Rory McIlroy Makes Drastic Equipment Changes Prior To Arnold Palmer Invitational Final Round
The four-time Major winner reportedly changed out his driver, 3-wood, 5-wood and 3-iron, as well as adding a gap wedge to his bag prior to his final round at Bay Hill


Going into the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Rory McIlroy was in contention for yet another PGA Tour title but, after a one-over 73 on Saturday, he dropped down the leaderboard.
Equipment plays a huge part in a player's confidence and, after changing his clubs at the start of the week, it was reported that McIlroy then made some significant changes to his equipment, yet again, prior to his final day at Bay Hill.
According to the Golf Channel's commentary team, the four-time Major winner reportedly changed his driver, 3-wood, 5-wood and 3-iron before the final round on Sunday, with McIlroy also adding a gap wedge to his set-up.
At the start of the week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy was seen using a custom TaylorMade Qi35 'Dot' head coupled with a Fujikura Ventus VeloCore+ Black shaft, as well as two Qi35 fairway woods.
However, on Sunday, he was then spotted using the older TaylorMade Qi10 driver, as well as the Qi10 fairway woods round the Florida layout.
Robert MacIntyre and McIlroy during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Reportedly, it's a similar set-up to that which he used at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, an event he won in dominant fashion after rounds of 66, 70, 65 and 66.
Along with the various club changes, McIlroy also made a golf ball swap prior to his victory at Pebble Beach, with the 35-year-old changing to the TaylorMade TP5.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
During pre-season tests a year ago, McIlroy and TaylorMade noticed the TP5X (2024) had resulted in a fraction more distance gained. However, McIlroy began hitting shots with the firmer, lower launching TP5 (2024) and liked what he felt and what he saw, so he opted to put it into play.

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover news and social media.
Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. His favorite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.
Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°
Fairway Wood: Ping G430 LST 15°, 19°
Irons: TaylorMade P.7CB
Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
The Golf Ball Rollback, Driver Testing And Phil Mickelson – 6 Takeaways From The USGA’s Big US Open Press Conference
There was no shortage of big talking points at the USGA’s press conference ahead of the US Open – here are the key takeaways from it
-
The $50,000+ Robot Ball Collector Spotted On The US Open Driving Range At Oakmont
Those attending Oakmont Country Club weren't just treated to the world's best on the range, but also a specialized bit of kit picking up the golf balls
-
NBC Sports Chief’s ‘Total Sideshow’ LIV Golf Comments Raise Two Key Questions - How Will Saudi-Backed Tour Respond?
After NBC Sports chief Sam Flood called it a "total sideshow" we look at how LIV Golf could respond, with another huge cash injection or a change in strategy
-
Collin Morikawa Thought His 9-Wood Was 'Like Cheating'... Until He Faced The Oakmont Rough
The two-time Major winner admitted that some lies are unplayable from the brutal Oakmont rough, even with his trusty 9-wood
-
Rory McIlroy Changes Driver Again Ahead Of US Open
After claiming he would be doing some driver testing following the RBC Canadian Open last week, McIlroy was spotted using his faithful TaylorMade Qi10 driver during a practice round at Oakmont
-
Joaquin Niemann Leapfrogs Scottie Scheffler And Rory McIlroy As Golf's Top Earner In 2025 After LIV Golf Virginia Victory
The Chilean's fourth win of the year secured another $4 million and consequently catapulted Niemann to the top of the on-course earnings across all tours
-
Ryan Fox Wins The RBC Canadian Open Via Playoff After 'Shot Of His Life'
The New Zealander defeated Sam Burns at the fourth playoff hole, with Fox producing the shot of his life via a 260-yard fairway wood
-
RBC Canadian Open 2025 Round Four Tee Times
Matteo Manassero and Ryan Fox lead a tightly-bunched leaderboard at TPC Toronto with both looking for the biggest win of their careers so far...
-
Bryson DeChambeau Puts New LA Golf Irons In The Bag As He Shares LIV Golf Virginia Lead
The US Open champion is debuting a set of LA Golf BAD V3-W custom irons at LIV Golf Virginia, which DeChambeau put to good use as he shared the lead following the first round
-
'Of Course It Concerns Me. You Don't Want To Shoot High Scores Like The One I Did Today' - Rory McIlroy Endures Torrid Eight-Over-Par Round To Miss RBC Canadian Open Cut
After his eight-over 78 at TPC Toronto, McIlroy revealed he will be 'testing quite a few drivers over the weekend' as his attention turns to Oakmont and the US Open