Rory McIlroy is pulling out all the stops in his quest to complete the Grand Slam at the 2024 Masters. He has changed his schedule leading up to the event, playing more tournaments than ever before, and he has even spent some time with legendary coach, Butch Harmon. But now it seems that he might even be adding a very interesting new club to his bag to tackle Augusta National.
During Tuesday's practice round, we spotted Rory with a TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver in his bag, which is something we have never seen before from Rory. The BRNR Mini Driver has shot to prominence in the bag of Tommy Fleetwood and recent PGA Tour winner Jake Knapp, while Phil Mickelson had a previous iteration of it in his bag for his 2021 PGA Championship triumph at Kiawah Island.
With the overall length of Augusta National creeping up and up over the past few years, the addition of a “strong” fairway wood seems like it could be a smart play. From our testing of the BRNR Mini Driver, we found it could be used effectively from the ground but it really stood out from the tee.
It is unclear as to what holes Rory is planning on using the Mini Driver yet (if it makes it into the starting lineup at all), but my hunch would be possibly the 10th where a strong drawing tee shot is advantageous, but driver can run out of room, and possibly the 13th where the recently increased length makes it almost impossible to cut the corner from the tee now, but again, driver is in danger of running out.
We don’t know whether he is using the 11.5 or 13.5 model as yet, or indeed any specs, but we will keep you up to date as and when we find out.
Rory fans across the world will be hoping that this could be the catalyst to get him over the line in 2024 and join the elite of the game as a Grand Slam champion.
Update: It does not seem as though the MIni Driver has made it into McIlroy's bag for the first round at least. He has returned to his Qi10 3 wood at 15˚ fitted with a Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft.
-
Seve's 'Lost' Bunker Lesson: Master Slopes & Transform Your Short Game TodayUnlock the forgotten bunker secrets of Seve Ballesteros! Learn how to conquer tricky uphill and downhill lies and immediately transform your short game...
-
Should Some Men Use Women’s Golf Clubs?Could a swap to women’s golf clubs help some men’s games? Is it a realistic option to make the switch? We spoke to a PGA pro to get the answer
-
Houston Open Tee Times 2025: Rounds One And TwoRory McIlroy is in the early-late wave this week in Houston, while Scottie Scheffler is on the opposite side of the draw
-
‘You Don’t Want 10-Year-Old Kids Punting Their Putters Across The Green Every Time They Miss A Putt’ - Rory McIlroy Says Tour Pros Have ‘Responsibility’ To Set Good Example After Recent Viral Clips Showcasing Players’ FrustrationsSpeaking at the Texas Children's Houston Open, McIlroy explained how displaying emotion on the course shows the pros 'are human', but there's also a 'responsibility to set an example'
-
'The Loss Of A Few Trees Is Definitely Noticeable' - Rory McIlroy On What He Learned From Augusta National Practice Round Ahead Of 2025 MastersThe four-time Major winner made a trip to Augusta National earlier this week in preparation for The Masters
-
‘Give The Lad A Break. He’s A Very Good Caddie. Harry, Don’t Read The S****’ - Billy Foster On Critics Of Rory McIlroy’s CaddieThe experienced looper has spoken out and defended McIlroy's caddie, Harry Diamond, with Foster claiming the 'criticism is not fair at all'
-
‘A Metronome On Steroids’ - The Unique Putting Training Aid That This Major Winner Describes As 'One Of The Best I've Ever Seen'Practicing prior to the Hoag Classic, Major winner Darren Clarke showed off a new putting training aid called the TempoStik+, which is designed to help with a number of factors in the stroke
-
Has Bryson DeChambeau Just Cured Your Slice With The New LA Golf Driver?Co-designed with US Open Champion Bryson Dechambeau, here's what we can expect to see from the new LA Golf driver...
-
Rory McIlroy’s Caddie Harry Diamond May Have Earned Almost $900,000 In Bonus Money Already This Year (More Than The PGA Tour Average) After World No.2's Strong StartMcIlroy has picked up two wins so far in 2025 and could well have shared a decent portion of his winnings with long-time assistant, Diamond
-
'Technically The Easiest Major To Win' - Jordan Spieth Delivers His 'Hot Take' On The Masters That 'Augusta’s Just Blown Up More Than It Probably Should Be'Jordan Spieth says that The Masters is "technically the easiest Major to win" as he delivered his "hot take" on Augusta National
