Collin Morikawa was inspired by Rory McIlroy to add a prototype iron to the bag
Collin Morikawa has followed TaylorMade's lead in fellow golfer Rory McIlroy in adding a prototype iron to his bag.
The club isn't currently sold by TaylorMade, but McIlroy suggested they look and feel like a replacement for TaylorMade's P7MC irons.
Morikawa has found a good touch despite his recent testing of new equipment and has recorded three top scores in a row on Tour, while working through a series of club changes.
Morikawa used his old SIM model for most of the year until he switched to a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree driver. He also moved to the TaylorMade “MySymbol” TP5x No. 5 golf ball, with a number design reminiscent of a baseball jersey, and a TaylorMade Qi10 core-model 3-wood with 13.5 degrees of loft are also included in his bag.
After the first round at Augusta National, he traded in his standard TP Soto putter for a TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter. Morikawa took third place at the Masters, his highest performance at a major tournament since winning The Open in 2021, showing the effectiveness of the change.
Morikawa replaced his old hollow-bodied TaylorMade P-770 4-iron at the RBC Heritage with the brand new, unreleased TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron, which McIlroy debuted at the Valero Texas Open last month. The selection was inspired by the excellent performance, feel and presentation McIlroy reported for the club.
McIlroy's role in driving the change was clear and Morikawa admitted the Ulsterman had proved to be a good marketer for the new weapon.
“I used to hit my P-770 at the finish line, but sometimes the distance was unclear,” said Morikawa. “This one opens the touch up, and I feel like I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760. I love it so far.”
The layout, design elements and array of technologies used in the club are yet to be determined. Equipment enthusiasts are left wondering if the new club is an improvement on TaylorMade's previous model or something completely different as TaylorMade has yet to provide an official statement on the matter.
At the Zurich Classic in New Orleans on Tuesday, Morikawa's only 4-iron in his bag was the “Proto.” He will face Kurt Kitayama in a two-way event. Earlier in the week, McIlroy, who will partner Shane Lowry in Zurich, also had the “Proto” as his only 4-iron.
