Why I Can See This Augusta National Gear Trend Continuing At The RBC Heritage

Prior to the first Major of the year, many notable players made adjustments to their equipment, with one trend being the increase of mini drivers at Augusta National.

In a field of 91, it was reported that around 25-30% had, or put, a mini driver in-play for The Masters, with the increase in popularity showcasing that they are becoming a more versatile and important option for the bag.

Justin Rose and Max Homa were just some of the names in contention with a mini driver in their set-up, while Tommy Fleetwood and Min Woo Lee also had the club in-play.

As we've alluded to previously, mini drivers are becoming more frequent on the Tour and, because of Augusta National being a draw-bias course, they remained a valuable asset to have in Georgia.

Now that The Masters is over, though, with Rory McIlroy defending his Green Jacket, a number of the PGA Tour's big names will take the trip to Hilton Head Island and the RBC Heritage.

Played at Harbour Town Golf Links, the $20 million Signature Event always brings a good field with it, and I believe most will have kept the mini driver in the bag following The Masters last week.

Although McIlroy won't be present at this week's tournament, taking a break and not competing at a course that doesn't suit his game, he has previously used a mini driver around the layout back in 2024.

Using a TaylorMade BRNR Copper, the six-time Major winner had it in the bag for his first round before taking it out of the set-up for the remaining three. It's the only time, we believe, he has used the model of club.

So, why do I think the mini driver trend will continue? Well, once again, it's down to the course set-up.

Harbour Town Golf Links is regarded as one of the shortest, and tightest, layouts on the PGA Tour calendar, with the 7,243-yard course possessing narrow fairways, small green complexes and overhanging trees.

Emphasis then, will be on precision rather than distance, which is why a mini driver will be so important this week, due to the fact it blends the accuracy of a fairway wood and the distance of a driver.

In fact, at last year's RBC Heritage, TaylorMade introduced its brand-new R7 Quad mini driver, which continues to be used by not just TaylorMade staffers, but equipment-free agents.

That can't be coincidence, can it?

A number of players, like Rose, Fleetwood, Sami Valimaki and Chris Gotterup have used a mini driver to win on the PGA Tour in the last 12 months, with many professionals jumping on the bandwagon.

This week, accuracy will be at a premium, and if players can get the ball in-play, then Harbour Town Links will, likely, yield another low winning score.