In a new equipment series from Golf Digest, we tested the latest drivers from every major manufacturer on the Golf Laboratories swing robot to determine if they were noticeably better than their predecessors.
Unlike many competitors this week at Augusta National, Rory McIlroy’s equipment setup didn’t change for the 2025 Masters – with one appropriate exception.
The fifth generation of TaylorMade’s players-distance P·790 irons boast a new steel alloy for the face that is 20 percent stronger than in the previous iteration. This allows for a fast, thin face that delivers more rebound at impact.
TaylorMade’s latest version of its Tour Response and Tour Response Stripe boasts a new core, as well as a new mantle layer designed to increase distance for non-elite swing speeds.
Prepping for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, McIlroy casually hit a few of the 2024 version of TaylorMade’s TP5 ball around the green and began to notice a distinct difference in feel as the ball came off the face of his wedge.
TaylorMade launches two new irons directed at better players, the fresh single-piece forged cavity back P·7CB and a sleek aesthetic upgrade to the fast-faced P·770. But with better players’ demands in mind, both still offer distinct commitments to ball speed and forgiveness.
This all seems pretty bad for the players but pretty compelling for us viewers at home. Pros furious over greens and botched shots is exactly what the US Open is all about.
As always, the driver was a weapon for the four-time major champion. McIlroy ranked first in strokes gained/off the tee, picking up more than six shots on the field with his TaylorMade Qi10 driver.
TaylorMade’s new BRNR Mini Driver Copper, the latest driver that isn’t a driver (and fairway wood that isn’t a fairway wood), debuts with looks, logos and colours that evoke the company’s 1990s aesthetics.
Australian Golf Digest
