The 2023-24 PGA Tour season may already be underway, but with the new year here we thought we’d take a look back at some of the top performing players of the 2022-23 season, and more specifically, what clubs they played with. 

Our Best of the Season series continues with the best iron players on the PGA Tour. Which players give themselves the most scoring opportunities and find the green in regulation most often? Which clubs do those players use? Let’s take a look.

*All WITB information courtesy of GolfWRX.

Strokes Gained: Approach to Green

Player Average Clubs
1. Scottie Scheffler  1.194 Srixon Zu85 (3,4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
2. Collin Morikawa 1.012 TaylorMade P7CM
3. Xander Schauffele 0.880 Callaway Apex TCB
4. Jon Rahm 0.878 Callaway Apex TCB
5. Tony Finau 0.789 PING Blueprint
6. Gary Woodland 0.741 Cobra KING MB's
7. Rickie Fowler 0.740 Cobra KING Tour
8. Rory McIlroy 0.721 TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto
9. Tom Hoge 0.706 Titleist T100 + Titleist 620 MB
10. Tom Kim 0.655 Titleist T200 (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)

TaylorMade takes home the honors for most popular manufacturer among the PGA Tour leaders in Strokes Gained Approach to Green with three players. While Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy each play their own prototype model, Scottie Scheffler games the P7TW’s. Callaway, which tied for 2nd with two players in the top 10 using their irons, had the most popular individual model with both Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele each gaming the Callaway Apex TCB’s. While combo sets are becoming more and more popular these days, interestingly enough, only four players in the top 10 used any sort of combination.

Greens In Regulation Percentage

Player Percentage Clubs
1. Scottie Scheffler 74.43% Srixon Zu85 (3,4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
2. Peter Kuest 73.39% Srixon Z-Forged II
3. Ludvig Aberg 73.33% Titleist 718 T-MB (2), 2019 T100 (4-9)
4. Kevin Yu 72.61% Callaway Apex TCB
5. Russell Knox 71.69% Srixon ZX5 Mk II (4-6), ZX7 Mk II (7-9)
6. Doug Ghim 71.51% Titleist T200 (4), T100
7. Collin Morikawa 70.99% TaylorMade P7CM
8. Will Gordon 70.82% Callaway Apex '24 CB
9. Tyler Duncan 70.80% Titleist T100
10. Luke List 70.78% PXG 0311 ST

Strokes Gained factors in several variables for its calculation, but in a much simpler way of looking at elite iron play, let’s take a look at Greens in Regulation percentage. Titleist was the most popular manufacturer in GIR Percentage with three players among the top 10. Titleist also tied for the most popular model as its T100’s were played by both Doug Ghim and Tyler Duncan. Ludvig Aberg does play T100’s, but used the 2019 version for most of the year, though he has recently made the switch to their latest line. After being the most popular model in Strokes Gained, the Callaway Apex TCB’s tied for the top spot in GIR percentage as well with Will Gordon and Kevin Yu each playing them. 

Fun Fact
Garrick Higgo had the longest consecutive Greens in Regulation streak with 36 in a row! He plays Titleist T100’s.

Proximity to Hole

Player Average Distance Clubs
1. Lucas Glover 32'7" Srixon ZX5 Mk II (4), ZX7 Mk II (5-PW)
2. Ludvig Aberg 33'4" Titleist 718 T-MB (2), 2019 T100 (4-9)
2. Russell Henley 33'4" Titleist T100 (4-9)
4. Russell Knox 33'7" Srixon ZX5 Mk II (4-6), ZX7 Mk II (7-9)
5. Collin Morikawa 33'9" TaylorMade P7CM
6. Ryan Armour 34'0" PXG 0311 P Gen 4 (4-9)
7. Ryan Moore 34'2" New Level 902-OS Forged (4-PW)
8. Jon Rahm 34'9" Callaway Apex TCB
9. Chez Reavie 34'10" New Level 623-CB (5-PW)
10. Viktor Hovland 34'11" Titliest U505 (3), PING i210 (4-PW)

Finding the green in regulation is important, but the scoring opportunities will be limited if players aren’t giving themselves realistic opportunities at birdie or better on the putting surface. Lucas Glover led the PGA Tour with an average proximity to the hole of 32 feet and 7 inches, nearly 10 inches closer on average than next best. As for the most popular manufacturer, there was actually a three way tie between Titleist, Srixon and New Level. Titleist isn’t surprising as its one of the most popular manufacturers on the planet. Srixon isn’t all that surprising either as their ZX5 and ZX7 lines have been very popular recently. But New Level definitely catches your attention with both Ryan Moore and Chez Reavie on staff with them. Moore actually used to play the same 623 CB’s as Reavie, but recently made the switch to their 902-OS Forged series. While there wasn’t a most popular individual model by itself, the Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 Mk II combo sets from Lucas Glover and Russell Knox are as close as it gets to a consensus, but not by much.