Aaron Rai's 2026 PGA Championship Winning Bag: The Full Breakdown

By Bunker Ball Golf | Melbourne, Australia | Tour Equipment

Aaron Rai just won the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, and he did it with arguably the most unusual bag the major stage has seen in years. A seven-year-old driver. Iron headcovers on every iron. Two gloves. And Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips on every full-swing club in the bag.

The story of what Rai plays and why is genuinely worth knowing about, because it challenges just about every assumption golfers make about needing the latest gear to compete at the highest level.

The Full Bag Breakdown

Driver: TaylorMade M6 (9 degrees) | Shaft: Aldila Synergy Blue 70 TX

This is the story everyone is talking about. The TaylorMade M6 was released in 2019. That is a seven-year-old driver winning a major championship in 2026. Rai has used other drivers over the years but keeps coming back to this one because it suits his game. He was 4th in the field for driving accuracy at Aronimink, hitting 67 percent of his fairways including seven of the last eight on Sunday. Distance was 66th in the field. He did not care.

The lesson: equipment that works for your game beats equipment that is new. It is a point worth making to every golfer who feels pressure to upgrade because something newer exists.

Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 and 18 degrees) | Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Rai plays a 3-wood and 5-wood configuration rather than relying heavily on long irons. The Qi10 fairway woods have become one of the most-used models on tour and Rai pairs them with Fujikura Ventus Blue shafts, one of the most respected aftermarket wood shaft lines in the game. The Ventus Blue suits players looking for a mid-launch, mid-spin profile with strong stability through the tip.

Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (24 degrees) | Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX

This one is interesting for us. Rai uses a Mitsubishi Tensei shaft in his hybrid, which is in the same Mitsubishi family as the Diamana range we stock at Bunker Ball Golf. Mitsubishi is one of the two premium shaft brands we build with in our Sandringham workshop, and their consistency across the Tensei and Diamana lines is exactly why they are trusted at tour level. If you are looking at a hybrid or driving iron shaft upgrade, our Mitsubishi Diamana range is worth a look.

Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (5-9) | Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S300

The P7TW irons are a player's blade, co-designed with Tiger Woods' original iron shapemaker and popular among ex-Nike tour players including Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood. Rai plays them with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 shafts, which is the stiff version of the most-played iron shaft in professional golf history. Most tour pros use the X100 (extra stiff), but Rai plays S300, which shows again that he plays what works for his tempo and transition rather than what everyone else is doing.

And yes, he has iron headcovers on every single one of them. More on that below.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 and SM11 | Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300

Rai's wedge game inside 125 yards was described as his cheat code at Aronimink. His touch around the greens was the primary reason he separated himself from the field on Sunday. He plays a pitching wedge, gap wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge set at 46, 50, 54, and 60 degrees respectively, transitioning from the SM9 model to the newer SM11 at the start of 2026.

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour V

The Spider Tour V has become increasingly popular on tour in 2026. Rai made the switch to it last year and drained a huge birdie putt on the 17th hole on Sunday that effectively closed the door on the field. The Spider Tour V is TaylorMade's most forward CG mallet, giving it a blade-like feel with a flow neck for added face rotation.

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Here is the one we want to highlight. Aaron Rai won the 2026 PGA Championship with Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips on every full-swing club in his bag. The Tour Velvet is the most-played grip in professional golf worldwide and has been for decades. It is not glamorous, it does not have a cord insert or a fancy pattern. It is simply a grip that provides consistent feel, moderate traction, and a reliable connection between your hands and the club.

We stock the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 at Bunker Ball Golf, which is the Tour Velvet designed for adjustable clubs with a 360-degree non-directional pattern. If you want to play the grip family that just won a major, it is available from $28.99 and can be installed in our Sandringham workshop as part of a regrip or custom build.

The Iron Headcover Story: Why Aaron Rai Protects His Clubs

One of the most talked-about aspects of Rai's bag is the iron headcovers. He uses them on every iron, which is extremely unusual at tour level where fast access matters. The story behind it is genuinely worth sharing.

Rai grew up in a working-class family in England where golf was an expensive pursuit. When he was around seven or eight years old, his father bought him a set of Titleist 690 MB blades, spending money the family did not really have. His father would meticulously clean every groove after each practice session with a pin and baby oil, and then put headcovers on the irons to protect the investment.

Rai kept the habit. He now does it as a tribute to his late father and as a reminder of where he came from. It is one of the more humbling stories in professional golf, and it makes a valid point: protecting quality clubs is just smart. The habit that started from necessity became a discipline that carried him to a major championship.

What Aaron Rai's Win Tells Us About Equipment

A few things stand out from looking at how Rai is set up:

• New is not always better. A 2019 driver just won the biggest event in golf. If your current driver fits your game, trust it.

• Accuracy beats distance. Rai was 66th in driving distance and 4th in accuracy. He found more fairways than almost anyone else and it won him a major.

• The grip matters. The most fundamental point of contact between golfer and club is the grip, and the world's best golfers keep trusting Golf Pride Tour Velvet for that job.

• Premium shaft brands show up. Mitsubishi's presence in Rai's hybrid is a reminder that at the tour level, shaft quality is non-negotiable. Graphite Design and Mitsubishi are the two brands we build with at Bunker Ball Golf for exactly this reason.

• Look after your clubs. The iron headcover habit started as necessity. At the highest level of the game, Aaron Rai still does it. There is something in that.

Shop the Gear Inspired by the 2026 PGA Champion

While we cannot promise a major title, we can set you up with the same grip family Aaron Rai trusts and the same shaft brand he plays in his hybrid:

• Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grips from $28.99, installed in our Sandringham workshop

• Mitsubishi Diamana shafts, custom built to your length, adapter, and grip spec

• Vegan leather headcovers with 3D embroidery, because looking after your clubs is never a bad habit

Free shipping Australia and New Zealand wide on orders over $400. Questions? Email us at admin@bunkerballgolf.com.au or call +61420543303.