Golf’s revamped ball rules will make the game more skilful again, says four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

Distances on tee shots will reduce by around 15 yards in the elite game.

“It will bring back some skills into the pro game that have maybe been lost,” the world number two told Sky Sports.

McIlroy added: “I actually think it will make the pro game more entertaining to watch – you will see a different variety of games.”

The 34-year-old believes that shot shaping will come back into golf, and and increased use of long irons will mean “the game at the top level will become a bit more skilful again”.

McIlroy also said the new rules will have a positive environmental impact, as the bigger golf courses currently being built need more water to maintain their greater acreage.

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour support the new rules, while three-time major winner Padraig Harrington has said they will make the game safer.

“I think everybody who plays golf would know of a golf course where there has been a hole closed or re-designed because it has become dangerous because people hit it too far,” the 52-year-old told the BBC.

“When [people who hit it far] miss, they miss big. It is causing play to slow down, it’s dangerous, it’s expensive for golf courses to build more open and wider so people don’t get hurt.”

There has been some criticism of the change from some manufacturers and some players, such as two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas. But Harrington says the criticism comes from those at the top of their game.

“Anybody who is successful doesn’t want change,” Harrington added. “If you are at the top, you never want to change – you want to keep it where it is, your winning formula.

“Golf is doing very well at the moment but the R&A needs to see the bigger picture.”