Confirmed: Rory McIlroy makes HUGE equipment switch ahead of WGC Match Play

Rory McIlroy appears to have made some significant changes to his equipment ahead of the WGC Match Play. 

There were whispers that McIlroy wasn't best pleased with his performances in recent weeks and was thinking of tinkering with his equipment. 

It was after the first round of the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational that he finally put the new TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus into play. 

McIlroy, 33, conceded that watching Tiger Woods pipe one past him led to him making the change. 

The four-time major champion was later filmed smashing his driver into the ground after a wayward drive at Riviera.

You can't watch that clip, as the tour DMCA'd the footage.

So it's clear that McIlroy believes he is struggling off the tee. He leads the PGA Tour in driving distance this year with an average of 326.6 yards. 

But he is ranked 182nd in terms of driving accuracy, finding 51.98 per cent of fairways.

 

 

 

 

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Related: Who is Rory McIlroy's caddie?

Satoshi Kodaira is the most accurate player off the tee so far this season, hitting 170 fairways from a possible 233. 

McIlroy looked to turn a corner with his apparent issues when he finished T-2 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

But that was followed with a missed the cut at the Players, taken down by fellow TaylorMade staffer Scottie Scheffler.  

It was at TPC Sawgrass where McIlroy explained that he wanted to use his old gamer. 

He previously said:

Now, we have a clearer insight into the changes McIlroy is thinking of making. 

Per Jonathan Wall of Golf, McIlroy was seen using on the putting green at Austin Country Club testing a Scotty Cameron Newport. 

Apparently, TaylorMade reps also had Spider GT putters there as well. 

See here:

Confirmed Rory McIlroy is testing a Scotty Cameron Newport. Used it on the first to roll on a short birdie putt. TaylorMade reps have a few Spider GT putters in tow as well. pic.twitter.com/Z12HMT8g3m

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) March 21, 2023

Lots of chatter about Rory McIlroy making potential gear changes. Looks to have Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X in the driver. Rest of the setup is the same. Still waiting on putter confirmation… pic.twitter.com/w0MjSkX9zx

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) March 21, 2023

On the driving range, McIlroy was still using the same driver head, but 'looks' to be using a Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6X shaft. 

According to Golf Channel's Todd Lewis, McIlroy has already seen a marked improvement with this shaft. 

Related: Who is Rory McIlroy's wife?

He reportedly played Augusta National ahead of the 2023 Masters and 'drove the ball beautifully' over two practice rounds. 

McIlroy previously explained that as he is in the first year of a new multi-year contract with the OEM, he has been given more flexibility with some of the clubs in his bag. 

That was after he was spotted using Titleist Vokey Wedges in Dubai. 

Analysis by GolfMagic Equipment Editor Alex Lodge:

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