Golf equipment has a short shelf life these days.
A driver is replaced, an iron line cools and suddenly a club you bought two seasons ago is considered “old”. And this is especially true for pro golfers who have unlimited access to the latest equipment.
But pros sometimes decide to keep their older clubs because they can’t find a replacement that will beat the original. The 2026 Presidents Cup bags show it’s a lot more common than you think.
Many players came to Medinah with club models they used more than five years ago. Some have stuck to a single fairway wood while others have looked at much larger portions of their setup.
With that in mind, these are some of the more interesting holdovers.
Patrick Cantlay: An old favorite surrounded by more old favorites
Cantlay could fill most of this story himself.
He has one Titleist 915F 3-wood from 2014, Ferri 718 AP2 from 2017 and Vokey SM7 Wedges of 46 and 52 degrees from 2018 in his bag. His iron installation changed to include a Srixon ZXi5 4-iron—the AP2 now goes from 5-iron to 9-iron—but the heart of it remains familiar.
The 915F is located near a current Titleist Driver (GTS4)but Cantlay continues to reserve a place for him. For what?
“Once you find one that you fall in love with, and you learn to trust it, guys don’t want to change,” Cantlay said. “I heard that Fred Couples used the same woman flex 3-wood for many years. And it’s just when you fall in love with a club like a 7-wood or a 3-wood, it’s hard to get out of the bag.”
The irons are just as impressive. Keeping an older specialty club is fairly common on Tour, but keeping most of an older set of irons suggests that the player remains comfortable with their shape, flight and distance control in a substantial part of the bag.
Justin Thomas: two fairway woods from different eras
Justin Thomas has upgraded a lot of equipment over the years, but his fairway woods have been much stickier.
When Thomas won the 2021 Players Championship with a Titleist TS3 3-wood and a 915 Fd 5-wood. The 3-wood is eight years and the 5-wood is 12 years.
The reasoning is specific to yardage gaps. For example, he said that the new 5 woods that tried to fly farther than he wants. His current one gives him a variety of shots. He said he can hit 230 yards when needed or carry it 265, which is a long range.
“It’s just kind of the perfect club for me,” Thomas said.
Thomas’ current bag also includes newer options at the top end, but those additions don’t automatically remove two clubs with established jobs. A fairway wood will produce fair flight from awkward and ideal lies. If an older boss gives a player the shot he wants, the appeal of a replacement will outlast a ball speed comparison.
Sungjae Im: a familiar hybrid and iron set
Moving on to the International side, Im’s crew loyalty extends far beyond a single wood.
I played continuously a 818 H2 hybrid for seven years despite hybrids going out of style on Tour.
I know iron T100, TSi2 driver, TS3 3-wood and Vokey SM7 60 degree wedges all date at least six years since he first used them.
The hybrid is particularly interesting because clubs at that end of the bag often compete with fairway woods and utility irons as players adapt to courses and conditions. Im looking at a place for a model I used six years ago, even while making changes around it.
I said he knows how high 818 H2 throws, how much it carries and how it behaves from different lies. In many cases like this, a newer hybrid might produce better numbers in an area, but create a gap between a player’s 3-wood and the longer iron.
Hideki Matsuyama: the wedges that keep turning
Matsuyama has been using Cleveland RTX 4 Forged Prototype wedges for nearly seven years. He is still using the same wedge model that he played during his victory at the 2021 Masters.
The Cleveland team says that Hideki rarely changes the 52-degree wedge sole, but regularly adds the 56 and 60. They can modify the width, the outlet and the relief without changing how the wedge looks at address.
There is also an Augusta connection. The Cleveland/Srixon R&D team said his love of wide wedges and low rebound soles reflects his focus on what works for him at Augusta National.
Closed thoughts
None of this means that golfers should ignore new equipment.
These players have made changes elsewhere in their pockets and a fitting can reveal a real improvement.
At the end of the day, professionals don’t just replace their gamers. The new club will offer a significant advantage.
Top Photo Caption: Justin Thomas looks on after hitting a shot with his 3-wood. (GETTY IMAGES/Keyur Khamar)
The place “Old” Club Presidents’ Cup players cannot drop out appeared first MyGolfSpy.
