Equipment
Is this a photo of Rory’s new custom Callaway Apex MB irons?
Reports came down recently that Rory McIlroy will be playing a bevy of Callaway clubs in 2017, which has left GolfWRXers hunting for in-hand photos and exact specs of his new clubs.
In a GolfWRX forum titled “Rory McIlroy chose Callaway woods and irons,” it appears user ghost5 obtained a photo of McIlroy’s new Callaway Apex MB custom pitching wedge. While we’re not sure if this is actually McIlroy’s iron, a backup, a prototype he was testing, or just a club stamped “RM” to fool the internet, but it’s certainly a one-off club that cannot be found “off-the-rack.”
So far, this is the equipment we’ve confirmed that McIlroy will have in his bag when he tees it up again in competition:
- Driver: Callaway Epic Sub Zero
- Irons: Callaway Apex MB (custom)
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey
- Putter: Odyssey with prototype insert
- Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
As always, we’ll keep you up to date on any changes and specs we can confirm.
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Whats in the Bag
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
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 timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Dave R
Jan 9, 2017 at 10:07 pm
Those are not machine marks. Look like a weld Job not completly polished . Looks like a snow job to me . Just a muscle back iron from Calloway that’s all.
Count Tyrone Rugan
Jan 9, 2017 at 5:59 pm
Guys,
Look at the pic. the transition from the mid portion has 3D mill marks on them. That head is fully machined.
Carter
Jan 9, 2017 at 4:04 pm
I am really not surprised to much at him switching irons and driver. A player of his caliber can play well with just about anything. The thing that really shocked me was switching putters. He was putting lights out with that Scott Cameron mallet that he switched to prior the Ryder Cup. He obviously didn’t sign a 14 club deal with Callaway as evidence with the Vokey wedges. So why would he ditch the putter that was working so well for him?
Joseph
Jan 8, 2017 at 4:16 pm
Did Rory play the cast made Vokey wedges before? Or did he play the Japanese forged versions?
James
Jan 8, 2017 at 12:42 am
Just a bunch of irons 99.999% of us could not ever use….2% of amateur golfers need custom fit clubs to improve, 98% of amateur can spend money for fittings and clubs till they are blue in the face but if not one dollar of that is on instruction you wasting your time. UNLESS you are buying what you want to play and that is what makes you happy then it is worth it….sometimes the most fun you can have (other then making a tee time) is buying some club or clubs you want.
mike
Jan 8, 2017 at 1:15 pm
Doesnt mean that if you cant hit thoses….the that everybody cant hit them….come on……im a 18 handicapper and i play the taylormade tp mc 2014…..because im a lefty i cabt play the mb because they dont make some for my side…..and i would love to hit those blade kind of iron…….if you hit the center of the club theres no way that you cant play whatever you want…………..dont put everybody in the same boat and those percentage seems really high IMO……..
Scott
Jan 7, 2017 at 7:29 pm
I really don’t get this. Rory was amazing when he played titleist. Amazing. Nike throws millions at him to change, he takes the bait and takes him how many years to make a comeback w Nike clubs. Now nikes out and he’s using Callaway. I don’t get it. Not knocking Callaway but why doesn’t he just go back to tried and true.
John
Jan 11, 2017 at 5:24 pm
Uhhhhh 1. It took one year. Then he won more with Nike than Titleist.
In 2014 he won 5 times worldwide including 2 majors and caused the North Carolina Audubon Society to permanently disband after his avian incineration at Quail Hollow. 6 wins if you roll the December 2013 Aussie Open into 2014.
I’ll also point out he won 9 times 2009-2012, switched, then won 12 times 2013-2016. 2 majors each side.
So yeah, terrible move by him. I’m sure his one-off custom irons and woods/wedges with any quality at all are really gonna hold him down. I bet Callaway REALLY threw the zeroes at him when he told them he had 5 years of Nike balls stockpiled (and was in actuality gonna use the 17 V1x and vokeys)
The dude
Jan 7, 2017 at 5:56 pm
New Miura custom…..confirmed. RM will get x to stamp Callaway…
Scott
Jan 7, 2017 at 2:59 pm
Those are actually titleist mb’s
WolfWRX
Jan 7, 2017 at 1:31 pm
Looks photoshopped.
Mark
Jan 8, 2017 at 6:40 am
That is what I thought (and not very well done either).
TexasSnowman
Jan 7, 2017 at 11:40 am
Rory playing forged muscle backs…. could have any company name stamped on it; wouldn’t matter. Interesting to me that he prefers Vokeys over Cally wedge offerings at this point. Not knocking Vokey, just that the current Cally Wedges are really nice IMO.
Joseph
Jan 8, 2017 at 3:54 pm
When he played Vokeys, did he play the cast version or Japanese forged since his irons are forged blades. I’m sure whatever it was, was custom for him, so likely doesn’t make any difference.
Branson Reynolds
Jan 6, 2017 at 1:49 pm
They look like Taylormade MB’s
mike
Jan 8, 2017 at 1:18 pm
Not really
John
Jan 6, 2017 at 1:04 pm
i would love to see him play with ping clubs
Johnnylongballz
Jan 7, 2017 at 6:53 am
I can’t see that ever happening. Rory is a forged MB kind of guy, and that is not really PING’s style.
Teaj
Jan 6, 2017 at 12:31 pm
it does look perdy though
MT
Jan 6, 2017 at 12:24 pm
Rory has never used a stock PW in the past. If he’s going back to Vokey wedges he likely would be using a 48* Vokey.
Joseph
Jan 6, 2017 at 1:54 pm
He used a 46 Nike Engage the past 2 years I believe.
Kevin
Jan 7, 2017 at 2:14 pm
When he first switched to NIKE, he played a iron PW, but quickly switched back to wedge PW after couple tournaments.
michael
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:42 am
I thought he usually carried a a PW that matched his wedges, not the irons.
Tom
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:27 am
lol this is gonna frost some wrx’er ballz.