Rory McIlroy Changes Clubs For First Time Since 2017

January 5, 2026

Rory McIlroy is rumoured to be changing his clubs for the first time since 2017.

The five-time major champion has been using the same TaylorMade Rors Proto irons since 2017, but is set to change to their P7CB clubs from this season.

Rory McIlroy Set For Club Change With TaylorMade

Career Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy could be set for a major club change prior to the 2026 golf season.

The world number two begins his season in Dubai as he returns at the Dubai Invitational in mid-January, before getting his PGA Tour campaign up and running a few weeks later.

The Northern Irishman heads into the new season looking to defend his Masters crown, as well as searching for a fourth FedEx Cup win and eighth Race to Dubai victory too.

The 36-year-old will feel 2026 is time to add even more majors to his trophy cabinet too, having finally captured that elusive Green Jacket last year, ending his major championship drought in the process.

Ahead of the new season, eagle-eyed golf fans have spotted a major change for McIlroy. McIlroy returned to TGL on Friday night, with his Boston Common Golf side registering their first win with victory over LAGC.

https://twitter.com/NUCLRGOLF/status/2007867177072787734

During his first appearance in Season 2 of TGL, McIlroy was spotted using some new equipment. The five-time major champion was still using TaylorMade clubs, but was seen to be trying out a completely different set of irons.

McIlroy was spotted using TaylorMade P•7CB irons rather than his usual irons set of the Rors Prototype. If this switch is a permanent one for McIlroy, this marks a major move in terms of his bag set-up and club choice.

After winning a seventh Race to Dubai title in 2025 and of course the small matter of the Masters, choosing to change irons may seem like a baffling decision to the majority of golf fans.

McIlroy played some outstanding golf last year, and changing irons is a big move, if indeed the slight club alteration is indeed a permanent one.

Did some sleuthing on @GettySport and it actually turns out McIlroy switched into the full set of P7CBs, 4- to 9-iron, by the final round in Australia.

Lots of testing still to do. Switching irons is a lot more than just hitting numbers. Have to test turf interaction on… pic.twitter.com/AH3Who3Yb3

— Jack Hirsh (@JR_HIRSHey) January 4, 2026

Rory McIlroy Changing TaylorMade Irons For First Time Since 2017

Should Rory McIlroy continue to use TaylorMade P•7CB irons and kickstarts the new season with them in his bag, this would mark a major change and one of the biggest stories heading into the new PGA Tour season in 2026.

McIlroy, who was snubbed from the New Year’s Honours list, has been using his very own Rors Prototype irons for the best part of a decade now.

The Northern Irishman has gamed these irons ever since joining TaylorMade back in 2017. McIlroy has used these irons for nine years now, so a change in equipment he’s relied on for such a long period of time is an intriguing move to say the least.

His Rors Proto irons are modified P•730 blades with TW (Tiger Woods) grooves. The TaylorMade P•7CB irons he used at TGL on Friday are actually cavity back irons rather than blades, thus making them more forgiving.

https://twitter.com/TaylorMadeGolf/status/1991884231275168146

Added forgiveness is certainly a bonus for every amateur golfer, but not when you’re one of the best players in the world. McIlroy has used blades for so long, but may feel he now needs that added forgiveness if he wants to capture more majors this year.

Whether or not the five-time major champion sticks with the P•7CB irons or continues using his Rors Prototype irons remains to be seen. Perhaps McIlroy opted for the P•7CB irons specifically for TGL given that it’s an indoor event.

Time will tell what happens with Rory McIlroy’s club change going forward in the 2026 season. If he does decide to change his irons, it would be a major shift in his bag and one that will raise a few eyebrows, that;s for sure.