{"id":328539,"date":"2025-12-06T06:23:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-06T06:23:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/328539\/"},"modified":"2025-12-06T06:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T06:23:09","slug":"whats-different-about-scottie-schefflers-new-driver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/328539\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s different about Scottie Scheffler’s new driver"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to GOLF\u2019s Fully Equipped\u2019s\u00a0weekly Tour equipment report. Each Friday of PGA Tour weeks (plus other times, if news warrants),\u00a0GOLF equipment editor Jack Hirsh<\/a>\u00a0will run you through some of the biggest news surrounding golf clubs on Tour, including changes, tweaks and launches.<\/p>\n

Scottie Scheffler\u2019s gear switches are few and far between, but when they happen, they usually signal a tear.<\/p>\n

Everyone remembers Scheffler\u2019s switch to the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter <\/a>in the early spring of 2024, which has since netted the World No. 1 15 worldwide wins and three major titles in just the last two seasons. He also sparked his six-win season with another spring swap this year when he went back to the Vokey .06K-Grind in his lob wedge.<\/p>\n

But there was another switch in 2024 that went under the radar and had plenty to do with Scheffler\u2019s success the last two seasons: His driver.<\/a><\/p>\n

Scheffler first tried out TaylorMade\u2019s Qi10 LS driver at the 2023 Hero World Challenge, but it lasted just one round. Scheffler went back to his Stealth 2 Plus gamer he used for all of 2023 on that Friday and he ended up winning, a feat he repeated again last season.<\/p>\n

He continued using that driver for his first three events of 2024 before switching again to the Qi10, this time a core model, at the WM Phoenix Open. This is the driver model he would use for each of his 15 victories since that week. But in the Bahamas, as he seeks to defend his title at the Hero again, the Qi10\u2019s run seems like it has finally come to an end.<\/p>\n

In his first start since the Ryder Cup in September, the reigning PGA and Open champion has become the latest convert to TaylorMade\u2019s new Qi4D driver<\/a>. Scheffler added the Qi4D core driver and 3-wood to the bag this week in the Bahamas and it\u2019s stuck through the first two rounds as he sits just one off the lead going into the weekend.<\/p>\n

The move now means the World\u2019s top three players \u2014 Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood<\/a> \u2014 have all moved into the new Qi4D driver, along with a host of other TaylorMade staffers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo far the performance has been good, my spin numbers have been really consistent, ball flight\u2019s been consistent and looking forward to getting it in competition,\u201d Scheffler said Wednesday.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to tell why it\u2019s stayed in the bag too, as Scheffler has gained 1.8 shots Off-The-Tee (5th), hit 22-of-26 fairways (T3) and averaged 312.6 yards a pop.<\/p>\n

Scheffler said before the week, the new Qi4D appealed to his eye right away, \u201calways the first test\u201d for him. After testing it a few times throughout the season, Scheffler never ended up putting TaylorMade\u2019s 2025 driver, the Qi35, in play, making this a much shorter testing process. He said he and fitter Adrian Reitveld took a lot away from that experience for this year.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe learned a lot throughout that process of what I like to see in a driver, the way it needs to perform for me specifically,\u201d he said on Wednesday. \u201cGoing into this year, I feel like Adrian and the whole team at TaylorMade had a really good kind of idea of what my eyes needed to see in order for the driver to be able to work. We went through a lot of different kind of options for what the face needed to be specifically for me and felt like we\u2019re in a good spot, and then the testing was a lot simpler this time around for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thanks to in-hand photos from legendary Getty Images photographer David Cannon<\/a> this week, we can see Scheffler\u2019s Qi4D has a noticeably different face than other Qi4D drivers we\u2019ve seen on global Tours. While most of the Qi4Ds have a muted grey face (except for Rory McIlroy, who has a brighter grey face), Scheffler\u2019s is the same bright blue color that was on his Qi10.<\/p>\n

The brighter color helps Scheffler see the face better on his low-lofted \u2014 7.5\u02da \u2014 setup, which contributed to the new driver checking the look category off much quicker.<\/p>\n

TaylorMade’s Qi4D continues its quick conversion amongst top @TaylorMadeGolf<\/a> staffers.<\/p>\n

Scottie Scheffler has the new driver on the range this week at the Hero and looked to have a Qi4D fairway wood cover on his bag as well.<\/p>\n

If Scheffler puts it in play on Thursday, that would\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/8EeUKVrffD<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jack Hirsh (@JR_HIRSHey) December 2, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Scheffler was also quick to add a matching Qi4D 3-wood to the bag, something that shouldn\u2019t be taken for granted given how successful his previous Qi10 3-wood was. Both clubs still have the same Fujikura Ventus Black 7-X and 8-X, respectively, in them.<\/p>\n

Rory did what?<\/p>\n

Since Rory McIlroy\u2019s 2017 signing with TaylorMade after a brief but adventurous equipment-free agency following Nike\u2019s 2016 departure from the hard goods space, the biggest constant in his golf bag are his RORS Proto irons.<\/p>\n

McIlroy\u2019s RORS Protos \u2014 modified versions of TaylorMade\u2019s P730 blades from 2017 \u2014 have been a part of each one of his 16 PGA Tour wins since joining TaylorMade, including his Grand Slam-clinching Masters victory in April, and he\u2019s played the 5-through-9-iron just about every time.<\/p>\n

Really surprising one here, but Rory McIlroy has switched out his 5- and 6-iron from his RORS Proto blades to the TaylorMade P7CB.<\/p>\n

McIlroy already plays the P760 in his 4-iron, but to see him drop the blades in his mid-irons too really underscores the forgiveness trend that\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/9iwj2jjmx6<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jack Hirsh (@JR_HIRSHey) December 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

But this week, McIlroy made a shocking change. McIlroy swapped out his 5- and 6-irons in the RORS Proto and his P760 4-iron for more forgiving, larger P7CBs.<\/p>\n

McIlroy tested a full set of P7CBs this week as he was looking to tighten up his distance control and ultimately decided on gaming the long irons. According to SMS on Tour<\/a>, the equipment surveyor on the DP World Tour, McIlroy found the short irons launched a little higher than his RORS Protos and thought he would need more time to get used to them.<\/p>\n

\"TaylorMade<\/p>\n

TaylorMade P7CB Custom Irons<\/p>\n

BEST-IN CLASS FEEL
\nUsing Tour feedback and modal analysis we\u2019ve strategically designed mass placement for best in class feel. Crafted using Compact Grain Forging and 2000 tons of pressure to deliver the purest feeling 1025 soft carbon steel possible.
\nPRECISE CONTROL
\nPrecise milled face and grooves combined with a constant CG the P\u20227CB is designed to deliver an optimal launch and spin combination for the ultimate control and precision.
\nCONSISTENCY
\nCreated to maximize accuracy and consistency. The P\u20227CB optimized perimeter weighting and co-forged tungsten designed to deliver a beautiful blend of stability and workability.
\n COMPACT TOUR SHAPING
\nEvery aspect of shaping in this iron was intended to meet the needs of discerning ball strikers. A compact blade length and thin topline create a confident, clean look in the playing position while the sole camber and progressive bounce profile provide consistent turf interaction.<\/p>\n

View Product<\/a><\/p>\n

The P7CB long irons that went in feature a unique sole geometry with added bounce on the leading edge and trail edge relief that\u2019s more similar to the P760 4-iron that McIlroy has played for years. <\/p>\n

We expect this to be McIlroy\u2019s last appearance of the year, save for the Golf Channel Games later this month. Still, it\u2019s certainly a development worth following, especially because McIlroy seems to be following a growing trend on Tour.<\/p>\n

More and more, longtime blade users are setting aside their butter knives for larger, more forgiving cavity-back irons. Just this fall, Billy Horschel switched from Titleist\u2019s 620 MB<\/a> to the T100. Fellow TaylorMade staffer Nelly Korda<\/a> went from the P7MC to the P7CB in her irons as well.<\/p>\n

Whether it be for more launch, better distance dispersion, or a combination of both, the best ball strikers in the world are increasingly seeking more help with their irons. It\u2019s also a trend we\u2019re seeing with drivers too!<\/a><\/p>\n

Through three rounds this week, McIlroy is five under, just outside the top-20.<\/p>\n

Sam Burns kicks off Quantum-mania<\/p>\n

Callaway dropped their Quantum lineup of drivers on the USGA Conforming list this week and Sam Burns was the first staffer to put it in play.<\/p>\n

Burns gamed a Quantum Triple Diamond Max 9+ head, meaning the actual loft of the head is probably closer to 9.75.<\/p>\n

Sam Burns is the first player to game @CallawayGolf<\/a>‘s new Quantum driver.<\/p>\n

Went with the Triple Diamond Max 9+ head. The plus indicates that the head is a bit higher loft than 9 degrees, more likely around 9.75\u02da. pic.twitter.com\/A8CXSGgbRt<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jack Hirsh (@JR_HIRSHey) December 5, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Burns is putting on a show off the tee so far this week at Albany, leading the field in driving distance with over 323 yards a pop and missing just five fairways in two rounds. He\u2019s three under after rounds of 71 and 70.<\/p>\n

We still don\u2019t know a lot about this driver, but the heads added to the conforming list this week were telling. Firstly, the fact that Burns is in the Triple Diamond Max is a good sign for fans of the larger Tour-favorite driver, which didn\u2019t come to retail until the spring in the Elyte and Paradym Ai-Smoke lines. The TD Max is simply a larger and more forgiving version of the Triple Diamond, which is Callaway\u2019s Tour-model driver.<\/p>\n

In addition to the standard Triple Diamond, there was also a Triple Diamond \u201cTD\u201d head added to the list in left-hand only. The Triple Diamond Tour Draw was a new addition to the Elyte lineup this year and offered a head optimized for players who prefer a draw off the tee. Although, this driver ended up in the bag of Min Woo Lee<\/a>, a predominantly left-to-right player, who used it to help promote a left start line.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf65Callaway Quantum hits the USGA Conforming list! \ud83c\udf65@CallawayGolf<\/a> has four of their new Quantum driver heads.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, There doesn’t appear to be a core or standard “Max” model in this drop, but that’s no surprise as early conforming list adds are usually only for Tour\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/hJLoekEoGq<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jack Hirsh (@JR_HIRSHey) December 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

If the left-handed Triple Diamond TD is a \u201cTour Draw\u201d head, it could have presumably been for Akshay Bhatia, who likely would have used in the same way as Lee, to help him start the ball right for a fade. But, Bhatia was still with his trusty Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS this week.<\/p>\n

Lastly, there was also a Max-D head, but no Max or core on the list, as of yet. Alex Noren is currently in the Ai-Smoke Max-D<\/a> and stuck with that gamer this week.<\/p>\n

The driver wasn\u2019t the only change for Burns this week. He also became the latest adopter of Callaway\u2019s Apex MB \u201926 irons, which continue to spread throughout staffers and non-staffers like wildfire, especially for a blade.<\/p>\n

Check this out<\/p>\n

This section is dedicated to one cool photo we\u2019ve snapped recently on Tour, but haven\u2019t had a reason to share yet. For this week, check out Adrien Dumont de Chassart\u2019s Apex MB \u201926 irons, the same irons Burns put in play this week.<\/p>\n

\"Adrien
\n Sam Burns is using the same prototype irons as Adrien Dumont de Chassart.<\/p>\n

Jack Hirsh\/GOLF<\/p>\n

Odds and Ends<\/p>\n

Some other gear changes and notes we\u2019re tracking this week.<\/p>\n

Eddie Pepperall switched into Ping\u2019s G440 K driver \u2026 Akshay Bhatia didn\u2019t add a new Quantum driver, but he did switch to a new Ai-Dual Jailbird Cruiser 1\/2-Ball putter. He\u2019s tied for the lead at 10 under and sixth in the field through two rounds with 2.3 SG: Putting.<\/p>\n

3 things you should read\/watch<\/p>\n

A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.<\/p>\n

PXG unveils new Lightning lineup of drivers, fairway woods, hybrids<\/a> \u2013 Jake Morrow walks through what might be PXG\u2019s most significant metalwood launch yet.<\/p>\n

\"PXG<\/p>\n

PXG Lightning Tour Mid Custom Driver<\/p>\n

View Product<\/a><\/p>\n

Why 2026 will be such a big year for drivers | Fully Equipped<\/a> \u2013 Listen to Jake and Johnny discuss why 2026 will be an awesome driver year.<\/p>\n

The author welcomes your comments at\u00a0Jack.Hirsh@golf.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want to overhaul your bag in 2025?\u00a0Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

“><\/p>\n