There was something wonderfully refreshing about watching Aaron Rai win the 2026 PGA Championship without a bag full of the most recently released equipment.
Going by what his peers have said following his victory at Aronimink, he is clearly a deserving and hugely popular winner. Xander Schauffele is just one of a number of players to praise his work rate, which fittingly got its reward in Newtown Square.
It is also refreshing to see that in an era of every new driver launch seemingly promises more ball speed, greater forgiveness and unmatched distances, Rai turned up with one from 2019.
Embrace new and old technology
The TaylorMade M6 driver has been a feature in his bag for some years now.
It’s a driver that drew quite the following when it was first released seven years ago. The NCG review team praised the M6 for its forgiving head and larger sweetspot across the face, which helped produce more ball speed.
Although, I doubt many, at the time, would have envisioned it being used to win a major in 2026. But, here we are.
Rai clearly trusts it and its longevity puts a reality check on the need to be constantly changing driver.
That is not to say new equipment doesn’t help. It absolutely can and in many cases does. This can easily be seen as an anomaly to the usually wins on tour that feature all the newest specs and models.
Fellow compatriot Lottie Woad won on the same weekend Rai lifted the Wanamaker trophy, with the new Titleist GTS driver in the bag. Even Rai himself uses the latest Vokey wedges and Titleist hybrid.
There is little doubt technology has improved massively over the years, and things like fittings are increasingly valuable with properly suited clubs helping golfers perform better.
But the idea that club golfers should be considering changing their clubs for every new release seems a bit unnecessary.
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Find what works for you
Those aren’t the only quirks to Rai’s bag. Oh no. You will have heard endlessly about his use of two gloves, since which have been identified as the MacWet Climatec Rain Golf gloves.
A unique look to many, but then golf does have an odd relationship with image and how you’re suppose to look on a course. Accessories like these are often a target for pointless judgement.
In addition to this, he is one of the few players on tour still using iron covers, which have somehow become almost frowned upon to use. But when you hear Aaron Rai’s reasoning for using these, it highlights how fickle that outlook really is.
He also uses castle tees and carries a five-hybrid. These aren’t conventional parts to a major winners set-up, but some of them are very personal to him, and that’s uplifting to see.
And really, this is what makes his set-up so enjoyable and relatable to regular hackers like you and me.
Some within the game may even turn their nose-up at it, but he’s a major champion and they’re most likely not.
His success is a reminder that this individualistic game we love, really is all about finding what works for you, no matter what anyone else may say.
Remember that when you’re playing your next club medal competition and sometimes the golfer with the iron covers, pink castle tees and older equipment may end up being the one lifting the trophy.
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