What’s the story?
Making his 2017 season debut this week at BMW SA Open with his new equipment combination, Rory McIlroy has made it clear that he isn’t done with the testing process as yet and the Callaway clubs could be dumped for his next event.
"They are picked for this week but that could change week to week," McIlroy told reporters on Tuesday. "This is my first event with those clubs, so we will see how it goes this week. You never really know until you have a card in your hand and at the end of the day the person swinging the club is more important than the club itself."
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Since Nike’s shock exit from the golf equipment industry, Rory has tested TaylorMade M1 and M2 woods and won the Tour Championshp and FedEx Cup with a Titleist Scotty Cameron M1 prototype putter.
The heart of the matter
Rory McIlroy turned it up for New year with his decision to play Callaway woods and irons, Titleist wedges at the BMW SA Open which starts today. Club changes involving a high profile player such as World No. 2, Rory McIlroy are bound to create noise and coupled with Nike’s exit from the equipment side of things, there is extra buzz around his latest switch with him still being contracted to Nike.
Also Read: Harris English re-signs equipment contract with Ping, apparel deal with Nike Golf
Callaway and Titleist are the biggest beneficiaries as one of the biggest forces in the game is willing to play their clubs for free. Could there be a better endorsement, certainly not.
The European Tour shared close-ups of his clubs:
What’s next?
Rory tested a variety of equipment in Dubai around the holidays, he told reporters. This week marks his first competitve start since the season ending event of the European tour, the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai where he finished ninth.
He will have the following clubs in play this week:
Driver: Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic Sub Zero, Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage shaft
Fairways: Callaway Great Big Bertha Epic Sub Zero
Irons: Prototype Callaway Apex MB, True Temper Project X 7.0
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 (46-08 F Grind, 52-08 F Grind, 56-10 S Grind and 60-08 M Grind), True Temper Project X 6.5
Also Read: Miura golf sold, new owner plans "significant investment"
Putter: Odyssey prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x prototype
His Odyssey putter will feature a prototype insert which could be similar to the new Microhinge insert found on the recently announced O Works 2017 line.
He continued to say that his setup could change on a regular basis until he settles on his favourite combination. Talking about his post season preparation and recent 4 day safari adventure, he said he feels ready and prepared for the upcoming event.
“I spent a week in Dubai before Christmas testing a lot of equipment and hitting a lot of balls and training. I had a week off from December 20 to 27 and then went back to Dubai and worked solid for 10 days till I came down here. I have been practising in the Middle East for the past week or so, although I have spent the last few days here on safari so hadn't hit a ball for four days.”
“I am in competitive mode but we also wanted to go into the bush for a few days which might have made me a little rusty but I can shake that off before Thursday. The first couple of holes [of his practice round] weren't great but once I got into my rhythm it was okay. I am here to play well and get my confidence up."
Sportskeeda’s Take
As reported by Sportskeeda earlier on 2nd Jan, Rory Mcilroy will play a totally new equipment combination this week, one that he has never played with in his entire professional career. The freedom that he has due to Nike’s withdrawal means that he will continue to try equipment from different combinations and have a little bit of fun until he finds the right combination.
This new move definitely doesn’t mark the end of his equipment shifts as he looks to embark on the best season of his career in 2017. The momentum that he is carrying from his win at the Tour championship earlier in 2016 is huge for him. McIlroy will be searching for the elusive green jacket that he needs to complete the career grand slam in 2017 and will set out with that as his high goal for the season.
