Tommy Fleetwood is looking to bring a 9-wood back into his bag at Augusta National, saying the club suits the first major of 2026 and could help him on the course’s longest tests. Fleetwood said the setup he uses now works well for Augusta, and that the move is driven by the way the tournament has shaped his equipment choices.
“It’s a great 9-wood golf course,” Fleetwood said, adding that he has had the club in the bag for a few years. He said the biggest benefit comes on the par 5s and the long par 3 fourth hole, where he cannot really hit a high 4-iron. “The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me,” he said, explaining that it helps him get into position when the shot calls for more height and control than a standard long iron can provide.
Fleetwood also said he is regularly using a mini driver, another club that has become part of a wider gear trend at Augusta National in 2026. He said there are holes where he can draw the ball with the mini driver if he feels less comfortable with the driver, though he added that he does not always think that is the right play. That approach matters at Augusta National, which is widely described as favoring a draw off the tee, and it helps explain why players are testing different setups before the tournament begins.
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The equipment conversation has been active around several players. Justin Rose trialed a Callaway Quantum Mini Driver before The Masters and said he had been preparing for a few weeks, while also putting the mini-driver in play at The Players Championship. Max Homa appears to have introduced a Cobra King Tec mini driver into his setup, adding another example of the shifting club choices around Augusta. Bryson DeChambeau arrived at The Masters after back-to-back victories on the LIV Golf circuit, making him one of the other headline names entering the event.
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For Fleetwood, the decision is less about novelty than fit. He has used the 9-wood before, and he said the club meshes with the way he sets up for Augusta. That leaves a familiar question in the background of the week: if the course rewards these kinds of precise, specialized tools, how many contenders will lean into the same strategy before the final round is played?
