What Do The Best Wedge Players On The PGA Tour Use?

Having a good short game is imperative to scoring well on the course. Whether that’s getting up-and-down to make birdie on a par 5 or to keep momentum going by making par after a missed green in regulation. The ability to chip and pitch the ball close regularly takes a lot of pressure off a golfer's long game, in particular their iron play, so it’s interesting to see which of the best golfers in the world are best at knocking the ball close after a blunder with their approach shot.

Much like with some of the best golf drivers on the market, there are plenty of different models of wedge on the market, some are more forgiving wedges and some boast all round performance and are considered some of the best wedges money can buy. There is no right or wrong when it comes to which wedges you should be using. Each player will use different lofts in order to ensure the gapping throughout their bag is correct and different bounce and grind options will be used based on each player's specific technique and angle of attack.

While the best players in the world are provided with their equipment free of charge and can request fresh wedges whenever they please, judging what levels of spin, release and grinds they want for a specific tournament are all part of the puzzle in trying to win the event that week. Some golfers will opt for fresh grooves and more spin when playing on firmer greens, while others may play more worn-in grooves on softer greens to stop the ball over-spinning when landing.

As we enter into the first week of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, we have broken down which models each of the best wedge players on the PGA Tour use, based on Strokes Gained around the greens. This statistic is measured by taking the number of strokes taken by players in specific locations, in comparison to a statistical baseline. The fewer shots taken results in a higher Strokes Gained number and vice-versa. While some of the names on the list are known for their ball-striking prowess, their consistency and ability to knock it close when missing a green may surprise you.

1.  Hideki Matsuyama

The Japanese sensation has had what feels like a fairly quiet year by his standards despite sitting 8th on the FedEx Cup standings heading into the first event in the Playoffs. Despite winning just once at The Genesis Invitational, the former Masters champion has quietly gone about his business racking up 5 top 10 finishes and 9 top 25s, as well as an Olympic Bronze medal, in what has been a really solid season.

While Matsuyama is known for his ball striking, not enough is said about his ability to chip and pitch the ball close. He leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained around the greens, making up nearly a full shot on the field thanks to his greenside touch. Matsuyama uses Cleveland RTX 4 Prototype wedges in lofts of 52° (10° bounce), 56° (8° bounce) and a 60° (8° bounce). While the world number 12 is known to tinker a decent amount with his putter setup, the RTX 4 wedges he plays were initially released in 2018, although we’re sure he’s probably had a few new sets of the same heads in the bag over the years. 

2.  Davis Thompson

The young American only turned professional in 2021 after attending the University of Georgia. He has put his stellar short-game to good use this year on tour, claiming victory at the John Deere Classic and ranking 24th in the FedEx Cup heading into the first Playoff event in Memphis, Tennessee. The former Georgia Bulldog has a mixed range of brands in his bag, sporting both Titleist, Ping and an Odyssey White Hot OG #7 putter. It’s a range of Titleist Vokey wedges Thompson trusts to help him get up-and-down.

While he uses a Vokey SM10 46° and 50° in an F grind (made for full shots), Thompson uses a Vokey Wedgeworks (Titleist's custom wedge program) 54° M grind (8° bounce) and 60° T grind (4° bounce). The American follows a popular trend of lowering the bounce on each wedge as the wedge gets more lofted. This, combined with softer Dynamic Gold S400 shafts in the 54° and 60° help provide more feel and versatility compared to the Dynamic Gold X100 shafts he plays in the pitching wedge and gap wedge. 

3.  Harry Hall

The Cornish native may not be the most well-known Englishman on the PGA Tour but his short game is certainly worthy of some attention. In fact it was Hall’s short game that saw him across the line as he chipped in on the 3rd sudden-death playoff hole to win the ISCO Championship earlier this season. Despite winning on the PGA Tour this year, the former UNLV Rebel finished the regular season 87th on the FedEx Cup and therefore won’t participate in the Playoffs.

Hall is a Callaway contracted player and currently uses the Callaway Jaws MD5 wedges in 46°, 50° and 54°, while using a Jaws Raw in the 60°. Callaway has recently launched its Opus and Opus Platinum wedges and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Hall make the switch to these during the off-season. 

4.  C.T. Pan

Despite a short game that places him number 4 on this list, C.T. Pan didn’t have the season he would have hoped for. There were glimpses of form, notably at the Mexico Open where he finished 4th and at the John Deere Classic where he finished T-2nd.

The Chinese Taipei born golfer has a really unique set of Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges in the bag where he plays a 46° and 52° (both F grind) and then uses a 59° Vokey Wedgeworks - Vokey wedges that start as tour-only custom wedges and then sometimes become available on the Titleist website. Pan is then one of the few golfers who use a 64° lob wedge with a custom grind. He has all of his wedges fitted with custom PVD purple Dynamic Gold S400 shafts and paint filled in purple to represent his alma mater - the University of Washington. 

5.  Mackenzie Hughes

Mackenzie Hughes is widely known as one of the best putters on the PGA Tour but it’s not just his putting that has seen himself bag 3 top-10 finishes this season. Sitting at 48th in the FedEx Cup, Hughes massively relies on his short game to propel himself up the leaderboards.

The Canadian uses a set of Ping S159 wedges in a stealthed out ‘midnight’ finish when chipping and pitching around the greens. Hughes is just the second player in the top 5 of this list who uses a pitching wedge that’s part of his iron set and not a 46° specialist wedge. His three S159 wedge makeup is 52°, 56° and a 62° lob wedge. Where a lot of golfers will use stronger shafts in their gap wedges, Hughes keeps Dynamic Gold S400 shafts in all three of his Ping wedges, albeit the 62° is made with a marginally heavier D5 swingweight, compared to the 52° and 56° set at D4. Hughes will hope to have a strong Playoff campaign and secure his place on the Presidents Cup team. 

6.  Justin Thomas

The 31 year old American struggled to find form last year but has fought back during the 2024 season and currently finds himself 19th on the FedEx Cup. While Thomas can be a little wild off the tee at times, his wedge play is often spectacular and he is undoubtedly one of the more creative players around the greens.

Thomas uses 46°, 52°, 56° and 60° Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges that are actually bent to play at 47.5°, 52.5°, 57° and 60.5°. Players will adjust lofts so their gapping between clubs is equal or they can make comfortable swings to hit certain yardages. While his approach play and Strokes Gained around the greens are all positive, it will be on the greens where Thomas will look to sharpen up throughout the playoffs, as he currently sits 154th on Strokes Gained putting. 

7.  Alex Noren

Alex Noren has been quietly building a solid season for himself on the PGA Tour. The Swede ranks 7th for Strokes Gained around the greens and videos can often be found on social media of the former Ryder Cup player showing his touch around the greens, hitting spectacular flop shots from tight lies.

Like Harry Hall, Noren is a Callaway staff player and was last reported using Callaway Jaws wedges in lofts of 46°, 50°, 56° and 60°. His pitching wedge and gap wedge both have 10° of bounce whereas his sand wedge and lob wedge have just 8°. With Callaway releasing the new Opus wedge lineup in recent weeks, it’s expected that Noren will transition into the new Opus wedges at the end of the season, where he can precisely dial them in before starting his bid for a place on the Ryder Cup team during the 2025 PGA Tour season. 

8.  Maverick McNealy

Maverick McNealy is just another one of the top wedge players in the game who chooses to use Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges, McNealy uses the F grind in both his 46° and 50° wedges with 10° of bounce in the former and 8° in the latter. He plays the M grind in his 54° which is designed to open and close the face to manufacture shots around the greens.The American then uses a Vokey Design Wedgeworks 58° lob wedge in the L grind, which is 4° of bounce and is ideal for those with shallow chipping and pitching motions or for those who play on firm playing surfaces.

His wedges are loaded with lead tape on the back which is normally used in order to get the club to meet a specific swing weight. With 4 top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this season, McNealy finished the regular season at 59th on the FedEx cup standings and will need a solid week at the first Playoff event in order to break into the top 50 and progress to the second week. 

9.   Scottie Scheffler

The current world number one is having the season of his life having already amassed 6 wins and 14 top-10 finishes is 2024. While the 28-year-old American is known for his fancy footwork and elite ball striking, not enough is said about his ability to chip and pitch the ball close from around the greens. He sits number 9 on Strokes Gained around the greens and the fact Scheffler uses three generation old wedges, perfectly demonstrates the saying ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t try and fix it’.

The Texas native uses his set TaylorMade P7TW pitching wedge and then moves into two 50° and 56° Titleist Vokey SM8 wedges. Scheffler uses a 14° bounce F grind in his 56°, which is very much considered a high bounce wedge. Scheffler typically uses a 60° Wedgeworks proto K grind in softer conditions and has a 60.5 T grind for when the ground is a little firmer and less bounce is required. 

10.  Collin Morikawa

Rounding out the top 10 on the PGA Tour for Strokes Gained around the greens is Collin Morikawa. The American hasn’t picked up a win this year but has displayed incredible consistency over the course of the season and picked up top-5 finishes at The Masters, The Memorial Tournament and the Scottish Open. 

Despite making a noticeable switch into the TaylorMade P7CB irons at the Scottish Open, Morikawa has remained consistent with his wedge setup. The two-time major champion uses a 50° and 56° TaylorMade MG4 with the 56° in a low bounce option. Morikawa then uses the TW grind MG4 in his 60° wedge, which is a grind first designed for Tiger Woods. This grind offers ample heel and toe relief for shot making and has 11° of bounce.