Equipment

Irons used by PGA Tour’s Top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach

Published

4 years ago

Jul 21, 2020

The term “ball striker” has long existed in golf to describe those golfers that hit a lot of greens, but with the advancement of statistics and strokes gained, we can go deeper and find out who the players are that truly excel against their peers not just hitting greens but hitting it close.

These are the irons used by the top 10 players in the “strokes gained: approach” category.

Number 1: Collin Morikawa

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (2), TaylorMade P760 (4, 5), TaylorMade P730 (6-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White Hybrid 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

See Collin Morikawa’s entire WITB here

Number 2: Justin Thomas

Irons: Titleist T100 4 iron, Titleist 620 MB 5-9, Vokey SM7 Raw 46-10F
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

See Justin Thomas’s entire WITB here

Number 3: Tyrrell Hatton

Irons: Ping i210 (4-PW)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X

See Tyrrell Hatton’s entire WITB here

Number 4: Marc Leishman

Irons: Callaway X-Forged UT (3), Callaway Apex Pro 19 (4-6), Callaway Apex MB (7-PW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 130 X (hard-stepped)

See Mark Leishman’s entire WITB here

Number 5: Webb Simpson

Irons: Titleist 620MB (5-PW)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

See Web Simpson’s entire WITB here

Number 6: Hideki Matsuyama

Irons: Srixon Prototype Blades (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

See Hideki Matsuyama’s entire WITB here

Number 7: Viktor Hovland

FullSizeRender-1

Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (21 degrees), Ping i210 (4-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI-85 X Hybrid (21), KBS Tour 120 X (4-PW)

See Viktor Hovland’s entire WITB here

* Be sure to check out John Wunders on the newest changes Viktor has made to his irons: GolfWRX Insider: Viktor Hovland dials in his Ping i210 irons

Number 8: Patrick Cantlay

Irons: Titleist AP2 718 (4-p)
Shafts: True Temper XP 115 S300

See Patrick Cantlays’s entire WITB here

Number 9: Paul Casey

Irons: Mizuno HM Pro (3,4), Mizuno MP4 (5-PW)
Shafts: Nippon Modus 120 TX

See Paul Casey’s entire WITB here

Number 10: Russell Henley

Irons: Titleist T100 (4-9), Vokey SM7 48°
Shafts: True Temper Tour Issue AMT X100

See Russell Henley’s entire WITB here

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Ryan Barath

Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

20 Comments

John Izdrunk Daly

Aug 4, 2020 at 12:10 pm

Interesting there isn’t a single Project X shaft player in there…

Reply Report comment
tinmac

Jul 27, 2020 at 11:58 pm

Clearly CM is using P750 4 5 iron not P760

Reply Report comment
joro

Jul 22, 2020 at 11:30 am

7 to3 Cbs win.

Reply Report comment
- Ty Web
  
  Jul 22, 2020 at 4:11 pm
  
  I count 5 to 5 if you consider cm a blade guy which i would considering he has 5 blades and 3 CBs in the bag.
  
  Reply Report comment
Paul Pool

Jul 22, 2020 at 11:06 am

So what you are telling me is, it is the Indian and not the arrow.

Reply Report comment
TD

Jul 22, 2020 at 10:37 am

Casey plays MP-5’s (as pictured), not 4’s

Reply Report comment
JM

Jul 22, 2020 at 9:33 am

XP 115 S300…what a p*ssy

Reply Report comment
- Jeremy Ireland
  
  Jul 22, 2020 at 12:24 pm
  
  Ranked #6 in the world I believe…
  
  but yeah, that caught me eye also. …
  
  Reply Report comment
- mv
  
  Jul 22, 2020 at 1:59 pm
  
  Idiotic comment here. I play the same iron shafts with a driver ss of 122. Why? Because they keep my tempo in check.
  I highly doubt you have the skill or the game to talk down to anyone on tour.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - DS
    
    Jul 24, 2020 at 9:18 am
    
    ????????. Some jerks just don’t feel good unless they’re being jerks. Social media’s downside.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Paulo
    
    Jul 25, 2020 at 11:40 pm
    
    I can guarantee that we need to take at least 10% off your stated speed to get the actual measured value
    
    Reply Report comment
- Bob Pegram
  
  Jul 23, 2020 at 5:25 am
  
  Maybe he likes more kick at the bottom of the shaft. You should use what works not what other people think is good. It is good you aren’t a caddy for a good player like Cantlay. You would be counter-productive.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Josh
  
  Jul 25, 2020 at 12:00 pm
  
  Cantlay’s shaft spec was the most interesting part of this article, IMO. I’m sure he plays them for a reason. Wonder if he switched to lighter shafts after his back injury. Would love to see a deep dive into his WITB.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Josh
  
  Jul 29, 2020 at 3:16 pm
  
  That tidbit about Cantlay’s shafts was the coolest part of this article. He must play them for a reason…just goes to show it’s not always the flex that matters but the weight. Wonder if he switched to lighter shafts after his back injury. Would love to get the full deep dive on his WITB.
  
  Reply Report comment
Nathan

Jul 21, 2020 at 8:45 pm

NO.7 KBS TOUR 120=S 130=X. there is no 120X

Reply Report comment
- Golf guy
  
  Jul 21, 2020 at 11:05 pm
  
  Unless they’re Tour V 120 X
  
  Reply Report comment
- Josh
  
  Jul 25, 2020 at 11:58 am
  
  There is a Modus 120 X and TX flex. 120 S flex is 114g, X is 120 and TX is 126g. Check Nippons website. Modus 130 is an entirely different shaft/weight profile.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Josh
    
    Jul 25, 2020 at 12:41 pm
    
    Sorry, thought you were talking about Hatton’s Modus 120 X’s.
    
    Reply Report comment
Ryan

Jul 21, 2020 at 6:05 pm

Some of the pictures don’t match the iron description you list..

Reply Report comment
Acemandrake

Jul 21, 2020 at 11:52 am

Hit it straight with some distance control. Repeat.

Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

11 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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