When Scottie Scheffler showed up at Royal Portrush, there weren’t many questions about how he’d play. He’s already won a major this year and he needed this one to get one step closer to the career grand slam.
But there was one subtle change that separated this week from the last major he won. When you’re dealing with links golf, firm turf, and coastal winds, that one small move can make all the difference.
A driving iron vs. hybrid/fairway wood week
Earlier this week, we took a deeper look at how pros approach bag setup for The Open Championship. At most Tour stops, you might see a few tweaks, an extra wedge, a mini driver, maybe a loft adjustment. But at The Open, those small decisions suddenly carry more weight.
The question that came up repeatedly this week: driving iron or hybrid?
Some players wanted more height into firm, elevated greens. Others prioritized control and trajectory management. It’s not always an obvious answer.
The one change that mattered
There was one difference between the setup he used to win the PGA Championship and the one he used to win The Open:
He took out his 7-wood and put in a 3-iron.
It’s a small change on paper, but a big one when you look at how Royal Portrush plays. The 7-wood, which helped him earlier in the year with soft landings and high approaches, wasn’t the right fit for this venue. He needed something flatter, more predictable, and better suited for the ground game. The 3-iron delivered.
What’s so special about the Srixon ZU85?
Scheffler already had the Srixon ZU85 4-iron in the bag at the PGA Championship. For The Open, he added the 3-iron version, giving him even more flexibility off the tee and into longer holes.
The ZU85 is a forged, hollow-body design that’s built to blend distance, forgiveness, and feel. It features:
- Soft 1020 carbon steel construction for a smooth, forged feel
- A clean address profile that inspires confidence but still looks like a “real” iron
- And a hollow interior that helps launch the ball high while keeping the spin down
It’s built for players with speed who want control. On a windy links course? That’s exactly what you need.
The full set of clubs Scottie Scheffler used to win The Open
Here is the complete WITB from Scottie Scheffler’s Open Championship win:
- Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (8°), Fujikura Ventus Black 7X
- 3-Wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15°), Fujikura Ventus Black 8X
- Irons: Srixon ZU85 (3, 4), TaylorMade P7TW (5–PW)
- Wedges: Titleist SM8 (50-12F, 56-14F), SM8 WedgeWorks (60-06K)
- Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X
- Ball: Titleist Pro V1
- Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Final thoughts
Scottie Scheffler didn’t need to overhaul his bag to win The Open. Could he have won with a 7-wood in this bag? There are probably very few people who would bet against that. Scheffler is not much of a tinkerer when it comes to clubs.
When your game’s that dialed in, small changes go a long way.
OpMan
11 months ago
“The 7-wood, which helped him earlier in the year with soft landings and high approaches, wasn’t the right fit for this venue. He needed something flatter, more predictable, and better suited for the ground game.” —–
INCORRECT.
He needed something that would get down into the long grass easier. The 7wood would not go down in there enough.
Not that he needed anything to get down in there, he was barely in the rough LMAO
OpMan
11 months ago
Oh, and seeing as there was barely any wind nor rain most of the week, he probably could have played the 7wood if he felt like he needed to hit one higher, but again, he didn’t need to as the greens were not that firm nor fast.
Other than some long grass in some spots, it played like a normal Tour stop