Golf star Rory McIlroy alters essential equipment before participating in RBC Canadian Open (and US Open)
Rory McIlroy Shakes Up Equipment Lineup Ahead of US Open
Preparing for this week's RBC Canadian Open, Rory McIlroy has shaken up his equipment lineup, opting for a new driver and some fresh irons, with an eye on next week's US Open at Oakmont.
It's not just about the driver, as the World No.2 has also swapped out his 3-wood and 3-iron for some tweaks that could work wonders at the upcoming US Open.
The Northern Irishman has dusted off the TaylorMade Qi35 driver, after testing since the PGA Championship last month. There were whispers that he had to rely on his backup Qi10 driver due to a USGA test issue with his regular model. While the details remain hush-hush, the PGA of America did confirm USGA testing, but the results were to remain confidential.
McIlroy's game was evidently off at the PGA Championship, where he finished a lackluster T47th. He struggled to find fairways, landing just 46.43%, ranking him T68th in fairways hit. His strokes gained off the tee ranked a disappointing 36th for the week.
The Qi35 driver boasts a slightly shorter shaft length than his previous driver, but maintains the same swing weight and Fujikura Ventus Black X shaft. It's the core Qi35 model in 9 degrees, but set to a slightly lower loft. He's been seen testing it at Oakmont this week.
McIlroy has also bid a temporary farewell to his Qi10 3-wood, opting for the new Qi35 model. To make room for this, he's replaced his Qi10 5-wood with a P770 3-iron, which he's said to comfortably hit over 250 yards.
Remember that time McIlroy briefly played the 2025 driver at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before swiftly switching back to his Qi10 just three days later? Well, that's history now, as the Qi35 driver becomes his go-to for the foreseeable future. McIlroy's bag will include a TaylorMade Qi35 driver (9.0 degrees), TaylorMade Qi35 (15.0 degrees) 3-wood, TaylorMade P770 3-iron, TaylorMade P760 irons (4-iron onwards), TaylorMade RORS Proto irons (5-9), TaylorMade MG4 wedges (46 SB, 56 SB, 60 LB), TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter, and TaylorMade TP5 RORS ball.
His recent equipment adjustments highlight his unrelenting quest for performance excellence, especially at challenging courses like Oakmont.
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McIlroy's new equipment lineup includes a TaylorMade Qi35 driver for his upcoming matches, such as the RBC Canadian Open and US Open at Oakmont. In addition to the driver, he has also replaced his 3-wood and 3-iron with the new Qi35 models, hoping to improve his performance at the challenging courses like Oakmont.
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