The four equipment tweaks that sparked McIlroy’s $17m money rush

After profitable the Irish Open, Rory McIlroy revealed that “2025 goes to go down as among the finest, if not the perfect of my profession”, and his gear adjustments have performed a significant function in that enchancment.

McIlroy’s enormous 28-foot eagle putt on the 72nd gap on the Ok Membership drew one of many loudest crowd roars in golf.

The putt compelled the Irish Open right into a play-off, the place McIlroy beat Joakim Lagergren on a 3rd gap to the delight of the Irish followers in County Kildare.

4 photographs again in the beginning of play on the ultimate spherical, McIlroy minimize a annoyed determine. However with the assistance of the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter he’s been utilizing since 2024, he made 160 toes of putts on the ultimate day; together with that eagle, a 38-foot birdie putt on the 2nd and a 43-foot birdie putt on the fifth.

The putt. The end result. The noise. The celebration.

Rory McIlroy’s eagle putt on the 72nd gap will go down in historical past #AmgenIrishOpen pic.twitter.com/yf8bzNmNUW

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 7, 2025

However his victory on the Ok Membership was additionally notable for his first win with a brand new set of MG5 wedges in his bag, upgrading from the MG4s.

McIlroy has made quite a few adjustments to his gear this season, primarily pushed by a change of ball in February, and it has mirrored in his prize cash earnings.

On the PGA Tour alone his winnings have shot up from $10,893,790 in 2024, to $16,992,418 in 2025. That’s not together with the $1,020,000 he earned on the Irish Open.

Right here we have a look at all of the gear adjustments McIlroy has made in 2025.

Rory McIlroy’s new golf ball

McIlroy switched from the TaylorMade TP5x ball to the softer, increased‑spin TP5 early within the season. He additionally modified to a 60 low bounce lob wedge bent to 61°. That week he received at $3.6m on the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am.

The Northern Irishman admitted that he favored how the TP5 felt across the greens.

“I form of stumbled upon it. I used to be messing round on the Grove the opposite day. This has bought to be like Thursday final week. I simply began to hit some chips with the TP5 as a substitute of the TP5x and I actually cherished how I felt,” stated McIlroy.

“I hadn’t actually examined the 2024 TP5 and I cherished the way it was reacting across the greens. … I began hitting some like 60, 70-yard photographs with it and it was coming off a lot decrease launch, however spinnier.

“This appears to launch in all probability a level decrease for me, however the spin fee’s very, very related, which I actually like.

“Yeah, did some testing with it, actually prefer it. Doesn’t appear to lose any velocity with the driving force both, despite the fact that it’s a lower-compression golf ball.”

McIlroy additionally experimented with Qi35 woods

On account of the TP5 ball change, McIlroy began tinkering with the remainder of his bag.

On the Arnold Palmer Invitational in early March, McIlroy rocked up with a contemporary set of golf equipment.

Swapping out his dependable TaylorMade Qi10 driver, 3-wood, 5-wood and likewise ditching a 50-degree TaylorMade MG4 wedge, for 3 new TaylorMade Qi35 woods and a 48-degree MG4 pitching wedge.

However after disappointing three rounds, he returned to his outdated favourites, finally ending eight strokes behind event winner Russell Henley, tied for fifteenth however $349,000 higher off.

“I led strokes gained: off the tee in each Pebble and Torrey, so it was a extremely good concept to alter,” stated McIlroy.

“[Saturday], I misplaced strokes off the tee, which is the primary time I’ve achieved that in a very long time. Yeah, simply went again to what was acquainted and what’s snug.

“I attempted new woods for the primary three days, didn’t fairly work out the way in which I needed it to. So, yeah, I went again to my outdated stuff. Driver, fairway wooden, every thing.”

A swap to the Qi35 driver

McIlroy continued on along with his Qi10 driver, however after ending tied for forty seventh on the PGA Championship, he rang the adjustments once more.

For the Canadian Open in June, simply earlier than the US Open, McIlroy made a shorter construct Qi35 driver his predominant weapon of selection.

However the swap didn’t assist and he missed the minimize. Admitting he was “nonetheless looking for a lacking piece off the tee” following the bottom place in his PGA Tour profession.

“I hit some drives that I favored and that I favored to see, in order that was encouraging…it’s arduous with the driving force, like with the one I had been taking part in with beforehand, once I missed with it, I used to be somewhat bit left,” stated McIlroy after the primary spherical.

“Then my miss with this one is somewhat bit proper. It’s simply attempting to determine that out and handle it somewhat bit.”

McIlroy went away to ‘check fairly just a few drivers’ forward of the US Open and because of this admitted that he “wasn’t utilizing the precise driver!”

He returned to the Qi10 driver for the US Open and pocketed $243,070 after ending T19.

Wedges upgraded to MG5

For the Irish Open, McIlroy modified his MG4 wedges (46°, 50°, 54°, 60°) to a more moderen MG5 set, which included a 60° LB lob wedge nonetheless bent to 61°, in addition to MG5 46°, 50° and 54° wedges.

The brand new wedges helped him end ninth in strokes gained: Across the Inexperienced, gaining 0.95 strokes on the sphere, sitting over 70% in scrambling and making 5 of six bunker saves.

However everyone knows it was that trusty TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter that was the true hero on the day.