Rickie Fowler has a way of delving into the technicalities of his game when the results aren’t meeting his expectations. During the early rounds at the Riviera Country Club, while most were focused on the leaderboard of the Genesis Invitational, a few took note of a club that wasn’t anything like a standard driver. With the margins now extremely thin, Fowler appears to be looking into the smallest of details.
The shift is far more than just a small tweak as he tries to end a persisting title drought. Fowler has returned to a TaylorMade mini driver, a change which suggests a desperate search for control off the tee. This move back to a familiar mini head is the centerpiece of a larger shift that includes a move to Cobra’s new 3DP MB irons and a departure from his mallet putter in favor of a classic Scotty Cameron. Having spent the last year navigating a dip in form and facing a lot of criticism over his FedEx Cup standing, these moves signal that Fowler is eager for a turnaround.
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Notably, Fowler isn’t just changing brands. He’s essentially rewriting the template of his long game. At recent TGL matches and Tour stops, he was seen shifting from the DS-Adapt X driver he leaned on throughout 2025 for the new Cobra OPTM X. This suggests that Fowler is prioritizing a different launch window and spin rate, probably to find a more predictable flight path to navigate the narrow fairways of the Tour’s most challenging greens.
Additionally, Fowler has moved away from the slightly larger King Tour irons that carried him through his most recent seasons. He has replaced them with the recently launched 3D-printed MB models. Despite these radical changes, Fowler has kept one constant: his signature Golf Pride Z-Grip Align Max grips.
While Fowler’s bag is seeing a lot of change, he isn’t the only golfer looking for an equipment based resurgence this season.
Max Homa joins Fowler in equipment swap
Like Fowler, Max Homa entered the 2026 season looking to wash away the memory of a difficult year. Homa, who struggled to find his rhythm in 2025 with only two top-10 finishes and a disappointing 105th-place finish in the FedEx Cup, has also made the jump to the Cobra 3DP MB irons.
The stats tell a story of two players in a similar situation. In 2025, Fowler registered three top 10s and finished 32nd in the FedEx Cup, but his run drew scrutiny after he was awarded six sponsor’s invites into the exclusive Signature Events. Homa’s year was even tougher as he made just 15 cuts in 24 starts.
Now, as they both look to put behind the disappointments of 2025, only time will tell if these changes will translate into the trophies they so desperately want.
