From his master-winning and professional grand slam binge to the frustration of a PGA championship, Rory McIlroy made another big device change.
The world’s second place has decided to have another inning with the Taylormade QI35 driver in the golf bag remodel of this week’s Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) Open.
He also added Qi35 3 wood to his schoolbag, but will also keep Qi10 5 wood and include one P770 Tri-iron from the same brand.
The trial was held earlier this season at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which lasted three days before he turned around and returned to his trusted taylormade QI10, which put him on Augusta National and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Players win in 2025.
But when all of us want Rory to thrive on his playground, Quail Hollow’s major career grand slam shoulders, it all goes wrong…
His driver was considered unqualified and he fell behind in the PGA Championship at 47th.
It was an unexpected low in the second game after that famous Sunday peak in May.
what’s new?
We all know that McIlroy is no stranger to Taylormade’s 2025 QI35 series, and Northern Irish practices on many occasions using equipment on range and routes.
There is no suggestion that he doesn’t like this kit, but making a leap and permanently abandoning the QI10 product he knows so well and bringing such success is a big leap – arguably, it’s a bigger change in spirit than physically.
After the despair of the second Grand Slam in 2025, and some obvious behind-the-scenes questions about his QI10 driver’s legitimacy, it seems that the leap finally made is right.
The Taylormade QI35 range was built for accuracy, and McIlroy used a model with the same 9° loft as the previous driver. But the 36-year-old hopes it’s slightly shorter in length and will give him more accuracy at the U.S. Open in Oakmont next week.
He appears to be completing his first full event with the QI35 driver and 3 Wood at the RBC Canadian Open this weekend, where he will be desperate to find accuracy from the tee.
Will he end up sticking with Taylormade QI35 through the US Open in Oakmont?
If he finds the accuracy he’s been looking for, it’s inevitable that 72 holes of golf are expected until next weekend at the U.S. Open at the Oakmont Country Club Open.
He experimented with the equipment earlier this week at a practice match in Oakmont, presumably it was enough for him to bring the change to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RBC) Canadian Open.
Early signs indicate that the venue for the third Grand Slam this season will be thick at extreme speeds, with the winner expected to surpass PAR.
The willful tee will lead to a long weekend in Pennsylvania – McIlroy will be desperate to play in Toronto in the next few days.
While changes on paper should improve his accuracy, this is somewhat forced due to his long-term QI10 driver failure, which leads to a dangerous weekend of backup QI10.
McIlroy had no choice but to adapt and overcome as we were getting closer to the U.S. Open.
Read more: The last eight major golf games to surpass par – Can the 2025 U.S. Open be followed?
