The Fascination With What's In Rory's Bag

Rory McIlroy tees it up in South Africa to start 2017 and the continued intrigue over his clubs...intrigues.

Is it that he's a masterful ball striker and therefore folks are curious about what he uses?

Is it because he's trying a hybrid approach to his bag this year, courtesy of Nike who still pays him to wear their clothes and to fulfill a contract spoiled by their equipment-business exit?

Or is it that he actually is one of the few players who genuinely moves the needle and therefore, affects sales?

I vote for the last option. Either way, brace for no shortage of stories about what McIlroy uses, especially given the initial reaction to No Laying Up's report and news this week that McIlroy is suggesting his bag may be a revolving door, as Ryan Lavner notes.

“They are picked for this week but that could change week to week,” he told reporters Tuesday. “This is my first event with those clubs, so we will see how it goes this week.

“You never really know until you have a card in your hand, and at the end of the day, the person swinging the club is more important than the club itself.”

McIlroy said he tested clubs pre and post Christmas but then "wanted to go into the bush for a few days" on safari.

His bag is sporting Callaway irons and the Epic driver, Vokey wedges and an Odyssey putter. David Dusek with the bag details here and GolfWRX posted these images.

Dusek also profiled the O-Works putter that is believed to be under McIlroy's putter cover. And Matt Adams explained the technology behind the Epic driver on Morning Drive.