Asked why he changed golf balls from TaylorMade’s TP5x to the softer TP5 model, Rory McIlroy said, “I thought, you know, I’ve got four rounds this week, no cut, you know, may as well give it a go and see how it goes.”
It went pretty well.
In his first PGA Tour start of 2025, McIlroy and his new sphere hit the throttle and pulled away to win the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in impressive fashion, using an eagle on the par-5 14th to create some separation from a pack of competitors.
Among the improvements here—beyond better overall stability on mis-hits on the heel and toe and high and low—is the increased use of carbon composite in the crown. Now stretching almost seamlessly to the top of the face, the crown saves weight to help increase stability on off-centre hits and to lower the centre of gravity for reduced spin and better energy transfer. The structure of the channel in the sole now gives more at impact to deliver extra flex to the face for faster ball speed, particularly on lower hits on the face.
That eagle was the result of a 310-metre bomb off the tee followed by a 7-iron from 184m to 26 feet. McIlroy’s driver is a 9-degree TaylorMade Qi10 with a 45-inch Fujikura Ventus Black 6X shaft. McIlroy uses the adjustable hosel to drop the loft to 8.25 degrees.
McIlroy’s win, his 27th PGA Tour title, was bolstered by statistical dominance off the tee. He was first in strokes gained/off the tee, gaining more than six shots on the field, to go along with first in distance at 307m per measured tee shot.
His work on the greens was impressive as well. Not always a strong suit, McIlroy ranked fifth in strokes gained/putting with his TaylorMade Spider Tour X X3 mallet, picking up nearly five shots on the field on the greens.
Both those clubs were familiar, but the ball was not—and how he landed on the change was not standard issue.
“I sort of stumbled upon it,” McIlroy said. “I was messing around at [the Grove XXIII] last Thursday, and I just started to hit some chips with the TP5 instead of the TP5x. I really loved how it felt, and I hadn’t really tested the 2024 TP5. I loved how it was reacting around the greens and then I started hitting some 60- and 70-yard shots with it and it was coming off much lower launch, but spinnier.”
The clubs Rory McIlroy used to win the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Ball: TaylorMade TP5
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10, 9 degrees
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10, 15 degrees
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10, 18 degrees
Irons (4): TaylorMade P760; (5-9): TaylorMade Rors prototype
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 (46, 50, 54, 60 degrees)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X X3
