Rory McIlroy still has the first two golf clubs he ever used as a youth framed on a wall in his house.
“That’s how much they meant to me,” says McIlroy, who after an early introduction to the game would go on to win the under-10 World Championship at the age of nine.
McIlroy, now 29, is a four-time major champion and the former No. 1 ranked golfer in the world. He also now has his own club line, teaming with TaylorMade Golf to create 5- and 7-club sets designed to welcome beginning and developing players to the game as youngsters.
The ‘Rory’ line of junior clubs created by TaylorMade in collaboration with Rory McIlroyTaylorMade
“Growing up, golf was an extremely important part of my life,” said McIlroy. “It allowed me to stay active, enjoy the outdoors and have fun within a competitive sport.”
McIlroy, who signed a long-term equipment deal with TaylorMade in 2017, says the idea behind the Rory Junior Set is to provide an easy introduction to the sport so kids can have the “same opportunity I had to fall in love with the sport.” The clubs, which have the ‘Rory’ name emblazoned on them, incorporate many of the same technologies found in other TaylorMade products and are engineered with optimal lengths, lofts and shaft flexes for junior golfers.
The titanium driver, for example, has a 400cc head size and 16 degrees of loft – designed to be easy to hit and produce drives that launch high off the tee. There are also forgiving fairway woods and rescue clubs, stainless steel irons with two different lofts, a wedge and a putter. The sets will be available starting Dec. 7 in two configurations for boys (4+ and 8+) and one for girls (8+). The set for younger players has five clubs and retails for $299, while the 8+ set with seven clubs is priced at $399.
“We were looking for a gateway for young players to enjoy the game with product built specifically for them in mind,” said TaylorMade CEO David Abeles. “Having a role model like Rory McIlroy to support this new initiative, as well as a program like the PGA Junior League that encourages these youngsters to thrive in the sport, is crucial to encourage them to play well into their adult life.”
The ‘Rory’ line of clubs from TaylorMade has sets for boys and girls.TaylorMade
There were 2.7 million kids (ages 6 to 17) who played golf last year, according to the National Golf Foundation, and 33% of them were girls.
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