A win for Rory Mcllroy at Augusta this April wouldn’t just mean a first green jacket for the 32-year-old Northern Irishman but a highly-prized career grand slam, though doubters will remind you that the last of his four major wins was all the way back in 2014.
Having missed the cut here last year, the world number nine will have further motivation to show his credentials on a course he loves and has an undeniably strong scoring record on, with six top-10 finishes in his last eight appearances.
After some winter soul-searching, Mcllroy has started 2022 with a fresh outlook, some clear targets plus some shiny new gear, which together he’ll be hoping might push him to what would be an emotional win, against a ridiculously strong field.
Want to know what other pros are using at the Masters, and elsewhere, this year? So far, we've looked at Tiger Woods' golf gear – although will he use it at Augusta or won't he?! – and Viktor Hovland's golf gear. But now, on with Rory…
What driver does Rory Mcllroy use?
The claims made for new golf drivers seem to fall only marginally short of bringing about world peace, but this year’s TaylorMade Stealth model does offer something genuinely different in the form of a striking red face made of lightweight carbon fibre, rather than the titanium of previous years. Early signs are that tour players who use it – including Rory, Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson and Tommy Fleetwood - are seeing increases of between 1-4mph and, crucially, maintaining those speeds even if they hit it off the toe or heel.
Rory’s phenomenal driving is his primary strength - he was second only to Bryson Dechambeau in average driving distance on the PGA Tour last year with his TaylorMade Sim2 – so it says a lot for the new technology that Rory has put the Taylor Made Stealth Plus with 9 degree loft (keeping his favourite Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X shafts) straight in his bag.
Which fairway woods does Rory Mcllroy use?
As with his driver switch, Rory has upgraded his Sim 2 fairway woods for the latest TaylorMade Stealth Plus woods. Specifically, the TaylorMade Stealth Plus 3 wood (15 degree loft with Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X shafts) and a TaylorMade Stealth Plus 5 wood (19 degree loft with Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X shafts). Promised speed gains should allow Rory to get more control on Augusta’s famous par-5s and we may even see more of the 3 wood off the tee this year.
Which irons does Rory Mcllroy use?
Irons are a major focus for Rory this year as he believes only a slight jump in performance on his approach play could see a return to stellar seasons of the past. Watching the astonishing success of iron-specialist Collin Morikawa in 2021 might have made him sit up too.
At the start of this season, he is sticking with the TaylorMade P770 3-iron and P730 Rors Proto irons (4 to PW) with Project X 7.0 shafts
Which wedges does Rory Mcllroy use?
You have to chip and pitch consistently well over four rounds if you want to win The Masters, as last year’s winner Hideki Matsuyama expertly demonstrated. While it’s not been a strongpoint for Rory, he has been working hard to make improvements and that includes upgrading to the latest TaylorMade MG3 model for all his wedges (54 and 58 degrees, in Project X 6.5 shafts) with added bounce soles.
What putter does Rory Mcllroy use?
The flat stick is a particularly crucial weapon on Augusta’s slippery greens and it’s another area where Rory and his putting coach Brad Faxon want to see improvements. While he’s been prone to rotating his putters during the season as he searches for form, he’s currently sticking with the aluminium TaylorMade Spider X Hydro Blast which he used in both his 2021 PGA Tour wins.
What ball is Rory McIlroy using?
Rory has been using the TaylorMade TP5x for over a year, liking its ability to marry distance off the tee with control around the greens – a combination upon which Masters champions are made.
What golf bag is Rory using?
Rory’s caddie and best friend Harry Diamond will be lugging TaylorMade’s new 2022 Stealth Tour Staff Bag around the hills of The Augusta National, featuring more pockets than a trouser factory and in a very natty red and black colour combination. Now where have we seen that before? Let’s hope it’s a good omen come next Sunday night.
