Rory McIlroy made a few big changes before the final round (Image: Getty Images)
made a handful of major changes to his bag ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational final round. He opted to swap out his driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, and 3-iron in a desperate attempt to rally in the closing stages of the competition at Bay Hill.
McIlroy was in contention for his 28th PGA Tour title but slipped down the leaderboard on Saturday after posting a one-over 73. Whilst looking to get back on track, the Northern Irishman made some unexpected changes to his bag, relying on his equipment. Going into the final round, the Northern Irishman made significant alterations to his equipment despite having changed his clubs at the start of the week.
It’s reported that McIlroy switched out his driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, and 3-iron – and added a gap wedge – before the final round. McIlroy shot an even final round to finish on three-under for the tournament, ending up tied for 15th as Russell Henley took the victory.
While he improved on his Saturday performance, he was still not at his best. Perhaps it was due to the setup. At the beginning 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 a pair of Qi35 fairway woods.
But then on Sunday, the 35-year-old was seen using an older TaylorMade Qi10 driver as well as the Qi10 fairway woods in Florida. The equipment set McIlroy used is similar to the one he utilised at the ATandT Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he reigned supreme. He recorded rounds of 66, 70, 65, and 66 to clinch victory, even changing golf balls to aid his triumph.
Don’t miss…
Rory McIlroy is no stranger to equipment changes (Image: Getty Images)
McIlroy is no stranger to switching his equipment to enhance his chances of winning, whether it’s the coveted green jacket at Augusta or a fifth major title overall, especially since his last major win was at the 2014 PGA Championship. Ahead of the 2024 season, McIlroy and TaylorMade observed that the TP5X (2024) offered a slight increase in distance.
However, after testing the TP5 (2024), which provides a firmer and lower launch, McIlroy decided to put it into play. It remains to be seen what equipment McIlroy opt for when he heads to The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass next week. He will be playing alongside World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, who collectively won three majors last year.
This article originally appeared on