It’s the start of the gear story of the year, but Rory McIlroy switching his RORS PROTO blades to P7CB rear irons could mean more for TaylorMade.
On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, co-hosts Johnny Wunder and Jake Morrow discussed McIlroy’s transition and what it could mean for the brand’s iron line moving forward.
In case you haven’t heard, McIlroy made a major change of months when he played a 5-9 iron TaylorMade P7CB set this past week in Dubai to open his season at T3. Movement started in Australia last month, where McIlroy installed the P7CB long irons before adding another set over the weekend.
TaylorMade P7CB Custom Irons
BEST-IN-CLASS AUDIO Using tour response and modal analysis we have rationally designed the stack placement for best-in-class audio. Designed using Compact Grain Forging and 2000 tons of pressure to deliver the purest 1025 carbon steel feel possible. PRECISION CONTROL Precision milled surfaces and lines combined with a fixed CG the P•7CB are designed to deliver perfect execution and combine a combination of perfect control and precision. CONSISTENCY Created to increase accuracy and consistency. IP•7CB’s advanced perimeter weight and integrated tungsten designed to deliver the perfect combination of stability and performance. COMPACT TOUR SHAPING Every shape in this iron has been designed to meet the needs of discerning golfers. The compact blade length and narrow upper line create a confident, clean look on the playing surface while the single camber and progressive bounce profile provide consistent turf interaction.
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, TaylorMade
“If there’s going to be help, I’m definitely going to get it,” McIlroy said last Thursday after his opening round of 66 at the Dubai Invitational. “And in Dubai at the end of last year, I hit a couple of irons that I hit a little slower, and instead of them coming up five or seven yards, they were 10 to 15 yards short.”
McIlroy’s set has a front-worn leading mill similar to his P760 long irons, but Wunder said more work is still to come.
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Jack Hirsh
“And they’re working on the set – the back set for Rory,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a prototype set or what, but they’re working on a set.
They have been doing it for several months. It’s not ready yet, but he wants to play these so he can get used to the idea of playing the instruments backwards.”
The P7CB instruments came out in the summer of 2024, which means that this summer will be two years since their release. Could it be that they should be renewed already? And is the “Rory-specific” dungeon back to replace them?
“My guess is that’s probably the set they’re busy with right now,” Wunder said of the P7CB replacement. “So I think it helps if you’re TaylorMade or Callaway and you launch it, you have plans to launch a new cavity back or a new tour iron, you have to make your top player who’s going to play that iron, put it in the bag sooner than later. So if I were TaylorMade, I’d try to push to get those in the bag during the market, so when it comes to the summer, they’re back. He’s already made them popular, and everybody he wants them.”
