Why the PGA Championship winner uses a 7-year-old driver (and iron covers)

Aaron Rai broke through for his second PGA Tour victory and first major title at the PGA Championship Sunday, and it brings to light perhaps the most eclectic gear setup to win a major in several years.

It starts at the top with Rai’s seven-year-old TaylorMade M6 driver. Rai, a gear free agent, has used other drivers over the last couple of years for stretches, but he always kept returning to the TaylorMade high-forgiveness model from 2019. There’s very clearly an emotional attachment with the club, and he showed why this week.

While Rai was 66th in the field in driving distance, he was 4th in accuracy, hitting 67 percent of his fairways, including seven of the last eight on Sunday.

Rai’s victory marks the fifth driver win for TaylorMade in the last five major championships. Those wins came with either the newer Qi10 (2024) or Qi4D (2026) by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

But perhaps most notable about his bag are the covers on his TaylorMade P7TW irons. Rai has used iron covers for the entirety of his career and he explained in a 2021 interview with SiriusXM PGA Tour radio that he still uses them to remind himself of where he came from.

“I grew up in very much a working-class family, and golf has always been a very expensive game,” Rai said. “I started from the age of 4 years old, and my dad used to pay for the equipment, pay for my memberships, my entry fees. And it wasn’t money that we really had, to be honest, but he’d always buy me the best clubs.

“When I was about 7 or 8 years old, [my dad] bought me a set of Titleist 690 MBs, and they were like 800-1,000 pounds back then, just for a set of clubs for a kid. I cherished them. When we used to go out and practice, he used to clean every single groove afterward with a pin and with baby oil.”

Not long after, Rai’s father went out and purchased the iron covers to protect the investment.

“To protect the golf clubs, he thought it would be good to put iron covers on it,” Rai said. “I’ve pretty much had iron covers on all of my sets ever since just to appreciate the value of what I have, and it all started with that first set.

“Although on the PGA Tour, we get given equipment, and we get given everything that we need, it’s more out of principle. The value of not losing perspective of what I have and where I am.

“The covers are going to stay, I’m sorry.”

Rai also keeps up a tremendous run of TaylorMade Spider putters, with the family now taking five of the last six major winners. Rai uses a Spider Tour V, TaylorMade’s most forward CG mallet, which gives the putter a blade-like feeling, with a flow neck for added face rotation.

The putter is a fairly new addition to the bag, first appearing last fall at the BMW PGA Championship.

He also plays both a TaylorMade Qi10 3-wood and 5-wood, and the fairway wood model has been in the bag for each of the last six major champions.

Keep reading below for Rai’s full WITB breakdown.

Aaron Rai’s winning clubs at the PGA Championship

Driver: TaylorMade M6 9.0
Shaft: Aldila synergy 70TX

TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Driver

SHAPED FOR SPEED The re-engineered head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics developed through advanced simulations. FACE FOR DISTANCE 60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that provides weight savings, incredible ball speed and more consistency vs. a titanium face. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight. TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed, and stability.

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3-Wood: TaylorMade Qi10 15.0˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8-X

5-Wood: TaylorMade Qi10 18.0˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8-X

TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Fairway Wood

PROVEN RECIPE TaylorMade Fairways have dominated on Tour for over a decade because of their unique performance recipe, which enables maximum distance and versatility. The Qi4D fairway is designed for golfers who want the most advanced technology while still prioritizing versatility and control with amazing distance. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE Utilizing a single Trajectory Adjustment System weight (8g x1) provides the golfer a more mass efficient way to adjust flight, spin and swing weight. 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight and is available in all lofts. REFINED ATTRIBUTES, BIG CHANGES Engineers conducted an objective analysis of all the performance attributes and discovered new methods to enhance performance and confidence. Sit points, lie angles, address views, and center of gravity locations were all updated based on Tour feedback and the expertise of leading fitters worldwide, ensuring the optimal fairway across skill levels. TOUR-PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation for TaylorMade fairway performance. Twist Face™ features corrective face curvature designed to provide straighter shots on mishits. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to maximize performance by increasing discretionary weight.

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Hybrid: Titleist GT2 24.0˚
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 Hybrid TX

Titleist GT2 Custom Hybrid

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Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300

TaylorMade P7TW Custom Irons

MILLED GRIND SOLE DEBUT Milled Grind eliminates variances in sole geometry from head to head and ensures precision in every iron set, while the CNC machined sole geometry and a precise leading edge promote consistent turf interaction. TIGER’S FINGERPRINT Each iron has been meticulously shaped to meet Tiger’s discerning eye—longer blade length, thinner topline, progressive face height, and more.  

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Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (44-49), SM11 (54-60)
Lofts/Grinds: 46.10F @ 44˚, 48.10F @ 49˚, 54.12D, Wedworks 60L
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300

Titleist Vokey SM11 Tour Chrome Custom Wedge

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Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour V
Hosel: Flow
Sightline: Full line

TaylorMade 2025 Spider Tour Black Custom Putter

BLACK PVD FINISH The durable PVD coating creates a beautiful high-quality finish with sole plate, back badge and copper accents. TRUE PATH™ ALIGNMENT The patented alignment system provides visual clarity and helps golfers better envision the line to the hole. WHITE TPU PURE ROLL™ INSERTMade from a combination of Surlyn and aluminum, the white TPU Pure Roll™ insert creates a softer feel.Grooves are angled at 45° to encourage optimal forward roll as well as better sound, feel and overall roll characteristics. The white insert also creates better symmetry with the white True Path alignment. THIN WALL UNDERCUT CONSTRUCTION We’ve engineered a super stable structure by removing excess weight to create high MOI and legendary Spider performance. HYBRAR ECHO®DAMPENER HYBRAR is behind the face to dampen unwanted vibrations, delivering premium sound and feelon every putt with the best possible sensation. TSS WEIGHTING TSS weights provide balanced weighting and help optimize performance for all various putter lengths. STEEL WIREFRAME Allows engineers to better control weight distribution and CG location.

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Ball: 2019 Titleist Pro V1

Titleist Pro V1 2025 Personalized Golf Balls

h2>THE GREATEST COMBINATION OF SPEED, SPIN AND FEEL For players who prioritize total performance. New faster high gradient core Speed amplifying high-flex casing layer Spherically-tiled 388 tetrahedral dimple design Soft cast urethane elastomer cover Product Features New faster high gradient core delivers more speed and iron and wedge spin for more control Low long game spin from a speed amplifying high-flex casing layer Penetrating and consistent flight from a spherically-tiled 388 tetrahedral dimple design Excellent greenside spin from a soft cast urethane elastomer cover Player Benefits Extraordinary Distance Increased Drop-and-Stop™ control Very low long game spin Penetrating trajectory Consistent flight Very soft feel What’s New – (what performance attributes have improved) 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1x produce more speed off the tee, more control with irons, more spin with wedges and more opportunity to shoot lower scores. Player Profile For players who prioritize total performance. Available Colors and Play Numbers White golf balls are available with play numbers 1-4, 5-8, and all the same play number 00 or 1- 99. High optic yellow golf balls are available with play numbers 1-4. Not available for purchase or shipment to Australia.

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Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Golf Pride Tour Velvet Swing Grip

Tour Velvet Swing Grip The most popular grip in golf today combines an exclusive, state-of-the-art rubber-blend compound, non-slip surface pattern for maximum playability, comfort, and confidence. The Tour Velvet® is the standard upon which many club manufacturers base their grip designs. ALL-WEATHER CONTROL State-of-the-art rubber-blend compound with a non-slip surface pattern for maximum playability and confidence. MODERATE SURFACE TEXTURE Scientifically designed plus sign texture created to pull moisture away from surface to allow for consistent traction. MODERATE FEEDBACK The standard in grip feel providing comfort and moderate feedback. Specifications: Grip Size: Standard, Midsize, Jumbo Core Size: 58 Round, 60 Round, 60 Round

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Want to overhaul your bag for 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.