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Hideki Matsuyama has been in and around the PGA Tour for a long time now. However, it was not until he won the 2024 Genesis Invitational that he came into prominence. As previously mentioned, the Japanese golfer had been out of the Top 10 rankings for as many as 343 days. And what’s more, before winning in 2024, Matsuyama’s last victory came way back in the 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii. However, since winning in 2024, Matsuyama has been quite active and has continued his fine form this year, too. 

Playing at the 2025 Sentry, Matsuyama clinched the twelfth PGA Tour victory of his career. And with it, the Japanese became the most prolific PGA Tour winner, surpassing the likes of KJ Choi. In fact, he now has two more titles than Choi. 

Well, the emergence of Matsuyama did not happen suddenly. Taking a closer look at his early career, the Japanese golfer started to bloom between 2011 and 2017. During this time, he claimed fourteen international victories as a pro. And while Matsuyama is now looking to take the Hero World Challenge by storm, here’s a look at what equipment the pro golfer uses while trying to scale greater heights. 

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What competitive advantage is Hideki Matsuyama looking to gain with his setup?

Hideki Matsuyama chooses the Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5°) as his driver. This equipment, priced at around $500 (by Worldwide Gold Shops), has a  Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX shaft. Matsuyama is a Srixon golf player and thus always saves a corner in his bag for a few Srixon products. The driver that Matsuyama prefers is the Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS. And it is the lowest-spinning driver from Srixon. The driver also comes with a Rebound Frame’s Dual Flex Zone, which helps the golfer to focus more concentrated energy on the ball. That in turn increases the speed of the ball, resulting in a higher distance covered.

The Japanese golfer carries a  TaylorMade Qi10 3-wood as his fairway. While he is a Srixon staff player, he has chosen the TaylorMade Qi10 3-wood as his fairway. Priced at $350 (by Worldwide Golf), its unique design and crown cut frees up mass, helping in optimal weight distribution. It also has a 190cc head. Since 1979, TaylorMade has excelled in producing the best drivers. However, in the last decade, they have also found their ground in shaping some quality fairways with the carbon crown M2 range. 

Alongside the hot favorite of pros, a Matsuyama has exercised a unique choice when he kept a corner of his bag saved for Cobra King RadSpeed Tour 5-wood (17.5°). Priced at $129 (by Global Golf) comes with a myFly8 adjustable hosel. It’s their new technique incorporated to let the golfer choose the loft and change the lie angle according to the demands of the match play. The Baffler rail system of the Cobra King is known for smooth gliding on the course.

Hideki carries a full set of Srixon Z-Forged II irons (4-9i). Since the last few years, the performance graph of Srixon irons has been rising. Alongside Matsuyama, who is a Srixon staff player, Brooks Koepka has also chosen the Srixon irons. Matsuyama carries a set from  4 to 9-iron. And because he is a Srixon staff player, the irons have been particularly designed keeping in mind the demands of professional tour players like Matsuyama. They are made with 1020 Carbon Steel, and mid-height toe and heel allow weight to be strategically located while the golfer is taking a shot.

The Japanese PGA Tour golfer has Cleveland RTX4 Forged Prototype wedges in his bag. It’s priced at around $170. It has three unique features, which include the Hydra Zip, which helps in enhancing friction and maximising spin in varied conditions. Alongside that comes the Zip core and Ultizip, which help in increasing spin and distance.

Matsuyama prefers the Titleist Scotty Cameron Prototype putter to score his holes. The putter that is preferred by the Japanese star is very similar to the Scotty Cameron Super Select Newport. And alongside that, he uses Srixon Z-Star XV golf balls. Now, its for time time to reveal how his setup helps him in the upcoming Hero World Challenge.