Nelly Korda, the world’s top-ranked golfer and 2021 Olympic gold medalist, recently changed drivers and is competing in the Grant Thornton Invitational this week alongside partner Daniel Berger using a yet-to-be-released TaylorMade Qi35 driver.
Korda, who was named the LPGA Tour Rolex Player of the Year on Monday, averaged 270 yards per tee shot last season using a 10.5-degree TaylorMade Qi10 Max driver equipped with a Mitsubishi shaft GT 60 S. It ranked 40th for driving accuracy with 75.75 percent.
Three TaylorMade drivers have been added to the USGA’s list of compliant driver heads, making them legal for play, and the model Korda appears to be using this week at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., is the TaylorMade Qi35 Max. How do we know? The standard Qi35 has one circular weight in the sole positioned behind the leading edge, and the Qi35 LS has two circular weights in the sole behind the leading edge. In the photo, the Korda driver does not have a circular weight in the sole, but he does have a weight in the back of the head, and this matches the information and photos released by the USGA.
Meanwhile, Akshay Bhatia put a Callaway Elyte driver in play last week at the Hero World Challenge and the club is still in his bag this week as he competes in the Grant Thorton Invitational with his partner, Jennifer Kupcho. Both men shot 59 points in scrimmage on Friday and enter Saturday’s second round in second place.
The USGA recently added four Callaway drivers to its list of compliant driver heads and the model Bhatia uses is an Elyte Triple Diamond. Callaway products that carry the “Triple Diamond” name have historically been low-spin clubs aimed at elite golfers. Bhatia won the Valero Texas Open using a Callaway Rogue ST MAX last April to earn a spot in the field at the 2024 Masters and he finished the 2024 PGA Tour season averaging 299.8 yards per tee shot. It ranked 34th in driving accuracy (65.5%).
Typically, major brands make new equipment available to professionals and elite players several weeks before it is added to the USGA’s list of compliant driver heads, and then players benefit from events like the Hero World Challenge and the Grant Thornton Invitational to see how they perform in competitions. Then, during the first few days of January, companies like Callaway and TaylorMade officially announce new clubs and start selling them in late January or early February.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Nelly Korda and Akshay Bhatia use new Grant Thornton Invitational drivers