturday night, and he blasted the rollback decision, arguing that the governing bodies were “not only out of touch with the game they govern, but the people that play it,” and claiming that there are “50 million global golfers against it and 28,000 PGA of America members against it and most every single touring professional against it.”

Tiger Woods, on the other hand, supports bifurcation as McIlroy does. When asked about the rollback plan after his third round at the Hero World Challenge on Saturday, Woods said, “As I told you guys, I’ve always been for bifurcation,” Woods said. “I’ve always said that. Just like wood bats and metal bats [in baseball].”

The universal rollback plan is far from official; it hasn’t been announced yet by the USGA and R&A. While the announcement is expected to come soon, until the full details of their plan are revealed, no one knows for sure how this will all shake out.

Kevin Cunningham

Golf.com Editor

As managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brand’s e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. A former two-time intern, he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience.

A new plan to roll back the golf ball for all golfers has ignited passionate arguments on both sides of the debate in the last few days, and now Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has shared his opinion. And he’s not happy about it.

The plan, which the USGA and R&A are expected to officially drop in the coming week, would create new restrictions for golf ball production to reduce driving distance.

It’s the latest attempt by golf’s governing bodies to combat the extreme distances of today’s pros, which often render shorter golf courses unplayable for tournaments, or otherwise force courses to undergo expensive lengthening projects to keep up.

While Tour pros and elite players with fast swing speeds will be affected the most, the changes are expected to impact all recreational golfers as well, just to a lesser degree.

Saturday night, Chamblee took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce his disdain for the plan, calling the governing bodies “not only out of touch with the game they govern, but the people that play it.”

Chamblee’s primary argument is that the rollback plan caters to a small fraction of golfers worldwide, but the vast majority of golfers are not in favor of reducing distance.

“It is a very small number of people that are in favor of a roll back,” Chamblee wrote, “Golf course architects of which there are what, maybe a hundred or so? Golf course architect geeks of which there are maybe a few thousand? And a very few tour players and former tour players, compared to 50 million global golfers against it and 28,000 PGA of America members against it and most every single touring professional against it.”

He then cited the USGA’s own distance reporting showing that male and female amateurs average 215 and 147 yards of carry with driver, respectively, arguing that recreational golfers will be hurt the most by the rule changes.

“Because a few tour players through years of practice, thousands of hours in the gym, and yes, advances in tech, can carry the ball 283.8 yards (tour average for 2023) they want to penalize 50 million golfers,” Chamblee continued. “Appreciate the athleticism of the best, but don’t punish the only people in the game that will feel the sting of this decision.”

Chamblee isn’t the only golf figure with the golf rollback on mind. Tiger Woods was asked about it on Saturday, too, and he described having mixed feelings about the plan.

Woods said, “I’ve always been for bifurcation,” referring to the concept of two different sets of rules for pro and amateur golfers.

The governing bodies’ original golf ball rollback plan would have bifurcated the rules over golf balls, allowing amateurs to continue using their preferred balls while creating a separate rolled-back ball for pro tournaments. But under the new plan, there will be no bifurcation, and instead pros and amateurs alike will eventually be forced to play a shorter ball.

Kevin Cunningham

Golf.com Editor

As managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brand’s e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. A former two-time intern, he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience.

“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” So wrote Mark Twain, sharing a vital piece of wisdom while omitting other crucial information. He failed to specify which whiskeys he thought were good.

To fill in that gap, we turn to another spirits expert, John O’Farrell, lead sommelier at Desert Mountain, a private golf club and community in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

“Whiskey is a very broad term these days,” O’Farrell says. It can refer to scotch, rye, Irish whiskey, Canadian whiskey, Japanese whisky (note the missing ‘e’), to name a few, all of which come in different styles.

Then there’s bourbon, another whiskey subset, which O’Farrell says, makes an especially good choice for everyday consumers, as its corn content lends it an accessible sweetness. 

Because there’s no such thing as too much of these good things, we asked O’Farrell to highlight a handful of his favorites, just in time for the holidays.

(Note: Prices may vary)

Elijah Craig

A Baptist preacher, educator and entrepreneur, Elijah Craig was also a skilled distiller. In Kentucky His name lives on with this readily available, traditional bourbon, which O’Farrell describes as being slightly “on the sweeter side, being corn-heavy, silky and smooth, with no burn.” From $34.99 

Michter’s

This Louisville-based distillery traces its roots to 1753, a legacy that links it to the oldest American whiskey company. Michter’s whiskeys are bonded, meaning they must be aged for at least four years and bottled at 100-proof. “It has kick to it,” O’Farrell says. “Better for people who like heat or spice.” From $29

Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch

Produced by the same people who make Pappy Van Winkle, a cult favorite that can be as hard to come by as a tee time at Cypress Point, this small-batch whiskey is “softer in style but has excellent flavor,” O’Farrell says. He recommends it neat, but says it’s also suitable for mixed drinks, such as Manhattans. From $65

Eagle Rare

Every Eagle Rare bourbon is aged for a minimum of 10 years, and the older it gets, the harder it can be to find. But in any iteration, O’Farrell says, “it’s a delicious, softer-style, but bolder than the Colonel.” It’s worth tracking down. From $35

Josh Sens

Golf.com Contributor

A golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a GOLF Magazine contributor since 2004 and now contributes across all of GOLF’s platforms. His work has been anthologized in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the co-author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: the Cooking and Partying Handbook.