Rory on TPC River Highlands: “Technology Has Passed this Course By”

Rory McIlroy is no stranger to putting his thoughts about nearly anything golf-related out there, and this past weekend was no different. After a winning score of -23 at the Travelers Championship, McIlroy criticized TPC River Highlands, the course where the tournament is regularly played, stating, “technology has passed this course by.”

McIlroy even mentioned the proposed golf ball rollback.

“I don’t particularly like when a tournament is like this. Unfortunately, technology has passed this course by, right?” McIlroy said in his post-tournament press conference.

“It sort of has made it obsolete, especially as soft as it has been with a little bit of rain that we had.”

McIlroy had a stellar weekend, all things considered. A T-7 finish at -18 may not have been enough to win, but Rory had his first PGA Tour Hole-in-One on Thursday, and his finish this past weekend gives him momentum as he’ll head back to Europe for the Scottish and British Open, hoping to end a streak of nine years without a Major Championship.

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Nevertheless, the game has become a bit of a polarizing topic in terms of length and technology. Earlier this year, a proposed golf ball rollback was considered and may take effect in a few years.

McIlroy thinks the strategy may come in handy for tournaments like this one.

“So, again, like the conversations going back to, you know, limiting the golf ball and stuff like that, when we come to courses like this, they just don’t present the challenge that they used to,” he said.

🚨🗣️ Rory McIlroy talked about TPC River Highlands post round, after firing rounds of 68|64|66|64 to finish T7 at the #TravelersChamp: “I don’t particularly like when a tournament is like this. Unfortunately technology has passed this course by, right? It sort of has made it… pic.twitter.com/UNaXpNDKH4

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 25, 2023

The comments had a variety of reactions on Twitter. Some stated that Rory’s continued criticism of the game and its elements is becoming tiring. Others felt he was justified because of the fact that he shot 68-64-66-64 and still finished 7th. Rickie Fowler even shot a 60 and finished T-13 at -16.

It’s no secret technology in the golf industry is helping the best players in the world be even more refined and we are seeing scores lower than in previous years. The U.S. Open presented scores that were uncharacteristically low, which made many pundits question what needs to be done to make the game harder for the world’s best.

You can only lengthen a golf course so many times before it comes financially illogical and, in some instances, impossible due to a lack of space.

It begs the question: what will be done in coming years to make golf more difficult so lower scores can be seen?

Cover Image via Twitter