Rory McIlroy chosen as the best driver of the golf ball by 1-time PGA Tour winner

One-time PGA Tour winner Michael Kim took to X to declare Rory McIlroy as the best driver of the golf ball. On X, Kim was doing a Q&A session during the rain delay in the final round of The Players Championship.

He was asked by a fan for his opinion on the best driver of the golf ball on the circuit currently.

"Who is the best driver of the golf ball?" one of the replies read to Kim's Q&A post.

Kim replied with a simple one-word answer.

"Rory," Michael Kim's response read.

Michael Kim, age 31, won his only PGA Tour event at the 2018 John Deere Classic. He dominated the event, winning by a margin of eight shots.

Kim narrowly missed the cut at this week's Players Championship after finishing the first two rounds at even par. He struggled in round one, shooting a three-over-par 75. He bounced back in round two, shooting a three-under-par 69.

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Is Rory McIlroy the best driver of the golf ball?

Rory McIlroy at THE PLAYERS Championship 2025 (via Getty)

The Northern Irishman's reputation for his ability to drive the ball is well-earned. The 27-time PGA Tour winner has gotten more than two dozen wins in part due to his driver being one of his game's biggest strengths.

Thus far in 2025, McIlroy has been dominant off the tee. This year, he is ranked first in strokes gained off the tee on the PGA Tour, gaining an average of 1.003 strokes off the tee compared to the average PGA Tour player.

In McIlroy's first win of 2025, his driver played a key role in his victory. His win came at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February. At the tournament, McIlroy used the Qi10 driver and wood setup.

McIlroy changed up his bag at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and in the first three rounds, used the TaylorMade's new Qi35 driver and woods. However, he put the Qi10 driver and woods back in his bag for the final round.

McIlroy actually paid just under $1,000 to have hit Qi10 driver Ubered to Bay Hill for the final round. He shot even par in the final round and finished the tournament tied for 15th.

Rory McIlroy at THE PLAYERS Championship 2025 (via Getty)

Rory McIlroy has found success with the Qi10 driver and wood setup in 2024. Last year, he was ranked number one the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee. He was ranked third on the PGA Tour in driving distance.

In 2024, McIlroy parlayed his strong driving season into two PGA Tour wins, as well at two wins on the DP World Tour. McIlroy won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA Tour and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the DP World Tour Championship. It was his fourth time winning the Dubai Desert Classic and third time winning the DP World Tour Championship.