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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- Kevin Streelman what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist TSR3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
5-wood: Ping G (17.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 10 X
Irons: Wilson Staff Model CB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Wilson Staff Model (48-08, 54-08), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-L @59)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (48), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (54, 58)
Putter: Scotty Cameron TourType SSS TG6
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.
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The year was 2012. Gangnam Style ruled supreme, its infectious beats and ludicrous horse-riding dance moves hypnotizing us with their stupidity. Everyone was talking about the Mayan calendar, convinced that the end of days was near. Superheroes soared on the silver screen, with the Avengers assembling in epic fashion. Katniss Everdeen survived The Hunger Games. And the memes! The memes abounded. Grumpy Cat triumphed. We kept calm and carried on.
In much the same way that automotive enthusiasts love classic cars, we at GolfWRX love taking a backward glance at some of the iconic designs of years past. Heck, we love taking iconic designs to the tee box in the present!
In that spirit, GolfWRX has been running a series inspired by arguably the greatest fighting game franchise of all time: Mortal Kombat. It’s not “choose your fighter” but rather “choose your driver.”
Check out some of the standout combatants of 2012 below.
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Nike VRS
Often harshly critiqued during its years releasing golf equipment (right, Phil Mickelson?), Nike’s tenure in the club-and-ball business gets a gloss of nostalgic varnish, with many of its iron and putter designs continuing to attract admirers. Among the company’s driver offerings, the 2012 VRS — or VR_S, if you will — drew high marks for its shaping and toned-down appearance. The multi-thickness, NexCOR face was no joke either.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Callaway RAZR Fit
Callaway’s first foray into moveable weight technology (married with its OptiFit hosel) did not disappoint. With a carbon fiber crown, aerodynamic attention to detail, and variable and hyperbolic face technologies, this club foreshadowed the tech-loaded, “story in every surface” Callaway drivers of the present, AI-informed design age.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Cleveland Classic 310
Truly a design that came out of left field. Cleveland said, “Give me a persimmon driver, but make it titanium…in 460cc.” Our 2012 reviewer, JokerUsn wrote, “I don’t need to elaborate on all the aesthetics of this club. You’ve seen tons of pics. You’ve all probably seen a bunch in the store and held them up close and gotten drool on them. From a playing perspective, the color is not distracting. It’s dark enough to stay unobtrusive in bright sunlight…Even my playing partners, who aren’t into clubs at all…commented on it saying it looks cool.” Long live!
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Titleist 910
While there’s no disputing Titleist’s “Titleist Speed” era of drivers perform better than its 2010s offerings, sentimentality abounds, and there was something classically Titleist about these clubs, right down to the alignment aid, and the look is somewhere between 983 times and the present TS age. Representing a resurgence after a disappointing stretch of offerings (907, 909), The 910D2 was a fairly broadly appealing driver with its classic look at address and classic Titleist face shape.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
TaylorMade RocketBallz
The white crown. The name. You either loved ‘em or you hated ‘em. TaylorMade’s 2012 offering from its RocketBallz Period boasted speed-enhancing aerodynamics and an Inverted Cone Technology in the club’s titanium face. Technology aside, it’s impossible to overstate what a departure from the norm a white-headed driver was in the world of golf equipment.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
Ping i20
Long a quietly assertive player in the driver space, Ping’s i20 was more broadly appealing than the G20, despite being a lower-launch, lower-spin club. Ping drivers didn’t always have looks that golfer’s considered traditional or classic, but the i20 driver bucked that trend. Combining the classic look with Ping’s engineering created a driver that better players really gravitated toward. The i20 offered players lower launch and lower spin for more penetrating ball flight while the rear 20g tungsten weights kept the head stable. Sound and feel were great also, being one of the more muted driver sounds Ping had created up to that time.
Check out our coverage from 2012 here.
GolfWRXers, let us know in the comments who “your fighter” is and why!
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/29/24): Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Krank Formula fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft.
From the seller: (@well01): “Krank formula fire 10.5 degree with AUtoflex SF505. $560 shipped.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
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Kevin Streelman WITB 2024 (April)
Kevin Streelman what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)...
Team McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
Rory McIlroy WITB Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25) Buy here. Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X (45 inches) 3-wood:...
Steve Stricker WITB 2024 (April)
Steve Stricker WITB accurate as of the Zurich Classic. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, C4...
Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2024 (April)
Alex Fitzpatrick what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
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19th Hole3 weeks agoTiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
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19th Hole2 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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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…