Rory McIlroy appears to be embracing golf's long-drive revolution.
McIlroy recently posted a video in which he unleashes a vicious new swing and crushes a ball 357 yards off a tee -- this only weeks after the four-time Major winner expressed his admiration for 2020 US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau's unapologetic grip-it-and-rip-it style.
A launch monitor appeared to show the crushing drive came off McIlroy's club at a blistering 190 mph.
The native of Northern Ireland is no stranger to long drives to begin with, currently ranking 13th in average drive distance this season, at about 329 yards.
McIlroy's bomb turned heads on Instagram -- and his barely-there shorts were a hit as well. The bold sartorial choice was noted by one of McIlroy's Ryder Cup teammates.
"That drive might not be short!" said veteran Justin Rose. "But the shorts are!!"
San Francisco Giants star Evan Longoria appeared to stir the pot of the budding long-drive rivalry: "*Bryson has entered the chat," he said.
Phil Mickelson and British soccer star Wayne Rooney also commented on McIlroy's bomb.
Several users noted that McIlroy appears to have put on some bulk -- perhaps in an effort to keep up with the beefy DeChambeau.
DeChambeau is a major proponent of tracking the physics of his swing, similar to baseball's launch-angle revolution of recent years.
“I think he’s taken advantage of where the game is at the minute,” McIlroy said after DeChambeau won the US Open last month. “I’m not saying that’s right or wrong. He’s just taking advantage of what we have right now.”
The Masters, the next Major on the golf calendar, was set for November after its spring postponement due to the coronavirus.