Latest news with #TP5
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
TaylorMade is offering Rory McIlroy's version of the TP5 ball for a limited time
TaylorMade is offering Rory McIlroy's version of the TP5 ball for a limited time TaylorMade is celebrating Rory McIlroy's Masters win and career Grand Slam by offering his version of the TP5 ball for a VERY limited time. Rory McIlroy made a golf ball change before the start of the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am back in January, and in his first competitive round using the TaylorMade TP5 ball, he made a hole-in-one. Three days later, he won the tournament, and then he went on to win the PGA Tour's crown jewel, the Players Championship, before completing the career Grand Slam with his win at the 2025 Masters. Now, for a very limited time, TaylorMade is offering to the public not just the TP5 ball, but a version marked the way Rory plays his ball, with "RORS" stamped on it instead of a number. There is nothing in the Rules of Golf that states golf balls must be numbered, and through the MySymbol program, the company has been offering balls marked with everything from avocados to animals to flags to mugs of beer. McIlroy's TP5 is marked "RORS" and TaylorMade is making them available to everyone for $59.99 per dozen until Sunday, April 20, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on Like all the TP5 balls, the limited-edition Rory McIlroy ball has a five-piece construction and a soft urethane cover. TaylorMade golf ball designers the cores in the current TP5 (and TP5x) firmer, to create more speed, but a core additive that TaylorMade calls Speed Wrap makes the balls sound and feel softer, so the enhanced performance did not make shots feel harder or more clicky. Back in January, when he was asked why he switched from a previous version of TP5x to the current TP5, McIlroy said, "I just started to hit some chips with the TP5 instead of the TP5x, and I really loved how I felt. I hadn't really tested the 2024 TP5, and I loved how it was reacting around the greens. And then I started hitting some like 60, 70-yard shots with it, and it was coming off much lower launch, but spinner." That matches up with what TaylorMade states: The TP5 should feel softer than the TP5x because it has a lower overall compression, but the TP5x should provide players with more speed with wood and long irons because it is firmer, and it will generate a higher launch angle. The TP5, however, is designed to create slightly more spin than the TP5x with wedges.
Telegraph
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
The key to Rory McIlroy finally winning the Masters? His new ball
Fate and Michael Jordan can obviously be considered a formidable duo and Rory McIlroy is hoping that the pair's influence has helped him unlock the secret to finally winning here. The key could be wrapped up in a diameter of at least 1.680in and a weight of no more than 1.62oz. A change in ball might very well be the answer for the world No 2 as he tries, for the 11th time, to become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam. Of course, professional golfers switch up their equipment and tinker with their bag all the time, but there was something about the manner in which McIlroy stumbled upon this replacement that could prove crucial – if not career-defining. McIlroy explained the chance encounter and the transfer to a ball that is hardly used on the PGA Tour, with Rickie Fowler one of the few others to employ the standard version. 'I was messing around at the Grove XXIII [the course owned by Jordan] at the end of January and there were some TP5 balls on the practice grounds and I just started to hit some chips,' he said. 'I'd been using the TP5X model, but I really loved how this new one felt. I loved how it was reacting around the greens and then I started hitting some 60 and 70-yard shots with it and it was coming off a much lower launch, but spinnier.' It was a eureka moment, particularly when McIlroy discovered that despite the softer ball, he did not lose any distance off the tee. McIlroy put it in play the following week at the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach and proceeded to win. He looked vastly improved in his approach shots from 150 yards and in – previously his glaring weakness – and the experts immediately took notice. And after another win at the Players Championship, the intriguing theory that the new ball could be the answer has gained traction. In that play-off against JJ Spaun, he hit a tee-shot on the infamous 17th that encapsulated the apparent upgrade in his renowned skill set. With the wind howling, McIlroy chose to take a 'knocked-down' nine-iron, taking off 30 or 40 yards with a protracted backswing. It was hardly a stunning return, as his ball came to rest 30 feet from the pin, but it was to be the title-winning moment. He played a similar shot to the 18th and said to Harry [Diamond, his caddie] 'that little shot will take us a long way'. All the way down the Magnolia Lane, to a Green Jacket? The scenario is certainly plausible. 'I will say Rory switching to a softer ball really does give us a greater hope for his success at the Masters this year,' said Brandel Chamblee, the former PGA Tour winner turned Golf Channel analyst. 'Because it's forcing him to get on top of it, it's forcing him to cover it. Paul McGinley [Chamblee's colleague] has been talking about this a lot, he talked about it at the Players. Off camera, after our interview with Rory, Rory talked about it with the three of us. 'I talked to Curt Byrum [another former Tour winner], who followed his group at the Houston Open two weeks ago, and he told me 'he's on top of it, flighting down these wedge shots'. That is the shot he needs at Augusta National. You've got to be able to sort of hold it off, trap it down, hit some cuts off hook lies and not hit that long left shot that has plagued him. So there's reason for the golf world to be excited about the possibility, and again, from a competitive standpoint, he's never gone into the Masters playing better or sharper.' 'He is that talented he can do anything with a golf ball' Pete Cowen sees Chamblee's point, but does not fully agree. The Yorkshire coach was brought in by McIlroy four years ago to fix his play with the lofted irons and was confused when he started. 'The thing with Rory is that he is that talented he can do anything with a golf ball,' Cowen told Telegraph Sport. 'I remember when I first met him when he was 13. I was in a consultancy role for the Irish amateur teams and they told me to look at this prodigy. He had everything, but he could not play the high, soft bunker shot that goes one bounce and then checks – bang, stop! 'He tried and tried in front of me, but just couldn't do it. He was furious with himself and said 'the next time I see you, I'll be able to do it'. I thought 'oh yeah, I'm coming back in a fortnight and there's no chance'. So I go back there and Rory is shouting 'Pete, Pete… come and see this'. He'd perfected it. He was about 5ft 2in and could do it perfectly. Incredible. He can do anything.' So why did so many of his approach shots fail so spectacularly? 'It was his distance control with his wedges and eight-irons that were the problem,' Cowen said. 'It was baffling because he could do it on the range. Any shot I asked of him, he could pull off and to any yardage. The knocked-down shots were easy for him. But then he'd go on the course and not even try to play that type of shot, even though it was clearly what was needed. I asked Harry about it and he said, 'I just don't think he's comfortable doing it'. 'The visual he loves seeing comes from his driver and it's in that window, way up high. He wanted to see his wedge shots in that same trajectory, in that same window, but it's too high for that supposed controlled shot – it should be 90 feet instead of 125 feet. It was a mental thing and maybe this change of ball was all he needed. 'I doubt it's made that much difference, but if he thinks it has, that's all that matters. It could be the missing piece in the jigsaw, although there is plainly scar tissue he has at the Masters. But he probably feels better armed than ever this time around, because he thinks he has distance control with his approach play and that confidence could be major.' Cowen uttered that last word with a wink. The veteran guru has not gone soft. This could be a whole new ball park for his former pupil.
USA Today
10-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
5 golf ball deals you don't want to miss including Callaway, Titleist and more
5 golf ball deals you don't want to miss including Callaway, Titleist and more We get it, golf is an expensive sport. While top-of-the-line golf balls are pricey, every once in a while top brands hold golf ball sales on the best of the best, so that you can get to the green faster in more ways than one. Right now, you can save 25 percent on tour-quality golf balls from industry leaders like Callaway and TaylorMade with their "Buy three, get one free" deals. Any golfer would be thrilled to receive this level of golf ball, and it makes a great gift at any time of year. Stock up now and be prepared when you need a great golf gift. Come to think of it, Mother's Day and Father's Day are right around the corner, so if mom or dad is a big golfer, get them something they'll actually want this year. Save big on the best golf balls with these five golf ball deals at PGA TOUR Superstore. Shop all sales at PGA TOUR Superstore 1) Callaway - Buy 3 dozen get 1 free Used by pros like Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm and more, Callaway golf balls are second to none. The Triple Track lines are designed to improve putting accuracy and lower your score. This buy three dozen and get one dozen free deal has become a popular event for Callaway, so take advantage now while supplies last. Shop Callaway golf ball sale 2) TaylorMade - Buy 3 dozen get 1 free Want to hit the ball like Rory doesn't? Like the Callaway sale above, this has become a bit of an annual tradition for TaylorMade, as both their TP5 and TP5X are participating in the deal. Shop TaylorMade golf ball sale 3) Srixon - Save 20% Don't be fooled by Srixon, they make just as good a golf ball as anybody else on this list, just ask Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry or Hideki Matsuyama. Get closer to Tour-level distance, control and feel from tee to green with the Srixon Z-Star series golf ball. Shop Srixon golf ball sale 4) Mizuno Pro - Buy 2 dozen get 1 free Designed for softer feel and a versatile performance, these Mizuno golf balls are the best deal on the entire list. Buy two dozen and get one dozen free is a rare type of sale with this level of golf ball, so if you're a Mizuno fan or just looking for the biggest savings, act quickly before the deal runs out. Shop Mizuno golf ball sale 5) Titleist - Save $5 per dozen Scottie Scheffler's golf ball of choice is one sale. Honestly, do we need to say anything else? If you don't know the merits of the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x at this point, we assume you've been living under a rock. This is the most popular ball on the PGA Tour for a reason, and is rarely discounted, so jump at the opportunity. Shop Titleist golf ball sale Recommendations are independently chosen by our editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
USA Today
05-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rory McIlroy makes equipment changes at Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill
Rory McIlroy makes equipment changes at Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill After changing golf balls at Pebble Beach, Rory McIlroy has adjusted his wedges, changed his driver and fairway woods and even added a new 3-iron. Rory McIlroy made a significant equipment change before the start of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, switching from a TaylorMade TP5x golf ball to the brand's other five-piece offering, the TP5. With the help of that ball, McIlroy went on to win at Pebble Beach, and now he's at it again. After testing some new woods and wedges this week in Orlando ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge, McIlroy has a new wedge set, driver and fairway woods. 'So, because this ball, especially with the shorter irons, spins a little bit more, especially with the sort of three-quarter shots, I feel a little more comfortable playing those, so I actually weakened my pitching wedge by a degree and a half, to sort of bridge the gap between having a 46.5 and a 54,' Rory said on Wednesday. 'So that's my 48 degree, and then 54, 60. I just feel like with the ball, I'm a lot more comfortable playing those sort of half- and three-quarter shots, so (I'm) comfortable going back to three wedges.' Previously, McIlroy had been a four-wedge player, using TaylorMade MG4 (46, 50, 54, 60 degrees) wedges fitted with Project X 6.5 shafts. Weakening the 46-degree pitching wedge and removing the 50-degree gap wedge allowed McIlroy to add another club to his bag. 'I sort of had to look at the top end of the bag then and how I was going to configure it,' he explained. While he did not discuss his driver during his press conference on Wednesday, McIlroy has switched to TaylorMade's standard Qi35. He also added two new fairway woods. 'For a while, I've been looking for a club that sort of carries 300 in the air,' McIlroy said. He added that many tour stops have fairways that pinch in around 310 or 320 yards, making driver a risky play, but that wasn't making him happy. 'My 3-wood, that's going like 285, 290, but guys that are shorter than me are hitting driver sort of 300 or 310, so I feel like I was at a disadvantage in some ways, even to like people that hit it shorter than me, depending upon the course setup.' Many pros have turned to mini drivers to create near-driver distance with enhanced accuracy, but McIlroy said he wasn't comfortable with them, so he's opted for a stronger-lofted 3-wood, a TaylorMade Qi35 with 15 degrees of loft. "And then, I've went from a 5-wood to a 4-wood. And that 4-wood sort of bridges that gap," he said. McIlroy's 4-wood is an 18-degree TaylorMade Qi35. But he wasn't done there. "Then, I've got the 3-iron that sort of replaces the 5-wood," McIlroy said, referring to a TaylorMade prototype 3-iron that looks like a recently-released P·770. "So I've got a club that sort of flies 260, a club that flies 280, a club that flies 300, and then the driver," McIlroyt said. "So that was sort of the reasoning behind them. It just sort of gives me more options off the tee, especially with being so comfortable at the other end of the bag with the wedges and hitting those three-quarter shots. It's nice to have those options up at the top end of the bag."
USA Today
13-02-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Rickie Fowler on changing and testing golf balls
Rickie Fowler on changing and testing golf balls After becoming a golf ball "free agent," Rickie Fowler tested several models and opted for the Titleist Pro V1. Six-time PGA Tour winner Rickie Fowler signed a golf ball and glove deal with TaylorMade in 2019 and started using the brand's TP5 ball that season. His feedback and desire to use a ball that had visual technologies while still allowing him to draw a line on his ball helped TaylorMade develop the Pix franchise. But at the end of 2024, Fowler's partnership with TaylorMade came to an end. He is still the face of Cobra-Puma Golf, but Fowler became a golf ball "free agent" because Cobra-Puma Golf does not manufacture or sell balls. At a Cobra event before the start of last week's WM Phoenix Open (which Fowler was forced to withdraw from due to illness), Golfweek talked with the five-time Ryder Cup team member about what he did to find his new ball, the 2023 version of Titleist's Pro V1. "I did a lot of testing at home and had a great time with the team at TaylorMade, tested stuff with them, tested with Bridgestone, with Titleist ... kinda seeing everything," Fowler said. "At the same time, I didn't want to make any adjustments on equipment. It was more: I know my stuff works, moreso, seeing and feeling how the ball, or which ball, would fit with that." Most recreational golfers underappreciate how changing golf balls can change the performance of your clubs. Premium golf balls are more similar off the tee than they are from the fairway and around the green, which is why in alternate-shot portions of team events, golfers nearly always tee off with the ball used by the player who will hit the second shot on par 4s and par 5s. In this case, Fowler was open to changing golf balls but did not want to make changes to his Cobra woods, irons and wedges, so he needed to find a ball that fit his existing setup. "Honestly, I probably could have went and played just about any of those balls from those manufacturers. I just felt like the '23 Pro V1 was the one that fit me the best." Titleist released the updated 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1x in January, but like many brands, Titleist keeps a large number of previously offered balls available to PGA and LPGA pros. You can still find the 2023 Pro V1 in stores and online retail sites, but they will become more scarce in the weeks and months ahead as inventories are sold and replaced by the 2025 models. While Fowler did not go into detail about the subtle differences he saw in testing from one ball to another, he clearly noticed how different balls reacted and performed. "There's small little differences with all the companies," he said. "Titleist has a bunch of different options on the tour level, and there's probably five different golf balls in that I could have played, but again, you're talking a couple hundred RPMs or launch conditions, little by little, and so very small differences. Until you're at a very high level, you don't get to see the difference."
