[PHOTO: Andrew Redington]
Rory McIlroy is putting a new driver into play.
McIlroy, competing in the DP World Tour’s season finale in Dubai this week, was seen using TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Tuesday. In an interview with the DP World Tour, McIlroy—who has already locked up the Old World circuit’s Race to Dubai title—confirmed the club would be in his bag for the weekend.
“I still want to go out and try to win the golf tournament, but it could be a good time to test it out in competition,” McIlroy said in a video released on the DP World Tour’s social channels. “You’ll probably see a new driver in the bag this week.”
New driver for Rory 👀 #DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/lYHdc5kPSV
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 13, 2023
Earlier this week, TaylorMade’s Qi10 LS driver made its way onto the R&A and USGA conforming lists, allowing for its introduction to competitive play. The Qi10 LS features some of the similar looks of the company’s recent drivers, including the angled rear weight port, the face flex-enhancing slot in the sole (known as the “speed pocket”), and a sliding weight at the front part of the sole. Like the Stealth and Stealth 2 before it, this driver includes the word “carbonwood”, a likely reference to TaylorMade’s flagship technology of a carbon composite face insert, first seen in the Stealth in 2022 and updated with this year’s Stealth 2 drivers.
McIlroy first signed with TaylorMade in 2017, and the two entities agreed to a multi-year extension in 2022. The four-time major winner led the PGA Tour this past season in driving distance at 298.4 metres (326.3 yards), which set a new tour record, and was second on tour in strokes gained/off-the-tee.
