Irons used by golfers ranked in the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green

With all due respect to this week’s PGA Tour event, the Valero Texas Open, and with the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play completed, much of the golf world is focusing its attention on next week’s Masters.

The first men’s major championship of 2023 is shaping up to be an epic event, with stars such Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm having played well this year.

Augusta National Golf Club will test every aspect of each player’s game, but precision iron play will be especially important because it can help golfers set up birdie chances while also avoiding card-wrecking big numbers.

Below is the list of the 10 golfers who lead the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green – a statistic that measures how much of an advantage a golfer has over the field based exclusively on his play from the fairway – along with the irons those players are using.

10. Rickie Fowler, 0.827 Strokes Gained: Approach the Green

Cobra King Tour irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Cobra King Tour (4-PW), with KBS Tour C-Taper 125 S+ shafts

Shop Rickie Fowler's irons

9. Tyrrell Hatton, 0.857

Ping i230 irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Ping i230 (4-PW), with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X shafts

Shop Tyrrell Hatton's irons

8. Xander Schauffele, 0.886

Xander Schauffele’s Callaway equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

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7. Rory McIlroy, 0.929

Rory McIlroy’s TaylorMade RORS Proto iron (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: TaylorMade P730 RORS proto (3-9), with Project X 7.0 shafts 

6. Scottie Scheffler, 0.931

Scottie Scheffler’s golf equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Srixon ZU85 (3-4), with Nippon Pro Modus3 Hybrid Tour X shaft; TaylorMade P-7TW (5-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

5. Max Homa, 0.942

Max Homa’s Titleist equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Titleist T100•S (4), T100 (5), Titleist 620MB (6-9), with KBS $Taper 130 X shaft

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4. Jon Rahm, 1.002

Jon Rahm’s Callaway equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Callaway Apex UT (2), with Aldila Tour Hybrid prototype shaft; Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW), with Project X 6.5 shafts

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3. Tony Finau, 1.056

Tony Finau’s Ping equipment (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3), Ping Blueprint (4-PW), with Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 120 TX shafts

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2. Collin Morikawa, 1.095

Collin Morikawa’s TaylorMade irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: TaylorMade P•770 (4), P•7MC (5-6), P•7CM prototype (7-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

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1. Tom Hoge, 1.255

Tom Hoge’s Titleist irons (David Dusek/Golfweek)

IRONS: Titleist 620 CB (4), 620 MB (5-9), with Project X 6.5 shafts

Shop Tom Hoge's irons