Changing a driver or a putter is not unusual in golf. While many golfers like to commit to a single piece of equipment or brand for several years, others like to have options. But Rickie Fowler went a level ahead by changing almost all the equipment in his bag. And he has a valid reason to do that.
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“I love testing, and it’s not always me searching for stuff for myself. There’s plenty of that we do, and seeing are we in the best stuff possible? But I also like having a good understanding across the board, whether it be other irons, different shafts. Because I enjoy being able to get feedback from other guys,” Rickie Fowler told GOLF.com.
“I’ve always been an equipment nerd, golf nerd.”
This overhaul comes after several months of struggle.
The 6x PGA Tour winner’s 2025 season, while not disappointing, wasn’t fulfilling either.
Like 2024, he went winless last year, too. Plus, he only had 3 top-10 finishes and 9 top-25 finishes. Comparatively, he had a win, 8 top 10-finishes, and 18 top-25 finishes in the 2022-2023 season.
Now, after going winless for over two years, the American professional has decided to make some changes to his bag. He wasn’t the only mastermind behind it, though.
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PGA, Golf Herren The Open Championship – First Round July 20, 2023 Hoylake, ENGLAND, GBR Rickie Fowler looks on during the first round of The Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Liverpool. Hoylake Royal Liverpool ENGLAND GBR, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKylexTeradax 20230720_ojr_st3_198
Cobra Director of Tour Operations Ben Schomin was vetting every decision Fowler made.
The table below represents every change in Rickie Fowler’s bag:
| Club | Model | Reasoning |
| Driver | Cobra OPTM X (9° @9.7°, UST LIN-Q Powercore White 6-TX shaft) | New head shape input by Fowler. Also, the shaft is swapped from blue profile for a better feel and boosts efficiency. |
| Mini-Driver | Cobra King Tec Mini (13.5° @12.8°, Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX) | This is again, custom-designed for Rickie Fowler himself. It had a delayed bag entry for testing. |
| 5-Wood | Cobra King Tec Rail Proto (18° @ 17.7°, FF33 Setting: B3) | It replaces a 2022 LTDx LS 5-wood, adding rails for gliding through turf. To add to that is its short length that promotes a steeper attack angle. |
| Irons (4-PW) | Cobra 3DP RF (AeroTech SteelFiber 125cw shafts) | It has a forgiving tungsten design in King Tour shape. Thus, mishits are now 3-4 yards short vs. 7-8 yards he used to face previously. |
| Wedges | Cobra SnakeBite 54V, King RAW 58D (bent strong), Cleveland RTZ 60° proto | This one has an added offset for eye appeal. |
| Putter | Scotty Cameron GoLo Center Shaft proto (2012 model) | This is swapped L.A.B. DF for feel/straight shaft. |
| Ball | 2021 Titleist Pro V1 | Fowler returned to this because it offers better wind performance over the ’23 model. |
This equipment shake-up from his WITB in 2025 has already yielded results.
It correlates with three straight top-25 finishes to open the year.
The 6x PGA Tour winner kicked off 2026 strongly. He tied for 18th at The American Express with a score of 19-under par. Then he finished solo 18th at the WM Phoenix Open and 19th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Collectively, he earned over $475,000.
He’s now 36th in FedExCup standings and 69th in OWGR.
Rickie Fowler’s stats have also improved in 2026 because of the equipment change.
He is 31st in SG: Total, 75th in SG: Off the Tee, 20th in SG: Approach to Green, and 31st in SG: Putting. To compare, he was 75th, 43rd, 95th, and 77th, respectively, across the four categories in 2025. The numbers were even worse in 2024: 134th, 137th, 124th, and 66th, respectively.
However, the 2026 season has just started. So, only time will tell whether he can maintain this momentum and build on it. There’s one thing that could make it more challenging for the winner of The Players Championship 2015, though.
Rickie Fowler’s worrying medical condition
Rickie Fowler revealed at the 2026 WM Phoenix Open that shoulder bursitis and inflammation plagued him throughout 2025. This forced him to rely on pain meds and PRP injections throughout the year.
This health battle also explains his inconsistent form despite late-season top-10s.
Fowler described bursitis as causing fluid accumulation in the shoulder, leading to inflammation. He used to take Advil or similar medication to “take the edge off.” He underwent PRP injections in September 2025, sidelining him from golf for six weeks. This reminds us of a similar incident from 2018.
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DUBLIN, OH – JUNE 07: Rickie Fowler of the United States walks up the ninth hole fairway during the second round of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday at Muirfield Village Golf Club on June 7, 2024 in Dublin, Ohio. Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire GOLF: JUN 07 PGA, Golf Herren the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon240607063
In 2018, he faced the right oblique partial tear that forced withdrawal. Yet, he finished T12 at the 2018 PGA Championship.
While he didn’t win any event in 2025, and the start of the campaign was especially disappointing, he notched T7 at Memorial, T6 at FedEx St. Jude, and T7 at BMW Championship. Rickie Fowler finished 32nd in the FedEx Cup standings for the 14th playoff qualification. But to avoid similar issues, he prioritized healing in the offseason.
He is practicing less and focusing more on the quality of his sessions. He has made the equipment changes to improve his game and adjust to the training and new gameplay strategy. All that’s left to see now is how it all comes together.