Rory McIlroy changed his clubs at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Image: Getty)
will head into the with increased confidence and clarity after getting to grips with his clubs. The four-time major winner made a handful of swapping 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. His alterations appeared to give the 36-year-old a boost too, as he shot an even final round to finish on three-under-par for the tournament – tying him for 15th – as Russell Henley claimed victory.
But there was likely some regret for McIlroy that he couldn’t use his favourite club, which he admitted is now likely deemed to be In a recent Q&A session, McIlroy named the TaylorMade M2 driver as the best he’s used during his career after getting a handle on it around eight years ago. However, the Northern Irishman is acutely aware of its likely illegitimacy in the current world of golf. When asked to reveal his all-time favourite, he said: “Favourite club of all-time, wow. “Probably the M2 driver. I stare at it in my garage sometimes [thinking] ‘I wish I could still use you sometimes’. But it’s probably illegal at this point.”
McIlroy first began testing the M2 in late 2016 after Nike stopped its production of golf equipment and used it for a short spell. But now, the wear that the club generates causes balls to travel far enough that means it it probably wouldn’t pass PGA Tour testing.
After moving away from Nike, McIlroy signed a lucrative contract with TaylorMade in 2022, and it seems he is fairly content with the equipment at his disposal ahead of the lead-up to the Masters. At Bay Hill, McIlroy appeared to be a contender to win his 28th PGA Tour title. But after some trouble at the tee and on the fairway, he slipped down the leaderboard on Saturday after carding a lacklustre round of 73, leaving him one-over-par.
Rory McIlroy started using TaylorMade clubs in 2016 (Image: Getty)
He decided to make some unexpected changes to his bag, despite only swapping his clubs at the start of the week, and immediately felt comfortable in going back to his ‘old stuff’.
“I tried new woods for the first three days, didn’t quite work out the way I wanted it to, so I went back to my old stuff today,” McIlroy said. “I led strokes gained off the tee in both Pebble and Torrey, so it was a really good idea to change.
The Masters take place from April 7-15 at Augusta National (Image: Getty)
“And then yesterday, I lost strokes off the tee, which is the first time I’ve done that in a long time. So I just went back to what was familiar and what’s comfortable.”
McIlroy will be one of the big names desperate to end his Masters misery. The Augusta event has eluded him for his entire career and he hasn’t won a major since 2014. But getting his clubs in order is undoubtedly one step in the right direction.