There are some very interesting equipment selections in play at this year’s Ryder Cup. From one-off tour-only prototypes, to clubs dating back nearly a decade, there are a number of clubs I would love to get my hands on! Here are the clubs I have selected to make up my ultimate Ryder Cup bag 2023.
Driver
- Player: Justin Rose
- Model: Taylormade M3 440
- Year: 2018
Since becoming an equipment contract free agent, Justin Rose has become partial to a little tinkering, especially when it comes to driver. I have lost count of the number of models I have seen Rose testing over the past twelve months including the 2016 Taylormade M2 and the Callaway Paradym which he used in his PGA Tour win at Pebble Beach.
The tinkering doesn’t seem to have stopped even during Ryder Cup week with Rose being spotted testing out a Titleist driver, but currently I believe he will still be gaming the Taylormade M3.
Fairway Wood
- Player: Brooks Koepka
- Model: Taylormade M2 Tour HL
- Year: 2017
Like so many tour professionals, Koepka has an old faithful in this notoriously tricky area of the bag. Any tour fitter will tell you that fairway woods and hybrids are the most difficult clubs in the bag to get right, so you see a lot of players staying in the same club for extended periods once they have something they are comfortable with. Koepka epitomises this and plays a TaylorMade M2 Tour HL 3 wood from 2017.
Hybrid/Driving Iron
- Player: Brooks Koepka
- Model: Nike Vapor Fly Pro
- Year: 2016
Yet another nod to the old school here, gear nerds all over the world will rejoice at Koepka’s choice of driving iron, the Nike Vapor Fly Pro. Considered by many to be a cult classic and still featuring in the bag of other tour players including Tony Finau, it is tough to see this club leaving his bag anytime soon.
Irons
- Player: Nicolai Hojgaard
- Model: Callaway Apex MB Raw (Prototype)
- Year: 2023
An honourable mention here must go to England’s Matt Fitzpatrick who is still rocking Ping S55’s that are approaching their tenth birthday! However, I can’t see past Nicolai Hojgaard here. The Dane has one of the coolest prototype irons on tour in my opinion. I am a sucker for a raw finish and love the shallow blade and boxy angular shaping of these tour only offering. The shape is very similar to the new Callaway Apex MB irons, so I can’t help but feel Hojgaards irons may have influenced the design somewhat here.
Wedges
- Player: John Rahm
- Model: Callaway Jaws Raw (custom stamped)
- Year: 2022
Callaway wedge guru Anthony Taranto is notorious for his artwork on tour players wedges and he has really gone to town here! “Rahmbo” has all sorts of custom stamping on these beauties including the names of his wife and kids, and his “Rhambo” nickname. Nods to the Ryder Cup come in the form of the “Rome 2023” stamping and the yellow and blue European color scheme.
Putter
- Player: Viktor Hovland
- Model: Ping PLD DS72 prototype (Raw)
- Year: Unknown
Another honourable mention here must go to both Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark who have played a huge part in the remarkable resurgence of the Odyssey Versa Jailbird Mini on the PGA Tour this season. However, I am going to complete my bag with Viktor Hovland’s prototype flatstick from Ping. As I mentioned, I love a raw finish and it doesn’t get much more raw than this! I am also a big fan of the two lines visible at address, one on the top edge and the other in the flange. Lining these two up ensure your eyes are in the correct position at address, which, judging by his latest bank statement, hasn’t done Viktor much harm of late!
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