Horschel’s change is one amateurs should take note for both of those reasons: getting help on mishits and hitting it higher.
We see it more and more each year with PGA Tour pros ditching unforgiving blade irons for more playable cavity-backs and even players’ distance options in the long irons. Who knows, maybe in a few years, the pure blade may even cease to exist, even on the PGA Tour.
That may be a ways off, but it’s still worth taking note of how many players are choosing irons that mitigate misses, rather than blades.
With added height, we see goals of faster green speeds and increased firmness around the country. Titleist believes the higher you can hit your golf ball, the better equipped you are to score in those conditions, and Horschel seems to be buying into that with the iron change and his continued use of the Pro V1x+.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
The switch also highlights a unique quirk of Horschel’s setup that he has used for years. For the last decade plus, Horschel has skipped a 4-iron in his set, going 3-iron, then 5-iron through 9-iron. In his previous set, Horschel had a T100 3- and 5-iron before going to the 620 MBs.
According to Titleist Tour Rep Nick Geyer, the 3-, 5-iron setup is done for gapping purposes. Going from 5-iron to 3-iron allows him to hit the ball speeds he needs without moving to a larger chassis. He plays weaker lofts through the bag, and having a touch less offset in a smaller iron chassis (than say a Titleist T150 or T250) suits his eye.
Horschel opened with a 77 at Yokohama Country Club, but rebounded Friday with a bogey-free 66 and has picked up more than 1.5 shots on approach.
Another 2025 UW convert
Perhaps Min Woo Lee’s most identifiable club is out of the bag this week at the Baycurrent Classic.
Lee added Callaway’s new Apex 2025 Utility Wood to the bag this week in Japan, replacing his trusty X Forged Utility iron.
Callaway 2025 Apex Custom Utility Wood
The Apex UW is designed for serious, avid golfers seeking the perfect blend of a fairway wood’s power and a hybrid’s versatility. Engineered with Tour feedback and loaded with performance technologies, it delivers a higher, more neutral ball flight with the control all players demand.
TUNGSTEN SPEED WAVE
A dynamic, 41g+ tungsten wave structure positions mass low and forward, enhancing ball speed and launch—particularly on low-face strikes where players tend to lose distance.
STEP SOLE DESIGN
A redesigned sole with a stepped geometry reduces turf interaction, helping to maintain swing speed through impact and promoting more consistent contact across different lies.
TRIAXIAL CARBON CROWN
The lightweight carbon construction allows for strategic weight redistribution, creating a more forgiving clubhead while refining launch and spin for greater shot-making control.
TOUR-INSPIRED SHAPING
Designed with input from the world’s best, the compact, refined shape and neutral face angle inspire confidence at address and deliver workability from tee to turf.
View Product
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway
While his previous 2-iron was a 19-degree head bent to 18-degrees, Lee’s new UW is a 21-degree hit with the goal of giving him a consistent 235-240 carry and a steep descent angle.
Lee even tested the club with the Fujikura Ventus Red 9-X shaft in an effort to find more height in order to land the ball softly into long par-3 and par-5 greens, but given that Lee plays both the Ventus Blue in his driver and 3-wood, he decided to stick with that in his new UW.
The new Callaway Apex UW is gaining momentum quickly after its release last month. Alex Noren already won with the unique hybrid of a hybrid and fairway wood and Max Greyserman currently leads the Baycurrent by four shots heading into the weekend with the new model as well.
Lee is T19, eight back of Greyserman through 36 holes after 65 on Friday.
Changes are brewing, but not yet
All in all, this week’s Baycurrent Classic and other worldwide events were fairly quiet on the gear front.
That’s not really a surprise or a coincidence.
For starters, with the Tour all the way in Japan, there was a limited number of Tour reps who made the journey to the other side of the world.
But the bigger factor is that 2026 gear is coming and the OEMs are in final stages of testing new clubs before giving them to their Tour reps to start seeding on the PGA Tour. You do have PXG already out on Tour with their new Lightning metalwoods, but for other companies who typically follow a January release schedule, their newest stuff is still yet to come.
Check this out
This section is dedicated to one cool photo we’ve snapped recently on Tour, but haven’t had a reason to share yet. For this week, check out this Camilo Villegas’ wear mark on his TaylorMade M4 fairway wood from 2018. Villegas is T12 after two rounds this week.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Odds and Ends
Some other gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.
Max Greyserman made a big change to his Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond driver this week. He flipped the heavy weight forward in the head and compensated by setting the driver to the N/+1 setting, adding a degree of loft, closing the clubface and making the driver more upright. He’s T3 in distance so far this week … As pointed out by SMS on Tour, Sergio Garcia is using a new Golfyr Maker Tour putter this week. Garcia has used a carbon putter model from the Swiss company before, trying one in February 2024.
3 things you should read/watch
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.
Why Fully Equipped Podcast co-host Jake Morrow can’t use these clubs anymore | Bag Spy – Take a look at the clubs GOLF’s Fully Equipped co-host Jake Morrow was using at the end of this season and how he’s ready to blow it all up again for next year.
