In most sports, you don't change a winning formula. But that's not modern golf's way, and despite winning the Grand Slam last year, Rory McIlroy has made a big equipment switch for 2026.
But he seems happy enough with the change after using his full new armoury in anger for the first time in his 2026 debut at the Dubai Invitational - and shot an opening 66 to take the lead.
McIlroy's What's In The Bag for 2026 looks a lot different from last year, with still a full bag of TaylorMade golfing weapons but with a new golf ball for the year and one huge change in his irons.
The switch is a big one that's attracted all the attention, with one of the purist ball strikers in golf now wielding a set of cavity-back irons for the first time in his career - and he's very happy with them.
There's no ego allowed in McIlroy's endless search for improvement, and he happily told the DP World Tour that he'll take any extra help his new TaylorMade P7CBs will give him
"If there's help to be had I'll definitely take it," McIlroy joked after his opening round at Dubai Creek.
"I've been thinking about it for a while and even in Dubai at the end of last year I hit a couple of 5-irons that I mis-struck slightly and instead of it maybe coming up five or seven yards short it was coming up 10 to 15 yards short.
"So I asked the guys at TaylorMade to build me up a set and I actually went down to Australia with them and with that firm turf down there I felt like those irons were going through the turf better than the blades."
McIlroy has been working with the new irons at home and, together with his new golf ball for 2026 he feels his new set-up is working just fine to start the new season.
"I've practiced at home with them since and I've got a new golf ball in play this week as well, the new 2026 ball," McIlroy added.
"Overall I've liked what I've seen at home and today was a good test for them and I felt like everything was pretty good."
McIlroy has ditched his TaylorMade Rors Protos to make the move to the TaylorMade P7CB, marking the first time he hasn't played with blades in his pro career.
He teased the switch to a full set in January, and at TGL as he was spotted using a full bag of the irons, which having passed the first test will be his clubs for the rest of the 2026 season.
