A rule proposal by golf's governing bodies to limit the distance balls can travel in professional tournaments would only hurt players who hit it shorter off the tee, World No.2 Jon Rahm says.
The proposal made last week by the Royal and Ancient, and the United States Golf Association, would give competition organisers the option to require players to use only balls that meet maximum-distance criteria.
But Rahm, speaking to reporters ahead of this week's World Golf Championships Match Play event in Austin, Texas, questioned why the sport's ruling bodies would even want to propose a rule that would reduce driving distance.
"My biggest question for them would be, we're in a golden era of golf where its exploded since COVID, a lot of people are watching, you have a completely different Tour, all these things are happening for the game and it's growing," Rahm said.
"Why change what's working?"
Rahm, who has already won three PGA Tour titles this year, feels there are other options that could be considered to make courses more difficult for the current crop of players, without changing technology.
Rahm, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour with an average driving distance of 314 yards this season, does not feel the proposed rule would have much of an impact on him and other power players.
"They're hyper-focused on making professional golf a little bit more difficult than it already is. I don't know why," he said.
"Do I think it's the right choice? As it comes to me, I don't think it's going to matter that much.
"It's going to be more damaging to the shorter hitters on Tour than it is for people that have distance, because if you're giving me a 7-iron as opposed to a 9- or an 8-iron, that means you're giving somebody a 4 or 5 as opposed to a 7 or a 6.
"I'm still going to be able to stop it in most places with a 7-iron when some people might not."
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