If you look at the PGA Tour data for 2025, the list of golfers who were the best on approach shots reads like a recap of the best golf we saw all season: Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, etc.
I wanted to dig in a little deeper to see if there were any meaningful similarities in the iron setups helping them attack greens week after week.
There was one clear trend that stood out almost immediately. Nine of the 10 best approach players in 2025 were using combo iron sets, something more amateur golfers should be paying attention to.
The common thread
Among the top 10 players in Strokes Gained: Approach in 2025, only one player did not use a traditional combo iron set.
That player was Tommy Fleetwood and even his setup tells a similar story.
Fleetwood carries irons only down to a 5-iron and then switches to a 9-wood to cover longer distances. The philosophy is identical to the rest of this group. Each club in the bag is chosen for a specific purpose rather than forcing one iron model to do everything.
For the rest of the list, the pattern is obvious. They all play with more forgiveness in the long irons and more precision in the scoring irons. Most transitions happening at the 4- or 5-iron.
Iron setups of the best approach players in 2025
| Player | Long Irons | Scoring Irons |
|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | Srixon Z U85 (3–4) | TaylorMade P7TW (5–PW) |
| Viktor Hovland | Titleist U505 (3) | PING i210 (4–PW) |
| Shane Lowry | Srixon ZXiU (3), ZXi5 (4–5) | Srixon ZXi7 (6–PW) |
| Collin Morikawa | TaylorMade P7CB (4–6) | TaylorMade P730 (7–PW) |
| J.J. Spaun | Srixon ZXi5 (4) | Srixon ZXi7 (5–PW) |
| Tommy Fleetwood | — | TaylorMade P7TW (5–PW) |
| Sepp Straka | Srixon ZXi5 (4–5) | Srixon ZXi7 (6–9) |
| Henrik Norlander | PXG 0317T (4–5) | PXG 0317ST (6–PW) |
| Ben Kohles | Titleist T200 (4–5) | Titleist 620 CB (6–PW) |
What this means for amateur golfers
A lot of amateur golfers choose one iron model and stick with it throughout the entire set. That’s not how tour players are thinking about their equipment.
These players have access to the best fitting in the world and the trend they’ve landed on is clear. One iron model rarely does everything well.
Even at the highest level, traditional player’s-style long irons are harder to hit consistently. Launch windows are narrower and the percentages these players are seeing are not strong enough to keep them in the bag. With how competitive things are on Tour, even small changes in accuracy or consistency will force a club out of the bag.
Why iron sets have changed
Not that long ago, iron sets were almost always sold as 4-PW. Today, it can be difficult to even find a 4-iron in many iron models.
Golfers are realizing that long irons and scoring irons are asked to do very different jobs. One needs launch and forgiveness. The other needs distance control and precision.
If you’re playing a 5-PW set and struggle with your 5-iron or feel like your 9-iron and pitching wedge aren’t giving you the scoring performance you want, there are options.
Why does Srixon show up so often?
It’s no coincidence that Srixon appears repeatedly among the best approach players in 2025. The brand designs iron lineups that blend exceptionally well across categories. Visual transitions are smooth. Offset and topline changes are manageable even for the best players.
That makes them ideal for building combo sets that feel cohesive rather than pieced together.
The final takeaway here is simple. The best iron players in the world are not afraid to admit that some irons are harder to hit than others and they build their sets accordingly.
Amateur golfers would be wise to do the same.
Frank
4 months ago
Problem is for us amateurs we don’t get to hit different irons in a fit at the different lofts. Its 6 or 7 iron and lets guess where to split the set.