Spotted! The 2024 equipment being used on tour

It’s simultaneously the best and worst thing about this time of year – as golf’s various equipment manufacturers tease us with their yet-to-be-launched clubs by putting them in the bags of their biggest stars.

So what 2024 golf equipment are the biggest names in the game already putting to the test?

In the season finale of the DP World Tour, there were a number of new additions on show. Rory McIlroy made no secret of the fact he was testing the next TaylorMade driver, while Matt Fitzpatrick was another major winner with fresh kit in play in Dubai.

With the new year upon us, and the PGA Tour season about to get back underway, there’s plenty new kit appearing in player’s bags. 

So what else have we noticed during tour events as the year draws to a close?  

Spotted! 2024 golf equipment seen on tour

Let’s take a look…

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke driver

In the bags of: Emiliano Grillo

Well, this is exciting. You won’t need to wait too long to find out more about this driver, which was in Emiliano Grillo’s bag before the Sentry Tournament of Champions. As you can see, there’s a stunning pattern on the bottom of this Callaway club.

Also, you don’t need to look too hard to see that Ai features in this line, something which Odyssey employed to design their latest range of putters.

It’s not just the drivers, either, with some fairway woods making their way into player’s bags. You can see them below, along with a driver. We like the look of that gloss finish on the club head.

Check back soon, where you’ll find plenty more details on the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke range.

Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges

In the bags of: Jordan Spieth, Max Homa

Vokey wedges have the been the most popular choice on the PGA Tour for ten years, so it’s no surprise that Titleist’s latest creation follows the same script as previous SM generations.

Last year, seven of the world’s top ten golfers finished the year with a Vokey wedge in the bag and we can expect them to remain just as popular in 2024.

The SM10 wedges will make their debut in Hawaii, where Jordan Spieth, Max Homa and Tom Kim are among those who’ll be putting them in play.

TaylorMade Qi10 driver

In the bags of: Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood

The 2024 TaylorMade driver was put into competition play for the first time at the DP World Tour Championship by both Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood. But what do we know about the Qi10? Well, firstly the most notable thing is the 60X Carbon Twist Face is no longer red. It’s also got a sliding weight which sits on the sole close to the face. This will presumably add to CG adjustability to dial in shot shape. There’s also an adjustable weight at the back of the driver, so there seems to be a lot of potential for adjustability in this driver. 

Ping S159 wedges

In the bags of: Tyrrell Hatton, Harris English

Also seen on the tour last week was the new Ping S159 wedges. These have been spotted in the bags of Tyrrell Hatton and Harris English. Here’s what we can see. It’s traditional in shape, it comes in black and a chrome finish and it appears to have a slim insert that runs along the back of the club which will be for sound and feel. It’s a great looking wedge which I look forward to getting my hands on.

Ping PLD putter

In the bags of: Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton

The Englishman was also spotted testing a Ping PLD putter, which as you would expect, looks brilliant. It’s a really slick fang design, like the previous Tyne 4, with three white alignment lines on the top of the putter to frame the ball. The face, however, has changed from a milled design to a grooved design. It will be interesting to see how this performs when we get our hands on one.

Cobra Dark Speed driver and fairway woods

In the bag of: Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick

The usually colourful Cobra are going dark for 2024 with the new driver and fairway woods range.

Rickie Fowler used the Dark Speed driver to play in the Netflix Cup (don’t ask), while Matt Fitzpatrick unveiled his new Dark Speed fairway wood in Dubai.

One thing that’s clear is that this is a different colour scheme from the Aerojet line, as the new model looks to be an all-black design. It’s very different on the sole of the club, with what looks like a new PWR-Bridge weighting design. Its matte black finish looks great, replacing the raw carbon finish of the Aerojet. 

Ping G430 Max 10K driver

In the bag of: Cameron Champ 

Spotted this week with a new Ping driver was Cameron Champ. This looks like a Ping G430 Max at a glance, but it’s not. This is marked with a 10K and it also looks like the Carbon Fly Wrap has been added which has been seen in the Ping G430 LST driver and fairway woods.

Dropping in-hand photos of new drivers that surfaced at @TheRSMClassic. Let's start with Cameron Champ's @PingTour G430 Max 10K driver. pic.twitter.com/NwXZgxLEzC

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) November 14, 2023

It’s clean in shape and with the addition of the Carbon Fly Wrap there will be a lot of weight saved. It will be interesting to see where they have repositioned this within the club head. 

PXG Black Ops driver

In the bag of: Eric Cole

Rookie Eric Cole made a good run at the RSM Classic while gaming the new Black Ops driver. We went to see the new PXG setup in London and it’s seriously impressive – so if you haven’t considered putting this brand in play yet, maybe now is the time to do it.

Good chance soon-to-be Rookie of Year Eric Cole puts a new @pxg 0311 prototype driver in play at RSM.

Eric told me he saw a bump in speed (2-3 mph) and forgiveness during testing: "It's kind of an easy thing if you're getting more speed and they're just as forgiving." pic.twitter.com/6ygq04GA7S

— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) November 14, 2023

It’s safe to say we’re seeing a trend here, with brands ditching colour for a more neutral, stealth-like aesthetic on their 2024 golf equipment.

Excited? Us too. Keep an eye on bunkered‘s gear page and YouTube channel where we will keep you up to date with all the latest releases.

James Tait is bunkered’s Gear Editor. Want to know how the latest Callaway driver, Vokey wedge or Scotty Cameron putter performs? He’s the guy to ask. Better yet, just watch his videos on the bunkered YouTube channel. One of the biggest hitters in the UK, James also competes on the World Long Drive circuit and is a descendent of former Amateur champion Freddie Tait.

Gear Editor