How A Club Change Prior To The PGA Championship Helped Scottie Scheffler Secure A Third Major Title

Scottie Scheffler lapped the field at Quail Hollow, claiming a third Major title and first Wanamaker Trophy by a comfortable five strokes.

The World No.1 was on cruise control and, as it turned out, the 28-year-old also made a club change prior to his PGA Championship rout, opting to switch a 3-iron out for a 7-wood.

In terms of the club in question, Scheffler had the TaylorMade Qi35 7-wood built for him in February, prior to the Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines.

Interestingly, this isn't like any other 7-wood, as the club was actually built to the specs of a 5-wood, but with the launch and spin numbers of a 7-wood. This allowed Scheffler to hit a club that carried 240-yards, providing the optimal gapping from 3-wood down.

Speaking on Tuesday, the three-time Major winner stated: “This week (PGA Championship) may be more of a 5-wood week just because, like you said, the golf course is going to play really long.

"The rough is thick, and the run-up areas after this kind of rain are going to be really soft, and the greens are still going to be really firm because they’re new.

"You have to be able to land the ball up on the green. You can’t really run it up around this golf course. That’s one aspect that you’ve got to think about.”

The usual loft of a 7-wood is 21-degrees but, in the case of Scheffler, his fairway wood was bent 1-degree stronger to 20-degrees, with the shaft half-an-inch shorter than standard.

Scheffler used the club multiple times throughout the week, including during the final round, where he set-up a birdie at the par 5 10th. This was one of three made by the American on the back nine.

Along with Scheffler, the likes of Ludvig Aberg, Xander Schauffele and Joaquin Niemann are just some of the big name players to add a 7-wood to their set-up.

What's more, Scheffler wasn't the only TaylorMade staffer to make changes to his bag set-up recently. Collin Morikawa, for example, opted to put a 9-wood in his bag at the Truist Championship, which took place a week prior to the PGA Championship.

Like Scheffler, it was the TaylorMade Qi35 and, also like his fellow countryman, it's due to the fact Morikawa was aiming to hit a certain number and carry distance.

Searching for a club that goes around 220-225 yards, the two-time Major winner regularly switches between the TaylorMade P7CB and P770 4-iron, but instead opted for the 9-wood, due to it being more forgiving and consistent than the iron options.