Equipment
Rory McIlroy switches to Callaway, Titleist clubs in South Africa
Update: The European Tour shared close-ups of Rory McIlroy’s new clubs on social media. The photo shows at least three Vokey SM6 wedges in his bag, as well as an Odyssey putter cover.
New year. New gear. pic.twitter.com/GkFxhNvcUH
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 10, 2017
As reported by No Laying Up on December 31, Rory McIlroy has made wholesale changes to his golf equipment at the European Tour’s South Africa Open, which begins January 12. A photo from Golf Central Daily‘s Facebook page shows McIlroy with a set of custom Callaway Apex MB irons in his bag, confirming the validity of the photo that was posted in our forum four days ago by GolfWRX Member ghost5.
Photo from GolfWRX Member ghost5.
The photo also shows McIlroy with at least one Titleist Vokey SM6 wedge in his bag. He is said to be playing a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball as well.
An Instagram video posted by the European Tour also confirms that McIlroy is using Callaway’s new GBB Epic Sub Zero driver with a Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage shaft.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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- Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS (9 degrees @7.2, 2 grams lead tape heel, 4 grams toe)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (44 7/8 inches, tipped 1 inch)
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (15 degrees @13.9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X (43 inches, tipped 1.5)
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW Prototype (19 degrees @17.8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (21 degrees) Buy here, Callaway Apex TCB Raw (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 125 S+
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S @49, 54-10S, 60-08C @61)
Shafts: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X
Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird 380
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Split
Grips: Iomic
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
More photos of Akshay Bhatia’s WITB in the forums.
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- Emiliano Grillo what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX
5-wood: Cobra LTDx Prototype (18.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Callaway MD3 Milled (46-08S), Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S, 54-10S, 60-08T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Emiliano Grillo’s clubs here.
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Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos...
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golfraven
Jan 12, 2017 at 5:50 pm
We all know he is a Titleist guy. Those blades could easily have Titleist written all over it. And the Epic woods are a 915 Hasbeens. You can pain those “irish” green as you like and they will still look like Titleist.
Ben
Jan 16, 2017 at 9:40 am
No, he is not a Titleist man,otherwise he wouldn’t of switched to Nike,plus Titleist woods and irons are so tired and lack any ground breaking tech,wedges are the only clubs i use,and the forged version.
Jay
Jan 11, 2017 at 5:58 pm
I think the sound in the slow mo videos of Rory hitting the M2 sounded much better.
Jim
Jan 11, 2017 at 8:42 am
For me they look like 100% custom made, by Callaway or some other brand (as were his Nike irons). Probably nothing in common with Callaway stock irons.
Brian
Jan 11, 2017 at 10:34 am
They look like Miura Tournament blades.
Bjorn Yesterday
Jan 11, 2017 at 7:37 am
European tour website is saying the fairway woods are m2s apparently
Frank
Jan 11, 2017 at 12:15 am
Bet those Irons are Miura with Callaway stamping? I knew there was no way he’d play the real Callaway Apex MB. What a laugh this all is!
Brian
Jan 11, 2017 at 10:36 am
They definitely look like the Tournament Blades
PKennedy13
Jan 11, 2017 at 10:45 pm
I dont understand why in the close up pictures they look so beat up. Its almost like he’s been using them for a while. Does anyone have any idea why?
Kevin Gardner
Jan 11, 2017 at 12:11 am
How is there no news/images of his putter? He’s playing on Thursday, surely he has been practicing putting..
mhendon
Jan 10, 2017 at 7:44 pm
There’s know way he’s playing those Callaway’s without some kind of financial agreement. They where simply the top bidder.
TM
Jan 10, 2017 at 6:37 pm
All of you people are morons if you think this has anything to do with spin, brands, etc.! It’s about the money! Nothing he will ever play will be close to what 99.99% of us will ever use let alone ever see.
C
Jan 10, 2017 at 5:52 pm
Do we know the putter?
Dr Troy
Jan 10, 2017 at 8:19 pm
Odyssey
C
Jan 11, 2017 at 1:35 pm
Got that thanks, wondering about the model.
MT
Jan 10, 2017 at 5:44 pm
and what you have to know is that he doesn’t play McDaddy wedges but decided on Titlest. It seems like a good choice.
MT
Jan 10, 2017 at 5:24 pm
anyone knows if he plays proV1x or a harder version of that ball that is available to tour players only?
jgpl001
Jan 10, 2017 at 4:31 pm
What a ho!
Well done Rory, now you are a true WRX’er
Prime21
Jan 10, 2017 at 2:35 pm
The driver sounds kind of hollow.
Matt Waite
Jan 10, 2017 at 2:16 pm
Question: If the PROV1X spins too much with the Nike irons, then what ball works best with the Nike irons? Anyone have any insight? Im guessing Nikes ball, but since they no longer make them…. what ball works best? Maybe this is really a question for Crossfield
G
Jan 10, 2017 at 12:56 pm
He is going to ROCK those things for sure!!
Tom
Jan 10, 2017 at 12:00 pm
Handsome irons. I think Callaway will be a good fit for Rory.
Ryan
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:46 am
Just showing Callaway is making the most superior equipment right now. All the years developing a similar face technollogy and not jumping from gimmick to gimmick like Tailormade.
Hil
Jan 10, 2017 at 1:04 pm
Yeah and that sliding weight thing in the back and the two-bars aren’t gimmicks ????
Brian
Jan 10, 2017 at 3:10 pm
lol…he’s not even playing commercially available irons, so I don’t know how you’re drawing this conclusion.
JustTrying2BAwesome
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:55 am
These are fully custom irons. Nothing like the Apex MB’s. Looks something like a cross between Mizuno MP33 and Taylormade Tour Preferred MB. Why then would he have Calloway make these for him? His comments to NLU said he knew he was going to play ProV1X, that his Nikes would be too spinny with that ball and that these irons work the best with it. But these aren’t a known club so why Calloway? Is he considering a full Calloway bag? He’s pretty close as it is right now.
Tom
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:01 am
They look a lot like the tournament blades he’s been playing his entire career. Now they just have a Callaway logo vs a Nike one.
S Hitty
Jan 10, 2017 at 5:29 pm
Exactly.
nolper
Jan 10, 2017 at 12:23 pm
callAway
Brian
Jan 11, 2017 at 10:32 am
Callaway is one of three manufacturers that can afford him and allow him to play custom irons that look nothing like they offer at retail; Titleist and Taylormade being the other two. Been there, done that with Titleist, plus I don’t think they pay nearly as well as Callaway and TM on club deals.
I’m guessing TM already has too much $ sunk into DJ, Day, Rose, Garcia, etc and likely aren’t looking to sign any big endoresement deals while they’re trying to find a buyer. All that being the case, Callaway makes the most sense.
Frank Gifford
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:29 am
I believe we will now see a lot of the top pros going to a mixed bag now. They don’t need the money and can play whatever now.
JustTrying2BAwesome
Jan 10, 2017 at 9:56 am
Only the Nike guys. Everyone else is under full equipment contracts, except the Nike guys. They’re the only ones with the contractual freedom to play whatever they want, generally speaking.
Chopper
Jan 10, 2017 at 12:26 pm
I think what you would find if you were able to actually read all of these contracts is that the majority of them are not “full equipment contracts” but rather a number of clubs in the 8, 9, 10, 11 range.
Tom
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:00 am
Many might not need the money, but few has as much as Ror’s, where it’s entirely possible that anything that isn’t a 9 figure contract might not be taken as seriously.
Plus, with his Nike contract, he still get’s the entire contract, less what any other company pays him, so if he gets paid by Callaway or not isn’t really relevant, unless they’d pay him more than Nike, which isn’t likely. He worked out a pretty sweet deal with Nike in that regards. If they were paying him $250M, and he took $100M from Callaway, he would still get $150M from Nike, on top of the $150M from Nike.
gwillis7
Jan 10, 2017 at 10:27 am
I love it, it is nice to see what they really deem will give them the best chance to win
Michael
Jan 10, 2017 at 8:47 am
Very interesting…