Keegan Bradley and Rory McIlroy are two of the most well-respected voices in professional golf.
Bradley has won eight PGA Tour titles including one major championship, while McIlroy is on another level entirely with 29 regular Tour wins, with five majors to his name.
The American and the Northern Irishman clearly have huge respect for one another but they haven’t always seen eye-to-eye on certain issues.
The two players were actually involved in a war of words back in August, when McIlroy said it would be impossible for Bradley to act as playing captain at the Ryder Cup.
And back in 2023, McIlroy and Bradley were on completely the opposite sides of the debate when it came to one rule being put into place by the PGA Tour.
Keegan Bradley labeled upcoming PGA Tour rule change as ‘monstrous’
The golf ball rollback rule is one which will come into play in 2028 for professionals and 2030 for amateur golfers.
Phil Mickelson slammed the rollback rule as ‘pathetic’ way back in 2021, highlighting how the rule will make the game less popular than it currently is.
And Bradley seemed to concur with his former Ryder Cup partner.
Speaking to Golf Digest in 2023, Bradley labeled the upcoming rule change as ‘monstrous’.
He said: “Srixon made whatever the USGA was saying, and it was 40, 50 yards [shorter] with my driver.
“I was a club or two shorter. I think that the USGA, everything that they do is reactionary. They don’t think of a solution. They just think we’re going to affect a hundred percent of the population that plays golf.
“For the amateur world to hit the ball shorter is monstrous. I can’t think of anything more stupid than that. I don’t think it’s very smart at all, especially when golf’s growing in popularity literally coming out of COVID.“
Bradley clearly feels very strongly about this but he will just have to accept it. The rule is coming into play in 2028 and there is nothing he will be able to do about it.
However, McIlroy will seemingly be very happy when the rule does come into effect.
Rory McIlroy disagreed with Keegan Bradley on golf ball rollback rule
The day after Bradley made his comments on the golf ball rollback rule, McIlroy responded on his official X account.
The five-time major champion said: “I don’t understand the anger about the golf ball roll back. It will make no difference whatsoever to the average golfer and puts golf back on a path of sustainability. It will also help bring back certain skills in the pro game that have been eradicated over the past 2 decades.
“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. The governing bodies presented us with that option earlier this year. Elite pros and ball manufacturers think bifurcation would negatively affect their bottom lines, when in reality, the game is already bifurcated.
“You think we play the same stuff you do? They put pressure on the governing bodies to roll it back to a lesser degree for everyone. Bifurcation was the logical answer for everyone, but yet again in this game, money talks.“
McIlroy is clearly suggesting that he and his fellow pros play a completely different ball to amateur golfers anyway.
And the Northern Irishman is excited about the fact that the golf ball rollback will ensure a sustainable future for the game, with some of the most famous traditional golf courses set to avoid becoming obsolete.
Bradley and McIlroy clearly have completely opposing views on the PGA Tour bringing the golf ball rollback into play in 2028.
The same can be said for many of the players on Tour and it will be hugely interesting to see what impact the rule change has on the overall popularity of the game when it actually comes into effect in 2028.
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