Equipment
Rory McIlroy WITB 2017 (TaylorMade)
Equipment accurate as of The Players Championship (5/9/16).
Driver: TaylorMade 2017 M2 (8.5 degrees at 8.25 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage Silver 70 XTS
3 Wood: TaylorMade 2017 M2 Tour (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Tensei CK Pro White 80TX
5 Wood: TaylorMade 2017 M2 Tour (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax P95X
Irons: TaylorMade P750 Tour Proto (3-4), TaylorMade “Rors Proto” (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Project X 7.0
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09 SB, 54-11 SB, 60-09 LB)
Shafts: Temper Project X 6.5
Putter: Odyssey Prototype with Microhinge Insert
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x (#22)
WITB Notes: McIlroy arrived at The Players with a TaylorMade M2 2017 (15 degrees) with a Mitsubishi Rayon Tensei CK Pro White 80TX shaft in his bag, as well as a TaylorMade Tour Preferred UDI (1 iron) with Project X HZRDUS Black 105X (6.5-Flex) shaft. He also brought extra wedges: TaylorMade’s Milled Grind 52-09 SB and 56-12 SB with True Temper Project X 6.5 shafts.
Discussion: See what GolfWRX members are saying about Rory’s TaylorMade equipment.
- LIKE417
- LEGIT46
- WOW42
- LOL18
- IDHT14
- FLOP8
- OB11
- SHANK48
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.
View this post on Instagram
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
- LIKE3
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
- Pavon’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 Max (9 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
3-wood: Ping G430 LST (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Ping i230 (3-PW)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: Ping Si59 (52-12S, 58-8B)
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Ping Cadence TR Tomcat C
Grip: SuperStroke Claw 1.0P
Grips: Golf Pride MCC Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Pavon’s gear here.
- LIKE3
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
- LIKE13
- LEGIT2
- WOW2
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
Matthieu Pavon WITB 2024 (May)
Pavon’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Ping G430 Max (9...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2015 Wells Fargo Championship
Then-No. 1 player in the world Rory McIlroy began the week at the Wells Fargo Championship at 3-1 odds, if...
Akshay Bhatia WITB 2024 (May)
Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos...
Emiliano Grillo WITB 2024 (May)
Emiliano Grillo what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Callaway...
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
19th Hole3 days agoReport: LIV star turns down PGA Championship invite due to ‘personal commitments’
-
19th Hole1 week agoGary Player claims this is what ‘completely ruined’ Tiger Woods’ career
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks agoTeam McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
-
Equipment1 week agoGolf fans left surprised by LIV’s choice of course for its 2024 individual championship event
-
19th Hole1 week ago
LIV star splits with swing coach after working together for 14 years
Pingback: Rory McIlroy's WITB: 2022 CJ Cup win in South Carolina - Fly Pin High
Pingback: Rory McIlroy WITB 2022 (October) – GolfWRX
Kenn
May 13, 2017 at 12:08 am
Name names… or else you are what you accuse others of …..!
Tony Rich
May 12, 2017 at 3:28 am
“Geez, he’s been left of left all day”- Nick Faldo in Rory’s first round driving at The Players. Welcome to Taylor Made drivers Rors ????
Tony Rich
May 14, 2017 at 12:37 am
“I’ve never seen anyone that far right, he went in the lake two holes over.”- Johnny Miller after JB Holmes hit his drive 100 yards right on 14….welcome to the world of a Taylor Made driver. Rory just made a huge mistake.
DrRob1963
May 16, 2017 at 2:48 am
I don’t know about that – it was the player, not the tool at fault – Si Woo Kim seemed quite happy with his TMs – His M1 Driver was pretty good on Sunday. He could even hit a green via the palm tree on Saturday!
I game Callaway’s GBB – they go quite nicely! Maybe Rory should have stuck with his GBB Epic Sub-Zero.
JW
May 12, 2017 at 1:41 am
So can anyone confirm the 14 wrenches that were in play today at The Players?
Here is my guess for his bag:
M2 8.25- KK 70X
M2 15- CK Pro White 80TX
UDI 16- HZRDUS 105X
Rors Proto’s- PX 7.0
Milled Grind (48, 52, 56, 60)- PX 6.5
Not sue on putter these days!!!
I absolutely love his PROTO RORS musclebacks– they are SICK!! I also really like the finish on those wedges– which I think is tour only as well.
AWESOME SET!
JW
Bryan
May 11, 2017 at 4:05 pm
Well actually the club heads make a huge difference in the set up of the golf club. If a club head doesn’t look good to a tour player he won’t hit it… I don’t care what shaft is in the head.
Back when DL lll switched to Titelist the company spent upwards of $200k to get his club heads to look the way they needed to fit Davis’ eye. When Tiger woods switched from his Mizuno MP-29 back in the day to Titelist they had to manufacture iron heads to fit his eye. And those Titleist heads were almost a dead ringer to the MP-29 blades with titelist stamped on the back. Club heads are everything to a players eye and feel.
Kenn
May 13, 2017 at 12:15 am
Why are you peddling such falsity, fake news about Titleist spending $200k simply for cosmetic appearance to DLIII’s eye? As for Mizuno and TW, that’s just horsefeathers!
Your “eye” and “feel” comments are misleading if not outright false because those factors only impact on recreational hackers who only look at their clubs and only feel mis-hits.
You can’t speak on behalf of tour players and you are only making up fake stories.
Joey
May 11, 2017 at 1:31 pm
I want a set of those muscle back irons
stephenf
May 11, 2017 at 3:52 pm
Heard _that_.
Bwoody01
May 11, 2017 at 8:52 am
That putter shaft has a ding in it at the El Ho Sel – so does that make it illegal?
Jmizzle
May 10, 2017 at 11:43 pm
look at those cavity backs…play a real iron
Mr Poopoo
May 10, 2017 at 4:07 pm
Did Rors sign with TM? I though he was still an equipment free agent?
Tom1
May 11, 2017 at 8:57 pm
It’s beneficial to have support staff at tourney’s when your equipment needs adjusting.
Double Ace
May 10, 2017 at 2:44 pm
What difference does if make if TaylorMade release s 125 clubs, or if the club golfers want or need them. It isn’t a fluke that many tour pros are switching to TM clubs. You see the guys who are winning, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia. You guys banging on TM sound like sour grapes. people will buy what they want, and they certainly aren’t up to taking advice from the internet tour!
The Dude
May 10, 2017 at 12:07 pm
Thank you Mr. Miura…….
Desmond
May 10, 2017 at 12:02 pm
Surprised he went with their wedges
westphi
May 10, 2017 at 11:31 am
Still the the ugliest irons on the market…
Joro
May 10, 2017 at 10:03 am
My son was on Tour for years on the Tour Van and TM has in the past made special clubs for players, like one of a kind that they usually mill out of a block of steel. I remember they made a one of set for Mike Weir that was actually 3 sets. I too am lefty and he had an extra set in the Van that disappeared one day, and no, not to me. Anyway it never make it to production as the Rory Irons probably won’t. It is getting ridiculous though what they will do. I think a one of set costs then about 30K to make.
Pingback: Rory McIlroy Picks TaylorMade; Company's Still For Sale | Dog Leg News
rebfan73
May 10, 2017 at 7:46 am
I would say sellout, but I’d take the money too…….
H
May 10, 2017 at 1:44 am
If them Protos don’t perform as designed, it’ll be sad. Lets see what kind of flight he gets out of these irons with the bored out mid section. I mean, what would that shaved out section do to the balance of the head?
Soggy golfer
May 9, 2017 at 10:28 pm
I feel like a 13.5 degree 3 wood is a wasted club for Rory. It would be pointless unless of the tee. Dig that UDI #1 though.
Sydney
May 9, 2017 at 4:06 pm
Irons look amazing. How long does it take to make them? Or does TM just place an order to a standard forging house in Japan that Rory was already familiar with?
Lee Shaw
May 10, 2017 at 9:32 am
Pretty much.
golfraven
May 9, 2017 at 3:33 pm
You would think that Tiger and Rory now come as a pack of two. You cannot sign them up seperately. This is a big hit to Callaway and somehow the Epic line is loosing the charm since more and more players not hitting those drivers anymore. Wonder how much Tiger invested in TM and maybe Rory is joining to bail him out or both will take over TM. I guess Tiger will need to suck it up if Rory gets his signature clubs (irons and maybe wedges in the future).
C
May 9, 2017 at 2:34 pm
I see Mizuno MP18 with a cylindrical bore instead of line. Same darned iron.
Justin
May 9, 2017 at 4:49 pm
Couldn’t agree more
Tom1
May 10, 2017 at 10:33 am
here we go again with the Mizuno knockoff accusations
Johnnylongballz
May 9, 2017 at 1:56 pm
Where is TM getting the money to pay all these guys?
Kenn
May 10, 2017 at 2:09 am
… mmmm… you… mehbe ….?
JR
May 10, 2017 at 10:25 am
Four sets of irons a season, half a dozen drivers and fairways and a complete range of new putters not to mention the annual ‘new improved’ ball launch. TM make good clubs but in terms of performance they’ve gone as far as they can – it’s all about aesthetics now and the gullibility of the club golfers who just have to have the latest of everything.
emb
May 9, 2017 at 1:12 pm
Looks like Tiger told him to come play his TM irons since he won’t be anytime soon
P
May 9, 2017 at 2:28 pm
HAHAHAHAHA I get it!!! Cause Tiger’s injured again and can’t play! HAHAHAHA