Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood try out TaylorMade Qi4D | Tour report

Wwelcome to GOLF’s fully equipped ‘S weekly Tour Gear Report. Every Friday of the PGA Tour weeks (plus other times, as the news warrants), GOLF Gear Editor Jack Hirsh will walk you through the biggest news surrounding golf clubs on Tour, including changes, adjustments and launches.

We knew that TaylorMade’s timing in getting its new Qi4D drivers approved for use made sense. Just a few days later, we now know that two of the company’s biggest stars have kicked off the drive for the first week of availability on global tours.

Rory McIlroy immediately made the switch from a Qi10 model driver he used for all but six rounds of the past two seasons to a new Qi4D core model driver at this week’s HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi. Tommy Fleetwood also joined him, playing a Qi4D LS model from his previous Qi35 core.

“I felt like the driver was good,” McIlroy said after Round 1. “Obviously there was a new driver in the bag this week. I felt like that worked well.”

“Worked well” indeed.

In an excellent duo with fellow long-bomber Marco Penge, the DP World Tour’s best player this season apart from McIlroy, the Masters champion impressed from the tee, averaging 334 yards on shots with the new driver and hitting 78 percent of his fairways. He also added new Qi4D 3- and 5-woods to the bag.

But most impressive was his 355-yard poke at the 10th, where he cut the corner on the 394-yard par-4 to reach the putting surface, setting up an easy two-putt birdie. Friday’s second lap was much the same, with an average of another 344 meters as the driver headed for another 68 meters.

His European Ryder Cup teammate, Fleetwood, also showed in Round 1, but with accuracy rather than power. The reigning FedEx Cup champion used his new Qi4D LS just four times at Yas Links Golf Club on Thursday, but ended the day missing one fairway while shooting an eight-under 64. He followed that up with a 66 on Friday and is level with Aaron Rai on 14 under, while McIlroy is six back in a tie for 20th.

Neither player has revealed much about the technology or specs of their new big sticks, but from what appears from photos from Getty Images and hands-on photos via SMS on Tour, both players are sticking with similar builds to their previous models. McIlroy still has a Fujikura Ventus Black 6-X headstock, while Fleetwood has a Ventus TR Blue 6-X in his LS head.

One notable thing about the Fleetwood driver is that it appears to have reflective markings for use with the Foresight GC Quad Launch Monitor built into the face.

This is a technology that TaylorMade introduced last year with their Qi35 Select Fit heads, specifically designed to help technicians avoid installing reflectors (known as fiducials). Now it seems Fleetwood wants the technology in his gamer so that he and fitter Adrian Rietveld can always have super-accurate club data on the GC Quad.

Four other players have a new Qi4D in their bag this week – Angel Ayora, Jayden Schaper, Ryggs Johnston and Keita Nakajima – marking a big debut for the new driver. The driver has yet to be qualified for the US Tour.

Ping launches S259 wedges and G440 K driver

Ping also had a big week for both the new S259 wedges and the G440 K driver.

During the DP World Tour, three players – Joe Dean, Jon Perry and Kristopher Reitan – installed the new K driver, the apparent successor to the popular G430 Max 10K driver. But the bigger story on both tours is the S259 wedges.

In Mexico at the World Wide Technology Championship, five players, including Taylor Moore, Matthieu Pavon and defending champion Austin Eckroat, put the new 259 wedges into play. In Abu Dhabi, the number of early adopters was even higher, with nine of Ping’s thirteen on-field staff players adopting the new wedges.

Again, there isn’t much technical information about the S259. What’s evident from images of the new wedge is a significant design change to the vibration-dampening pad on the back of the S159’s wedge.

Like TaylorMade, Ping has not yet begun placing the new 440 K driver on the PGA Tour.

Check this out

This section is dedicated to a cool photo we recently took during the Tour but haven’t had a reason to share yet. For this week, check out an early prototype of Scotty Cameron’s OC Hostel, which was released this week and went on tour in April.

Odds and Ends

Some other gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.

Erik van Rooyen has added a set of Callaway prototype CB irons to the bag. We’re not sure what it all is, but we know he’s the only staffer in the game with them, having quietly put them down during the week of the Sanderson Farms Championship. Equipment director Johnny Wunder has information on what they could be, but will continue to dig as he goes.

Nothing better than equipment news at the end of the year!!

3 things you need to read/see

A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.

Scotty Cameron enters the low-torque market with the new OC neck option – Scotty Cameron finally announced their long-awaited entry into the low-torque putter market with the Fastback OC (Onset Center) and Phantom 11R OC. Learn more about the new putter options and why it may have found a place in my bag.

Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback OC putter

An extension of the popular Studio Style Fastback design, the Studio Style Fastback OC is a low-torque model with the same ring-weighted, high-aligned, multi-material design of the other Fastback models, but with Scotty’s tour-validated OC technology package. With a central axis placement behind the leading edge of the putter face, the straight axis is precisely positioned in line with the putter head’s CG location and leans 1° forward. This ensures low-torque performance and plane alignment that remains perpendicular to the path. STUDIO CARBON STEEL (SCS) FACE INSERT The Studio Style Fastback OC features a chain-link milled Studio Carbon Steel (SCS) insert for a smooth sound and feel, treated with electroless nickel plating for enhanced durability with aerospace-inspired vibration dampening for tuned sound, feel and performance. CUSTOM BLACK SHAFT Custom-made for the new OC putters, each model includes a special black KBS x Scotty Cameron shaft with optimal flex, unhindered alignment and precise feel. CUSTOM MATADOR GRIP Each new OC putter has a built-in embossed chain link texture and features a custom 11-inch medium Matador grip in black with punchy red and cool gray accents.

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Scotty Cameron 2025 Phantom 11R OC putter

Inspired by prototype models made for tour players, the Phantom 11R OC – “R” for “round” and “OC” for “onset center” – is a new Phantom hammer with rounded corners in a revolutionary low-torque package. With a straight axis installed directly in line with the model’s center of gravity, the Phantom 11R OC is designed with a heavier head to provide high stability while maintaining very low torque throughout the stroke. CHAIN-LINK FACE MILLING TECHNOLOGY The texture of the chain-link face milling technology reduces the contact points of the putter face with the ball to soften sound and improve rolling characteristics, while maintaining feel and optimizing feedback. CUSTOM BLACK SHAFT Custom-made for the new OC putters, each model includes a special black KBS x Scotty Cameron shaft with optimal flex, unhindered alignment and precise feel. CUSTOM MATADOR GRIP Each new OC putter has a built-in embossed chain link texture and features a custom 11-inch medium Matador grip in black with punchy red and cool gray accents.

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ALL GAS NO BRAKES! – What’s in the bag for the LPGA’s Isabella Fierro? – Jake Morrow sat down with future LPGA Tour member Isabella Fierro at the Epson Tour Championships last month to talk about what’s in her bag and how those decisions have helped her on the road to success.

PING G440 Custom Hybrid

The G440 hybrids appeal to different skill levels, each designed to deliver different ball flight characteristics – from the slightly fade-biased 2 hybrid for off-the-tee performance to the draw-inducing 5, 6 and 7 hybrids that help optimize gaping. They all share a new, shallower and thinner face design, which improves face contact for increased ball speed and higher starting shots that hit and hold the green. FLYS HIGH LANDS SOFTLY Optimized launch and spin provide distance with stopping power. FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower center of gravity, optimize launch/spin and increase forgiveness. ROUND SOLE Provides a comfortable face angle in all Hosel settings CARBONFLY WRAP Lightweight carbon crown saves weight to increase MOI and lower center of gravity.

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