Rory McIlroy added a new TaylorMade MG4 lob wedge.
David Cannon/Getty Images
A strange week across the board for Rory McIlroy — including with his gear — ended with his second Players Championship title and 28th PGA Tour victory.
McIlroy did so with a full bag of TaylorMade equipment but made a high-profile switch back to his Qi10 metalwood setup he used last year after briefly switching to the new Qi35 driver and fairway woods for the first three rounds last week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. After singing the praises of his new setup for the early part of the week, McIlroy made the about-face Sunday at Bay Hill after losing strokes off the tee on Saturday.
“Sort of going back to what I’m comfortable with,” he said last Sunday. “I tried new woods for the first three days, didn’t quite work out the way I wanted it to. So, yeah, I went back to my old stuff today. I led strokes gained off the tee in both Pebble and Torrey, so it was a really good idea to change [laughs]. And then, like yesterday, I lost strokes off the tee, which is the first time I’ve done that in a long time.
“I probably just didn’t give myself enough time. And it’s totally different, you know, it can look good on the Trackman and it can look good on the range at home at the Bear’s Club or on the golf course, but once you get out here in these conditions that’s where it really shows itself and it just wasn’t quite ready.”
McIlroy’s accuracy didn’t improve much at TPC Sawgrass as he hit just four fairways during the first round and finished toward the bottom of the field in driving accuracy for the week, finding less than 50 percent of his fairways.
But he was dialed with his TaylorMade RORS Proto irons that he has played since signing with TaylorMade in 2017. He finished fifth in the field in strokes gained: approach.
McIlroy also added a new wedge at the start of the season, adding loft to his lob wedge by going to 61 degrees.
“Rory has played a MG4 60° LB wedge in the past and loved the transition and leading edge of that model,” said TaylorMade VP of Tour Operations Keith Sbarbaro. “When he came up with the idea of going to a 61° wedge, this model with this shape, sole and leading edge worked best. Rory wants to stick with one wedge and this model was by far the most versatile. It doesn’t catch in the grain, and has low enough bounce to perform well on tight grass like at The Masters. It produces a lot of spin, including the incredible chip on 17 at the Ryder Cup he hit with a similar version. The 61° also makes hitting the 40-70 yard shots much easier. He can put more of a hit on it to get the lower launch and spin than he could at 59°.”
Keep reading below for McIlroy’s full specs.
Rory McIlroy’s winning clubs at the 2025 Players Championship
Wrapped in a clean and confident package, the Qi10 driver has been strategically engineered to help players optimize distance and enhance forgiveness.
THE QUEST FOR INERTIA
TaylorMade’s goal with the Qi10 family is to make each driver as forgiving as possible, using advanced multi-material constructions to increase inertia. Qi10 is engineered for a balanced blend of distance and forgiveness.
COMPLETE PERFORMANCE
The Qi10 Driver features a lower CG projection and higher MOI than its predecessor, delivering balanced performance without any tradeoffs.
NEW INFINITY CARBON CROWN
An Infinity Carbon Crown covers 97% of the total crown area, creating a strategic advantage for mass redistribution and enhanced forgiveness.
VENTUS shafts by Fujikura are #1 on Tour. Learn more about which VENTUS is right for you and schedule your fitting today to upgrade your consistency in your long game.
Driving iron: TaylorMade P770 Proto 3-iron (20 degrees), Project X HZRDUS Black 105 HY TX
TaylorMade P770 Custom Irons
SOLID FORGED FEEL
Improved for a more solid feel like never before. The 2024 P•770 has been strategically tuned using a player’s forged construction and modal analysis to create a notable improvement and the best feeling P•770 to date.
MODERN PLAYERS IRON
TaylorMade’s FLTD CG™ coupled with precision milled face and grooves, deliver the launch and spin modern players demand. Designed with forgiving, high launching long irons and lower launching, high spinning scoring irons for accuracy and control.
CONSISTENCY
Consistent ball striking and accurate shot making from a forged iron construction designed with meticulous mass optimization and an updated tungsten weight design for more forgiving long irons.
REFINED SHAPING
Refined shaping for a cleaner look and improved turf interaction. The 2024 P•770 has a thinner topline visual balanced with a confidence inspiring, compact head shape. A newly modified leading edge design helps deliver consistent shot making and crisp turf interaction.
Irons: TaylorMade P760 (4), RORS PROTO MB (5-9), Project X 7.0 (Length: +.25″, Lie: 1˚ Flat) Loft Progression: 23/26/30/34/38/42
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 Raw (46/09SB, 50/09SB, 54/11SB, 60/08LB), Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)
TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 Custom Wedge
Milled Grind 4 utilizes laser etched Spin Tread and a raw face to provide better bite around the greens and superior spin in wet conditions. Refined shaping creates a smooth aesthetic that inspires creativity around the greens, while improved mass distribution provides a solid feel.
IMPROVED SPIN IN WET CONDITIONS
Spin Tread technology utilizes laser etching to channel away moisture and help retain spin in wet conditions. The same way that tire treads help your car stay connected to the road, Spin Tread redirects water at impact and creates more friction between the club face and golf ball to impart more spin than prior generations.
REFINED SHAPING
MG4 features refinements in shape and visual appeal with a focus on what players perceive at address. Details from the hosel blend, offset and leading-edge straightness were all inspired by the insights and preferences of the best players and most experienced designers. Compared to the previous MG3, MG4 showcases a slightly larger footprint that provides players with a sense of roundness, smoothness and improved ease of use.
RAW FACE & NEW FINISH
There’s a reason raw wedges are preferred by the game’s best players. The unplated material will rust over time to preserve consistent spin while also delivering better performance in wet conditions. A new refined finish with a slightly darker tint minimizes glare and blends seamlessly with the raw face for a unified appearance.
Putter: Spider Tour X (Loft 3, Lie 69.5), Short Slant, Full Line, Pure Roll insert, Black Stepless shaft, 34 1/2″ EOG, E0
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.
The MCC™ (New Decade® MultiCompound) is an innovative hybrid grip that fuses the positive performance of rubber and cord. The MCC boasts the Golf Pride® exclusive Brushed Cotton Cord in the upper hand area for firm all-weather control, and a performance rubber material in the lower hand for ultimate feel and responsiveness.
The all-new 2024 TaylorMade TP5 Golf Balls are the softest 5-layer Tour ball, delivering a notably softer feel and enhanced spin around the green with lower driver spin than previous generations.
TOUR SPIN WITH NEW SPEED WRAPPED CORE
The TP5, the softest 5-layer Tour ball, delivers a notably softer feel and enhanced spin around the green with lower driver spin than previous generations. It is engineered with a new Speed Wrapped Core that delivers a softer sound while promoting a faster, more responsive overall design. For golfers who prioritize touch and feel in their short game, the TP5 provides precision greenside performance.
TP5 YELLOW WITH ENHANCED VISIBILITY & DURABILITY
While many high-visibility golf balls rely solely on a painted finish, we doubled down for added durability. An enriched yellow urethane cover means that your golf ball stays brighter for longer with no chipped paint and better color retention.
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.
