There was a time when the top end of a tour golf bag followed a predictable layout that consisted of a driver, 3-wood, maybe a 5-wood at a push, and then straight into long irons. Anything higher lofted was often dismissed as a rescue option rather than a serious players’ club.
That’s not the case anymore.
There is an increasing trend of tour players using higher lofted clubs throughout their set-ups. It is most noticeably apparent when it comes to fairway woods.
More and more of the world’s best are turning to seven-woods and nine-woods, to deal with the challenges of modern golf.
It seems not even Augusta National Golf Club is an exception to this new way of thinking. And ahead of The Masters, Tommy Fleetwood offered some insight into why that shift has taken place.
How times have changed
Speaking about his set-up ahead of the tournament, Fleetwood didn’t hesitate when highlighting the importance of his higher lofted fairway woods and one club in particular.
“It’s a great 9-wood golf course,” the Englishman said when speaking to the media on Tuesday. “I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put a nine-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”
That statement alone shows how today’s professionals see the game. It’s a stark contrast to the stinger, long-irons of the Tiger Woods era.
It’s not uncommon for courses on the PGA Tour to reward towering approaches and soft landings, actually it is quite the opposite.
Augusta is the ultimate example of this. With the course set to be playing firm and fast this week, like the Masters of old, there seems to be a greater emphasis on launching the ball high and land it softly.
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“It’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit, but I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me,” Fleetwood said on the brink on the 90th Masters.
“I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”
Replacing the long irons
Are long irons a thing of the past?
Well, they look to be pretty scarce on the ground at this year’s Masters championship, that’s for sure.
“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me,” the 2025 FedEx Cup champion reiterated. “If I can put myself in position on the par-fives or the fourth long par-3, for me, I can’t really hit that high four-iron, so a nine-wood helps me a lot.”
Fleetwood isn’t the only one taking up this approach. The 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson also has a nine-wood in play this year.
The rise of higher-lofted fairway woods signals a subtle but significant shift in equipment philosophy. Of course, power still matters and has a big impact on performance, but that extra sense of control is also hugely important.
And as courses like Augusta continue to reward height and precision, it’s no surprise that players are rethinking what belongs at the top end of their bags.
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