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.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.
TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.
The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.
One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.
Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.
See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:
MySpider Tour
MySpider Tour X
Equipment
Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory
In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.
McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.
So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?
Driver
2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)
McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.
What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)
The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.
Fairway woods
2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X
The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.
The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.
Irons
2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.
With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.
Wedges
2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.
Putter
2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.
Ball
2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)
As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
Grips
2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC
Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
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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.