I spend a lot of time tracking the equipment that helps golfers close out championships. New releases get most of the attention but PGA Tour winners don’t always care about having the latest model in every spot. Here are three older clubs that found their way into winning bags in 2026.
Matt Fitzpatrick’s PING S55 irons
Matt Fitzpatrick continues to use PING S55 irons from 5-iron through 9-iron.
The S55 was released in late 2013, making these irons more than 12 years old. Fitzpatrick has already used them in multiple victories this season including the Valspar Championship. The S55 is a compact player’s iron with a tungsten toe weight for added forgiveness and a stabilizing bar designed to improve distance control.
Those are still useful traits today. Fitzpatrick has access to every new iron PING produces but replacing a club that delivers predictable yardages, familiar turf interaction and the exact flight you want is not always an upgrade.
Viktor Hovland’s PING Glide 2.0 lob wedge
Viktor Hovland won the Travelers Championship with a PING Glide 2.0 60-degree lob wedge that dates to 2017.
Hovland likes the squarer face, smaller heel and compact sole of the older design. However, this one needs some context. He is not playing the same worn wedge head that has been sitting in his bag since 2017. PING’s tour department can continue building and modifying heads to match the shape and turf interaction he prefers.
Keeping an older wedge design you trust is not the same as keeping worn grooves forever. We tested a wedge after simulating 75 rounds of wear with 500 bunker shots. Average spin on a 50-yard shot dropped from 7,021 to 3,737 rpm and carry consistency became significantly worse.
Love the shape and grind all you want but make sure the grooves can still do their job.
Aaron Rai’s TaylorMade M6 driver
Aaron Rai used a TaylorMade M6 driver to win the PGA Championship.
The M6 was released in 2019. It is not surprising that the M6 still has enough speed. It earned Best Distance in our 2019 Most Wanted Driver test, finished first in several distance metrics and ranked second in average Strokes Gained.
What makes Rai’s decision more interesting is that he is not against newer equipment. He uses modern fairway woods and continues to test what is available. The M6 continues to give him the launch, speed and control he needs. That is the real lesson here.
Don’t replace a well-fitted driver because the model number looks old. Replace it when testing proves something else performs better.
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