pga tour players irons

What Irons Do PGA Tour Players Use? (September 2023 New Data)

Golf club brands improve their clubs yearly with new models and improved materials. Some golf clubs are affordable, and some are very expensive. Professional PGA golfers use the best of these models. You may be wondering what irons do PGA tour players use.

I researched 2018 to 2023 August and found 14 brands and 90 models of irons used by PGA pros. Professionals use the latest and greatest technology in these irons to improve their game. 

You may look for the best irons available today to improve your game. Knowing about the irons professionals use can help you find the best among them.

So if you want to know what irons the pros use, this guide is for you. Let’s find out.

Most Common Iron Brands And Models On The PGA Tour

It doesn’t take much research to figure out which irons are best today. Players on the PGA Tour use the best brands and a specific model that is the best on the market.

The most used brand by players on the PGA Tour is Titleist, used by 76 out of 100 players. Other brands are Callaway (43 player), PING (36 player), TaylorMade (27 player), Srixon (22 player), Mizuno (8 player), Cobra (4 player), PXG (4 player), Wilson(4 player), Nike (3 player), Miura(3 player), Grindworks(2 player), Honma( 1 player), and New level (1 player).

The most common iron models used on the PGA Tour are the Titleist T100 iron (18 players), and the Titleist 620 MB (11 players) use as their core set.

Other popular models of irons used on tour are the PING i210 (10), and Callaway Apex TCB (10) players use as their core set.

Third is Srixon ZX7 (7 people).

And the last five models are used by six players as their core set. The models are TaylorMade P7TW, PING Blueprint, Titleist 620 CB, Titleist U-500, and PING iBlade.

What Irons Do PGA Tour Players Use

Taylormade:, grindworks:, does pga tour players use blades or cavity-backs.

PGA pros use both blades and cavity-backs to improve their game. A survey showed that 26% of PGA Tour players use complete sets of blades, 44% use cavity back irons, and 30% use a mix of cavity back irons and blade irons.

Many amateur golfers think the best players only use blade irons. It is not true.

We see these two irons still being used with success by golfers. Cavity-backs Irons are designed to be more forgiving. Blade irons allow the ball to contact the middle of the clubface for a better shot.

How Many Brands Of Irons Have The Most Variety Of Models?

Based on the current market, Titleist and TaylorMade are the two brands that offer the most variety of iron models. Titleist has a range of iron models, including the AP1, AP2, AP3, T100, T200, T300, and T400. TaylorMade also has an extensive range of iron models, including the P7, P7MC, P7MB, P770, SIM, SIM2, and SIM Max.

Other popular brands that offer a variety of iron models include Callaway, which has the Apex, Apex Pro, X Forged, Big Bertha, and MAVRIK lines, among others. Ping has the G425, i210, i500, and iBlade models, among others. Mizuno is also known for its wide range of iron models, including the MP-20, JPX921, and Hot Metal Pro.

Overall, many brands offer a variety of iron models, and the choice ultimately depends on personal preference, skill level, and playing style. It’s always best to try out different models and brands before purchasing to determine which irons suit your game the best.

Do PGA Tour Players Use Mixed Sets Of Irons?

Yes. PGA Professionals frequently use mixed sets of irons to optimize their performance on the course. It is uncommon for a professional to use the same model of irons throughout their entire set. This is because they spend a lot of time practicing and testing different models to find the ones that best fit their game in terms of performance and comfort.

However, you will not typically see PGA Professionals using different models and brands within their sets. This is because professional golfers are often sponsored by equipment manufacturers supplying them with the models they want to use. As a result, they will typically stick to one brand for their entire set of irons.

Conclusions

When answering the question, “What irons do PGA tour players use?” It is important to know that professionals are not limited to using specific models and brands of iron.

Each golfer has a different playing style and preferences, so they can choose whatever iron suits them best. Most players seem to have settled on the more expensive and advanced sets of irons technology has provided in recent decades. However, some still prefer the classic look and feel of a blade set. 

Related articles:

• What Golf Wedges Do PGA Pros Use?
• Most Popular Putters Do The PGA Tour Golfers Use
• Most Popular Golf Balls That PGA Pros Use
• What Are The Most Popular 3-Woods That PGA Tour Players Use?

James Krig is a skilled content writer at Nattygolf, known for his engaging storytelling and passion for golf. With ten years of experience, James offers insightful articles that captivate and educate readers. As a dedicated golfer, he brings authenticity and expertise to his writing, making him a valuable asset to the Nattygolf team and the golf community.

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Irons used by golfers ranked in the top 10 in strokes gained: approach the green, share this article.

With all due respect to this week’s PGA Tour event, the Valero Texas Open, and with the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play completed, much of the golf world is focusing its attention on next week’s Masters.

The first men’s major championship of 2023 is shaping up to be an epic event, with stars such Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm having played well this year.

Augusta National Golf Club will test every aspect of each player’s game, but precision iron play will be especially important because it can help golfers set up birdie chances while also avoiding card-wrecking big numbers.

Below is the list of the 10 golfers who lead the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green – a statistic that measures how much of an advantage a golfer has over the field based exclusively on his play from the fairway – along with the irons those players are using.

10. Rickie Fowler, 0.827 Strokes Gained: Approach the Green

Cobra King Tour irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Cobra King Tour (4-PW), with KBS Tour C-Taper 125 S+ shafts

9. Tyrrell Hatton, 0.857

Ping i230 irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Ping i230 (4-PW), with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X shafts

8. Xander Schauffele, 0.886

Xander Schauffele’s Callaway equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS:  Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

7. Rory McIlroy, 0.929

Rory McIlroy’s TaylorMade RORS Proto iron (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS:   TaylorMade P730 RORS proto  (3-9), with Project X 7.0 shafts  

6. Scottie Scheffler, 0.931

Scottie Scheffler’s golf equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS:  Srixon ZU85 (3-4), with Nippon Pro Modus3 Hybrid Tour X shaft;  TaylorMade P-7TW (5-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

5. Max Homa, 0.942

Max Homa’s Titleist equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS:   Titleist T100•S  (4),  T100  (5),  Titleist 620MB  (6-9), with KBS $Taper 130 X shaft

4. Jon Rahm, 1.002

Jon Rahm’s Callaway equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS:  Callaway Apex UT  (2), with Aldila Tour Hybrid prototype shaft; Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW), with Project X 6.5 shafts

3. Tony Finau, 1.056

Tony Finau’s Ping equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS:  Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3),  Ping Blueprint  (4-PW), with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 120 TX shafts

2. Collin Morikawa, 1.095

Collin Morikawa’s TaylorMade irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: TaylorMade P•770 (4), P•7MC (5-6), P•7CM prototype (7-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

1. Tom Hoge, 1.255

Tom Hoge’s Titleist irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Titleist 620 CB (4), 620 MB (5-9), with Project X 6.5 shafts

See more equipment: Best drivers for 2024 | Best irons for 2024 | Best putters for 2024 | Best golf balls for 2024

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Graphite vs. steel iron shafts – what you need to know

When it comes to selecting iron shafts, graphite vs steel continues to create debate among golfers at all skill levels.

As far as drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids are concerned, the train has left the station with the majority of players using graphite for some time. Graphite offers performance benefits that are impossible to achieve with steel including

• Graphite can be made much stiffer at lighter weights
• Bend profiles can be uniquely tuned thanks to multiple materials and composites (steel is a homogeneous material and very limited in this capacity)
• Graphite has greater shock-absorbing properties to help reduce vibrations transferring to a players hands

It used to be that graphite shafts were only for slower speed players who needed something that was lighter and more “whippy,” but that was a big misconception that continues to have some staying people with golfers unfamiliar with modern technology.

The benefits of graphite shafts in irons

The benefits of graphite shafts in irons vary depending on the weight category they fall into. The weight categories also generally coincide with player swing profiles, which give golfers and fitters the best chance to see a performance gain.

• >40-65 grams: The shafts in the lightest weight category offer players on the slow end of the swing speed spectrum the opportunity to generate more speed and additional high and spin on their shots. There are no steel shafts that are able to fit into this weight range, and graphite opens the door to a lot more players to enjoy that game thanks to total club weight reduction.
• 65-95 grams:  This is the biggest portion of the graphite shaft market and where most golfers are going to fit in. The lighter weight shafts in this range continue to help golfers that are looking for extra speed, while the heavier options are a great transition point for players looking to move away from steel. One of the biggest reasons for a golfer to transition into graphite from steel in this weight range would be for vibration reduction, or in some cases to get extra stability unavailable in lighter weight steel compared to the graphite equivalent. Depending on the shaft, 90-gram graphite shafts are just as, if not more stable than, steel.
• 95-120+ grams:  These shafts are for the fastest players, and from a materials and design perspective graphite, shafts in this weight range can be made extremely stiff —beyond the point of similar steel shafts. The argument used to be that graphite didn’t offer the same tight dispersion as steel, but that has been proven false and one of the biggest benefits for golfers looking in this category if all the stability (if not more) of steel but with greater injury/pain prevention.

Proven results

Graphite shafts have been commonly used on the PGA Tour for over a decade by players including Brandt Snedeker, Fred Couples, and Matt Kuchar, for the same reason regular weekend golfer use them—lighter weight and extra stability.

When speaking of stability, it was just over a year ago that PGA Tour player Bryson DeChambeau went from steel in his irons to graphite and became the first golfer on the PGA Tour to use 14 clubs with graphite shafts. The designer of those shafts had this to say about working with graphite,

“The versatility of composite materials allows us to add stiffness, drop torque, move the balance, and modify the flex profile without adding additional weight.”

It’s this kind of design versatility that benefits golfers at all levels.

Graphite versus Steel a deeper look

To get a better idea of what a properly fitted graphite shaft is capable of for faster players, the team at TXG have put together a number of videos to demonstrate and discuss their advantages.

Testing the stiffest iron shaft on the market

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Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

Nov 12, 2022 at 4:04 pm

Difference between S steel vs R graphite shafts, clubs- Honeycomb USA 2-sw, I’m 68yrs old, swing speed of 85-105mph, I put GP-CP2 wrap jumbo grips on thm, will it be worth it to reshaft these to graphite, I kno they’ll be lighter but will it help in distance ? My last tournament was the Illinois PGA SENIOR OPEN in 2018. Looking forward to your answer. Jay

Jul 22, 2022 at 10:04 am

Doubt that there is a stiffer tip and butt than Nunchuk graphite wood and iron shafts. All without exotic graphite. Graphite can be wrapped to achieve specific properties of stiffness or flex. Nunchuk is wrapped to have a “mid” flex point, allowing elimination of torque, dip, gear effect at impact for most consistent impact swing after swing.

With most weight(build up of more layers of graphite) in butt section, these shafts are counterbalanced (similiar to hickory). The human mind/body will exert more effort subconsciously when we sense more weight, just as we instinctively know how much effort to exert when lifting a light compared to heavy parcel.

Gerry Teigrob

Apr 20, 2021 at 12:23 pm

I used to play graphite shafts until my mid-40s… now I’m eager to get back to them. I used to enjoy the distance, feel, and consistency with them…then I thought I needed steel in my irons. Considering Bryson, Rickie, Freddie, and Matt play them, this encourages me to get a second look at them! I’m also eager to get my game back that’s been missed since moving over to steel.

Jan 11, 2021 at 10:59 am

I’m an absolutely average speed golfer – 100 mph driver chs. Switched to graphite 2 years ago due to arthritis in shoulders and elbows. I wish I had done so 10 years ago. I first played KBS TGI and have alternately played Matrix Program F15 & MC MMT since. I’ve experienced all the noted benefits of graphite. The one benefit that was unexpected was the increase of spin/spin control on lower/flighted iron shots that I was unable to get with prior Nippon & PX steel.

Dustin C Barrett

Jan 10, 2021 at 9:17 pm

I’m about to switch to graphite in my irons. I have plenty of speed and don’t need distance, but if I’m being honest I’m not going to turn it down. I’m switch because of chronic problems in my hands and wrist that will often keep me from playing and practicing as much as I would like. Especially this time of year. Steel Fiber here I come. PX 7.0 it’s been real but my hands can’t handle you anymore.

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Why rory mcilroy will likely use the new taylormade brnr mini driver copper at the rbc heritage.

Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.

It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.

When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”

“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.

Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:

“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.

“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.

“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.

“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.

“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”

So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.

His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.

See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here

Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron

It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.

We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.

From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.

“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.

TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°

TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°

• Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage

Whats in the Bag

Collin morikawa witb 2024 (april).

• Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.  

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

• Check out more in-hand photos Collin Morikawa’s clubs here.

5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

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Wilson Golf announces its strongest Tour line-up for 2021

European Ryder Cup Captain & Major winners in biggest line-up for over a decade.

Wilson Golf, the brand with more Major wins with its irons than any other, has announced its strongest Advisory Staff line-up in more than a decade, with three Major winners and several Tour champions playing its latest clubs on a global basis this season.

In total, they boast no fewer than 42 victories between them on the European and PGA Tours.

Three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington, who is set to lead Europe into Ryder Cup battle at Whistling Straits in September, has signed another multi-year deal with Wilson - making it his 23rd year with the brand and one of the game’s longest running partnerships.

Paul Lawrie, the last Scotsman to win The Open Championship in 1999, also continues his long association with Wilson. He is the first Advisory Staff member to switch to the advanced 4-piece Urethane Staff Model ball, which he will play on the PGA Champions and Legends Tours.

Gary Woodland, who captured the US Open title shortly after signing with the brand in 2019, will be playing and promoting Wilson on the PGA Tour with the irons he made famous at Pebble Beach.

The increasing Wilson presence on the European Tour sees six other players signed to multi-year deals. They include 2018 Nordea Masters Champion Paul Waring, who has played Wilson clubs since 2015 and rose to a career high 66 th in the world rankings last year.

Frenchman Benjamin Hebert joined Wilson in 2019 and had a breakthrough season, rising to a world ranking of 89. Last year, he finished T3 in the ISPS Handa UK Championship and earned a top-20 finish in his first WGC event in Mexico.

Swede Joakim Lagergren, a winner during his rookie season with Wilson in 2018, has renewed his contract along with Scotland’s David Law, who also won during his debut season with Wilson clubs at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in Australia in 2019.

Following impressive performances during the 2020 season, Englishmen Richard Mansell and Jack Senior will also continue to play Wilson clubs. Mansell joined Wilson straight from U.S. College and secured a place in the top tier of European golf after finishing fourth on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit. Former Walker Cup player Senior had four top-20 finishes on the European Tour last year after earning his card the year before.

Playing Wilson clubs alongside Gary Woodland on the PGA Tour once again will be Brendan Steele, Kevin Streelman and Kevin Tway, using a mixture of Staff Model irons and wedges carried in the distinctive Wilson red Tour bag.

On the Ladies European Tour, Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen and Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz both finished inside the top-10 in the 2020 Race to Costa Del Sol and will be playing with Wilson clubs once again this season.

Continuing its legacy in supporting emerging players, Wilson has also signed David Langley to play its clubs on the EuroPro Tour in 2021. Having turned professional last season, he won the Mena Tour to get a wild card into the Omega Dubai Desert Classic event.

“This is without doubt our strongest and biggest Wilson Tour line-up across the men’s and women’s game for many years and we’re really excited to see how the players perform with our new Staff Model clubs and the Staff Model balls this season,” said Doug Wright, Global Commercial Director of Wilson Golf.

“The range of Wilson players’ clubs this year is also the strongest it’s ever been, with irons to suit every golfer - from the Tour pro to the higher handicapper. Also, the Tour quality of the new woods, wedges and balls is a testament to all the hard work undertaken in the Wilson Innovation Centre in Chicago and it promises to be a great year for the brand,” he added.

Full Tour bag line-up: Padraig Harrington – V6 Raw irons, PMP RAW 52˚ wedge & Staff Model HT 56˚,60˚ & 64 wedges, V4 Utility 4-iron: Paul Lawrie – Staff Model CB irons 3-PW, 54˚ & 60˚ Staff Model wedges & D9 Driver 10.5˚: Joakim Lagergren – Staff Model Blades 3 – 9, PMP 60˚ wedge & V4 Utility 2-iron: David Law – Staff Model CB irons 5 – PW, C300 4-iron, Staff Model 52˚ & 60˚ wedges: Paul Waring – V6 Raw 4-9 irons, C300 3-iron & PMP Raw 48˚ Wedge: Benjamin Hebert: V6 irons 3-PW, Staff Model wedges 52˚ & 58˚: Jack Senior - V6 Irons 3-9, 48˚, 52˚ & 58˚ PMP Raw wedges and Richard Mansell - Staff model Utility 18˚ and 21˚, Staff Model CB irons 3-5, Staff Model Blades 6-PW & Staff Model wedge 50˚.

For more information on all Wilson Staff products, including woods, irons, wedges, putters, balls and accessories, visit www.wilson.com .

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Champions’ Choice: The Most Used Irons on the Champions Tour (2024)

Written by Graeme Hay | Last Updated: 25/04/2024

Having looked previously at the iron choices of the top pros on the PGA and LPGA Tours this time we wanted to focus our analytical lens on the irons used by the best pros on the Champions Tour.

Given approach shots account for 40% of the scoring advantage between different standards of golfer according to the stats gurus we were intrigued to know what irons the senior pros entrust with the most critical part of the game.

PING models are the most used irons on the Champions Tour with Miguel Angel Jiménez and Jeff Maggert among those choosing them. Callaway irons are the next most played including by 2023 Money List winner Steve Stricker. Titleist and Srixon irons are the third most popular and the most common iron set-up is 4-iron to PW.

The most common set up of 4-iron to pitching wedge matched what we found in the preferences of the top 100 pros on the PGA Tour but beyond the makes and models which we cover below we also discovered whether the top senior pros were mixing their iron sets up in line with the trend we found on the main Tour.

And not only that.

We also went on to do additional research on how much the iron choices of the Champions Tour were impacted by sponsorship deals.

Unveiling the Most Popular Irons on the Champions Tour

The iron options available to regular golfers these days, never mind to the professional ranks, are huge.

And that’s before we get to the hybrid and driving/utility iron choices which can mean the ‘standard’ set of irons for some senior pros begins with a 5-iron or even a 6-iron which we found with the two of the great – Ernie Els and John Daly.

Unfortunately the data available on the iron choices of the top Champions Tour pros is not as extensive as it is on the main Tour but despite this we were still able to find information on the iron choices of 50 senior pros out of the top 100 to help us discover what the most popular irons on the Champions Tour are.

Srixon’s ZX7 irons are the most popular irons on the Champions Tour with 12% of the senior pros analysed using them, including Ernie Els. Titleist’s T100 irons are chosen by 12% with Callaway’s X Forged irons the next most popular with 8% playing them. Tour Edge’s Exotics Pro 723 irons are that brand’s most used model.

In total our analysis found 30 different models of irons being played by the Champions Tour pros across 10 different manufacturers.

While this fact, combined with our overall analysis, showed the top senior pros to be very much like their main Tour colleagues in terms of their consistent tinkering with the irons that they play what was also interesting to note was the prevalence of iron brands which don’t feature on the PGA Tour.

Tour Edge and Mizuno irons for example were more prevalent in the club data we analysed on the Champions Tour compared to the PGA Tour. In addition we found TaylorMade irons to be far less popular on the Senior Tour when again compared with the main Tour.

And this in turn brings us on to the issue of sponsorships and how much that affects the iron choices made by the top senior pros.

It obviously does and as such we hesitated somewhat when describing various irons as the ‘most popular’ as opposed to the ‘most used’.

Once again the data available on the Champions Tour pros is not as extensive but we were still able to discover that at least 64% of the 50 senior pros we researched are playing the irons made by one of their manufacturer sponsors.

This percentage is in all likelihood to be higher however it was refreshing to see some outliers.

2023 Champions Tour winner Steve Stricker for example chooses to play Callaway’s Apex Pro ’19 irons despite his sponsorship deal with Callaway only including an obligation to use their Odyssey putters according to Golf Digest .

With his use of six different brands of clubs in his bag Champions Tour legend Bernhard Langer also does not appear to let endorsements impact all of his club choices.

Having signed a multi-year equipment deal with Tour Edge in 2021 he does currently play a mixed set of Exotics CBX Forged and Exotics Pro 723 irons produced by that manufacturer.

But he also had six other manufacturers clubs in his bag including PING, TaylorMade, Adams, Cleveland, Titleist and a Callaway Odyssey putter.

Ex-Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman meanwhile still appears to put a combination of old TaylorMade irons – Burner and TP MC Forged 11 models – in play despite his headline sponsorship deal with Tour Edge.

And although he has been with Bridgestone since 2006 it was fun to find Fred Couples still playing with the dual pocket cavity irons he’s been using a version of since 2010.

A full breakdown of the irons we discovered used by the top senior pros on the Champions Tour is listed below.

Do Champions Tour Pros Use Cavity Back Irons?

The topic of blades versus cavity backs generates a lot of attention amongst regular golfers as many remain convinced blades are not only what all good golfers should be using but also that they are good for golfers of all standards to help them improve their ball striking abilities.

So when it comes to the best pros on the Champions Tour we were keen to discover where they stood on the issue.

Among the 50 senior pros for which irons information was available our analysis however only found 3 of them use blades.

Miguel Angel Jiménez uses a set of PING Blueprint T blade irons from 4-iron to pitching wedge while Vijay Singh chooses Mizuno Pro 221 models for his blade irons starting at a 5-iron.

The other blade player on the Senior Tour – John Daly – also uses PING Blueprint blade irons but only for his 6-iron to 9-iron as he compliments them with three PING G430 hybrids – a 17º 2 hybrid, a 2º 4H and a 26º 5 hybrid club.

So the vast majority of the Champions Tour pros we researched are clearly settled on their preferences for cavity backs over blades.

And as we have seen even among the pros who do use blades only Jiménez uses a full set of them.

That being said the remainder of the best senior pros showed a clear preference for ‘Players Golf Irons’ which while not quite as small and thin as blades are not far off, although this category of irons does still offer a little more forgiveness based on them having some type of cavity back.

That being said they are also targeted at low handicap and elite golfers and therefore while Champions Tour pros use cavity back irons in the main we found them almost always to be in the ‘Players’ category.

There were some notable exceptions however among the pros who opted for a mixed set of irons comprising more than one model.

For example, our detailed analysis found Rob Labritz, Tim O’Neal, Davis Love III and Brian Gay all to be choosing a ‘Players Distance Iron’ – a model another step up on the forgiveness ladder and designed for golfers with handicaps up to the low double digits – for their long irons.

The first three in this small group chose Titleist T200 irons for their long 3 and 4-irons but also up to a 7-iron in Rob Labritz’s case.

And we also even found top 10 Champions Tour-ranked Alex Cejka with a mid-handicapper Callaway X-22 3-iron in his bag!

So although the senior pros we analysed most frequently chose the least forgiving category of cavity back irons for their bags we found some willing to embrace the benefits of the much more forgiving irons millions of regular golfers use.

What we didn’t see as much as we did in our analysis of the irons choices of the top pros on the PGA Tour though was the top senior pros opting for a ‘mixed set’ of irons where they put more than one iron model in their bag.

On the PGA Tour our research discovered 42% of the top 100 PGA Tour pros opting for a ‘mixed set’ of irons but on the Champions Tour by comparison we found only 14% of the Champions Tour pros preferring a mixed iron set.

Whether the Champions Tour pros will follow their main Tour colleagues in this increasing trend in future years remains to be seen but for now they seem happy with sticking with one iron model for their iron set when you take ‘driving’ or ‘utility’ irons out of the equation.

Top 10 Most Popular Irons on the Champions Tour

As we have already noted our analysis of the 50 Champions Tour pros for which data was available found 30 different models of irons made by 10 different manufacturers being played.

Regular players often want to know which pros are using the same irons as them, or which ones are using the latest Titleist or TaylorMade or Callaway models.

We don’t list all the 30 different iron models here but to satisfy some of that curiosity we have listed below what we discovered to be the top 10 most popular irons on the Champions Tour.

The percentage of senior pros using these irons is included in brackets together with notable users of the model.

• Srixon ZX7 – (14%) Played by Ernie Els
• Titleist T100 – (12%) Played by Brett Quigley
• Callaway X Forged – (8%) Played by Retief Goosen
• PING i230 – (6%) Played by Y.E.Yang
• Callaway Apex TCB – (6%) Played by Justin Leonard
• PING i210 – (6%) Played by Stewart Cink
• PING iBlade – (6%) Played by Kevin Sutherland
• Tour Edge Exotics Pro 723 – (4%) Played by Bernhard Langer
• PING S55 – (4%) Played by Jeff Maggert
• Callaway Apex Pro ’19 – (4%) Played by Brett Quigley

[Note – Just so you know, and we are upfront as an affiliate program participant, Golfing Focus, at no cost to you, earns from qualifying purchases made through links on this page.]

Before you go …

Having found out all about the iron choices of the best senior pros on the Champions Tour you may be curious to also discover what the best pros on the LPGA Tour are using.

Read our next article to find out what irons the top women pros in the world are choosing with their near identical swingspeeds to the average male amateur golfer!

What Irons Do LPGA Players Use?

Other top articles related to this topic:

• In the Bag: Unpacking the Clubs Champions Tour Players Use
• What Drives The Senior Tour Pros? Most Popular Driver On Champions Tour
• The Go-To Fairway Woods Of Senior Tour Champions
• Champions Hybrid Heroes. Most Used Hybrids By Champions Tour Pros
• Flexible Friends: Uncovering The Shafts Champions Tour Players Use
• From Tee to Green: Analyzing What Golf Balls Champions Tour Pros Use
• What Clubs Do Pro Golfers Use? Top 100 PGA Tour Player Guide
• What Clubs do LPGA players use? Top 50 Player Breakdown
• How Do Pros Hit the Ball So Far? It’s Not About the Equipment!

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PGA Tour awards $930 million to players in equity grants

Andrew Redington

The PGA Tour informed players Wednesday of their individual grants in the tour’s new equity program and some of the game's biggest stars reportedly will get hefty checks.

The tour does not plan on publicly releasing the amounts, but the Telegraph reported earlier on Wednesday that Tiger Woods was set to receive a $100 million grant, with Rory McIlroy getting $50 million, and Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth receiving $30 million each.

The first $930 million of grants were distributed Wednesday, with players getting a note from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan (who also holds the CEO title of PGA Tour Enterprises) detailing their award. Tyler Dennis, the PGA Tour’s chief competitions officer, later went on Golf Channel’s “Golf Today” to explain the process.

RELATED: Questions and Answers on the tour's new equity program

“There’s no other sports league in the world that has this significant number of their athletes as owners of their own sports organization,” Dennis said. “And we’re really excited about it because, ultimately, we want to do what’s right."

At the end of January the tour came to an agreement with the Strategic Sports Group for private investment, which coincided with the launch of PGA Tour Enterprises. The Enterprises division will house the PGA Tour’s commercial businesses and rights, as well as those of the DP World Tour. This will allow the tour to maximize revenue for itself and players while keeping the tour’s non-profit 501(c)(6) classification that carries tax exemptions for “business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, boards of trade, and professional football leagues” intact. SSG has pledged up to $3 billion to PGA Tour Enterprises with an initial $1.5 billion investment. Players were told they would receive equity into PGA Tour Enterprises, which the tour says has a valuation of $12 billion. The grants are based on playing accomplishments, future participation and tour status.

The grants were divided into four categories:

• Group 1 consists of $750 million in aggregate equity based on career performance, last 5-year performance, and Player Impact Program results. A total of 36 players were in this group.

• Group 2 consists of $75 million in aggregate equity and was granted to 64 players based on last 3-year performance.

• Group 3 consists of $30 million in aggregate equity and was granted to 57 players that have earned certain fully-exempt PGA Tour status categories.

• Group 4 consists of $75 million in aggregate equity and was granted to 36 players who were instrumental to building the modern PGA Tour, based on career performance.

There is an eight-year vesting period, where the grants will be worth 50 percent of their value after four years, 75 percent after six and the full amount at the end of eight. Not all players necessarily received a grant, although all—including young and future tour players—have the chance to receive grants down the line. An additional $600 million is earmarked towards these stakes. The $600 million will be awarded in recurring player grants of $100 million each year, starting in 2025.

“We want the players to be fully aligned with their organization,” Dennis said. “It’s something no other sport has done before and we’re seeing an incredible amount of excitement about that.”

The equity is essentially the tour’s answers to the opulent guaranteed payouts distributed by LIV Golf. Dennis did not say if LIV Golf members would get the chance to be a part of the equity should unification in the professional game ultimately come to fruition. The tour announced in January that the deal with SSG will allow for co-investment from PIF in the future, but there are antitrust regulations that need to be hurdled, and Congress has announced that its investigation into PIF and its investments in American businesses will continue.

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