Rory McIlroy’s driver issue last month at the PGA Championship led to a significant equipment change ahead of the year’s third major.
Prior to this week’s RBC Canadian Open, and after head-to-head at-home testing, McIlroy has decided to reinsert the TaylorMade Qi35 driver that he briefly experimented with during the Florida swing. He has also reportedly shortened his driver about an inch, to prioritize accuracy.
“It was my first outing with a new driver, and I felt like that went pretty well,” said McIlroy, who hit nine of 14 fairways en route to an opening-round, 1-over 71 at TPC Toronto. “I hit some drives that I liked and that I liked to see, so that was encouraging.”
McIlroy’s driver has been a point of conversation over the past month, after his previous model was deemed nonconforming during routine driver testing ahead of the PGA. Even with an identical backup head, he didn’t perform at his usual level off the tee, ultimately finishing in a tie for 47th in his first major round since completing the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy’s change with his biggest weapon comes at a crucial time in the competitive calendar, with two majors, the FedExCup playoffs and Ryder Cup all to play over the next three months.
“It’s hard with the driver – the one I had been playing with previously, when I missed it, I was a little bit left,” McIlroy said. “Then my miss with this one is a little bit right. It’s just trying to figure that out and manage it a little bit.
“It’s a nice feeling to get up the middle of the fairway and fully release it and know it’s not going to go left on you.”
McIlroy briefly went to the newer model at the Arnold Palmer Invitational but returned to his older head for the final round. He went on to win the following week at The Players.
