Rory McIlroy What's in the Bag? (2024)

When you own one of the best swings in the game, having the right clubs in the bag to maximise your advantage is a must. Such is life for Rory McIlroy, the superstar from Northern Ireland who is a four-time major winner and one of the most engaging players in golf.

After notching two wins in 2023 and finishing third in the FedEx Cup standings, Rory played a starring role in Europe’s famous Ryder Cup victory in Rome. And he started 2024 in style with a win at the Dubai Desert Classic (Jan 17-21), his fourth victory at the event. He won the Wells Fargo Championship in May before suffering heartbreak at the US Open, finishing runner-up to Bryson Dechambeau after missing a couple of short putts on the back nine on Sunday. But 2024 ended on a high note when Rory won the DP World Tour Championship and claimed his sixth Race To Dubai title.

• WITB UPDATE: 17/01/2024: Rory switched over a number of his clubs in 2024 including his Driver, Fairway Woods, Wedges and Putter.

WITB UPDATE: 17/01/2024: TAYLORMADE Qi10 (9°)

Rory was the first TaylorMade staffer to put the new TaylorMade Qi10 driver into play and it’s been a successful partnership from the word go. After initially playing the LS model, Rory moved into the slightly larger head of the standard Qi10 driver and used it to great effect at the Dubai Desert Classic (he hit five drives over 350 yards and averaged almost 330 off the tee).
The Qi10 driver is designed for maximum forgiveness. But it retains the ball speed gains of TaylorMade’s Stealth era through its carbon fibre face, which offers impressive consistency and distance on the rare occasions Rory doesn’t strike it dead centre.

The Qi10’s expansive carbon fibre infinity crown allowed TaylorMade to shift more mass deeper in the Qi10’s head, lowering the centre of gravity for a higher launch (Rory has his Qi10 driver set one degree lower via the adjustable loft sleeve) and boosting MOI and forgiveness. Rory has a Fujikura Ventus Black 6-X shaft fitted to his TaylorMade Qi10 driver.

OLD DRIVER: TAYLORMADE STEALTH 2 PLUS (9°)

After being out-gunned a few times by ‘old man’ Tiger Woods in the first round of the Genesis Open in early 2023, Rory turned up for the second round armed with the Stealth 2 Driver and iimmediately found something off the tee to keep a previously chirpy Tiger quiet.

The Stealth 2 is the follow up to the original Stealth. It features a carbon fibre face that is 2g lighter than the original and, like Rory found, it offers extra ball speed and forgiveness across the entire face. The Plus is the low-spin model of the Stealth 2 driver line-up, which is perfect for helping Rory turn his formidable club head speed into distance off the tee. And it is the only model in the line-up to feature a sliding weight track, which can be adjusted to promote a fade or draw bias (Rory has his slotted in the neutral position). The Stealth 2’s nanotexture coating on the carbon fibre face makes it equally consistent in dry or wet conditions by moderating spin rates. Rory has his TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus driver fitted with a Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X shaft.

WITB UPDATE: 17/01/2024: TAYLORMADE Qi10 3 WOOD (15°), 5 WOOD (19°)

Rory carries a pair of TaylorMade Qi10 fairway woods in his bag and they are a significant departure from what he has used in previous years.
The steel-headed fairways are larger and more forgiving than the more compact titanium fairways he has played in past seasons. But the new Qi10 fairways generated spin rates that perfectly aligned with Rory’s game.

Rory’s Qi10 fairways feature the same carbon fibre infinity crown as his Qi10 driver, and it plays a key role in creating massive levels of forgiveness. They also feature a shallower face that helps him shape his ball off the tee or from the fairway. Rory has a Fujikura Ventus Black 8-X shaft installed in his Qi10 three wood and a Ventus Black 9-X in his five wood.

OLD FAIRWAY WOOD: TAYLORMADE STEALTH 2 PLUS 3W (15˚) 5W (18˚)

In 2023 Rory played a pair of TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus fairway woods, which feature a 50g sliding weight on the sole. The weight offers three distinct performance characteristics. In the forward position it reduces spin and creates a lower trajectory; in the rear setting it increases spin and boosts forgiveness for off-centre strikes. And in the middle position - where Rory has his set - it offers the most versatility which makes it equally adept off the deck or from the tee. A Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X shaft is fitted to Rory’s three wood while his five wood features a Fukikura Ventus Black 9 x shaft.

TAYLORMADE P760 IRONS (3,4)

Rory’s TaylorMade P760 long irons provide the high peak ball flight and effortless speed that helps his long approach shots stick to the green. Hollow-bodied P760 irons are filled with SpeedFoam, which supports the face and creates a pure impact feel and sound, while high density tungsten inserts lower the centre of gravity for easy-launching performance.

TAYLORMADE P7MB IRONS (4 - PW)

Muscleback blades like the TaylorMade RORS-PROTO that Rory uses aren’t for everyone. But for a player of Rory’s skill and consistency, these prototype irons offer an exquisite level of feedback and feel to help him weave his magic.

Classic forged blades with a precise sweet spot, the RORS-PROTO irons closely resemble TaylorMade’s P7MB irons and offer a purity of strike few irons can match. Rory’s P7MB irons are fitted with Project X Rifle 7.0 shafts, with his PW carrying a 6.5 version of the shaft.

WITB UPDATE: 17/01/2024:  TAYLORMADE MILLED GRIND 4 WEDGES (46°, 50°, 54°, 60°)

A quartet of TaylorMade MG4 wedges offers Rory complete control over his trajectory and distance into, and around, the greens. Milled Grind 4 wedges follow on from the MG3 wedge Rory previously used. MG4 wedges feature improved spin consistency, achieved through a new groove pattern, and offer a more precise feel that gives Rory the necessary feedback to demonstrate his deft touch and finesse. Rory opts for standard bounce in his three lower-lofted wedges while his 60° MG4 features low bounce (8°). Project X 6.5 shafts are fitted to Rory’s MG4 wedges.

OLD WEDGES: TAYLORMADE MG3 WEDGE (54˚) & TITLEIST WEDGEWORKS (58˚)

Rory played a couple of custom wedges in 2023 as he sought to inject extra control and spin into his short game. He plays a TaylorMade Milled Grind 3 Raw 54˚ wedge and prototype Titleist Wedgeworks 58˚ wedge, which are both custom crafted to his specifications. His MG3 Raw wedge features an all-purpose standard grind on the sole while the Wedgeworks model is fitted with a low-bounce T grind. Rory plays a Project X Rifle 6.5 shaft on both wedges.

WITB UPDATE: 17/01/2024: TAYLORMADE SPIDER TOUR X PUTTER

Rory switched to the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter at the start of 2024 and won with it at his second start. The new Spider Tour X doesn’t deviate too far from the tour-proven pedigree of Rory’s previous Spider X flatstick. However, the distinctive winged mallet now features weights on the sole, rather than in the wings. The new weighting layout shifts the centre of gravity slightly towards the face to promote rotation while still maintaining a high level of MOI.
The Spider Tour X combines the performance of a blade with the advantages of a mallet and Rory has wielded it with great success.

OLD PUTTER: Scotty Cameron Newport 009

in 2023 Rory’s Scotty played his prototype Scotty Cameron Newport 009 - its Rory's own tour-exclusive model, which is closely related to the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 retail putter. The Newport 2 is a traditionally shaped flat-stick with an L-shaped hosel. It features Scotty Cameron’s signature screw weighting on the back cavity and a tungsten-balanced sole.

WITB UPDATE: 17/01/2024: 2024 TAYLORMADE TP5x GOLF BALL

Rory plays the new 2024 TaylorMade TP5x, a golf ball that that complements his high swing speed perfectly. Rory’s TP5x features a firmer compression than its TP5 sibling. The five-layer tour ball offers low-spinning performance with the driver and long irons but provides grippy spin and superb feel with the short irons and around the greens.