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Our founder, Erin Blakely, caught up with Darren Clarke and his caddie Keith Nolan at the recent Chubb Classic, where the Northern Irishman finished third. It’s been two years since we last engaged the 2011 Open Champion, and it’s always an honor to engage with a gentleman of the game.
Since we last spoke, “Clarkie” has had a new-looking bag, substituting everything except his Pro V1 X golf balls. Let’s see what has changed.
Darren Clarke WITB 2025 Quick Summary
Driver: Titleist GT3 (9.0 degrees) with Fujikura Ventus with Velcore Blue 6-X Shaft
Fairway Woods: Srixon ZXi (13.5 and 15 degrees) with Fujikura Ventus with Velcore Blue 6-X shaft
Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4-5); Srixon ZXi7 (6-PW)
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (54, 58, 60)
Putter: L.A.B Golf Super Stroke with TPT Golf Putter Shaft with a SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 1.0 golf grip
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Darren Clarke Quick Facts Table
| Birthday | August 14, 1968 |
| Birthplace | Dungannon, Northern Ireland |
| Age | 56 years old |
| Year Turned Pro | 1990 |
| Tournament Wins | 22 Wins |
| Major Wins | The Open Championship 2011 The Senior Open Championship 2022 |
| Senior World Ranking | 21 (as of February 2025) |
| Sponsors | The Abaco Club Bahamas, NFP |
Darren Clarke WITB 2025 Full Breakdown
Driver: Titleist GT3 – (9.0 degrees)
When we last got up close and personal with Darren’s bag, he was swinging the TaylorMade Stealth Plus.
Now he’s switched to the smooth feeling, fast GT3 with 9 degrees of loft and has almost hit 90% of his fairways in three events so far in 2025.
Fairway Woods: Srixon ZXi – (13.5 & 15 degrees)
Clarke’s caddie Keith mentioned that his pro was trialing the ZXi woods, but as you can see in the image, they look a bit worn. The five-time Ryder Cup participant is thorough in his research but seems to be enjoying the strong fairway wood setup.
The 13.5-degree is a standard strong 3-wood, but it looks like he weakens the loft on the 15-degree wood to make it play like a seriously strong 5-wood instead of a weaker 3-wood.
Long Irons: Srixon ZXi 5 – (4 – 5)
In 2023, the former Ryder Cup captain was playing a hybrid and utility iron, but it seems he reverted to a traditional setup. There are no rescue clubs anymore, just fairway woods and irons.
“The Prince of Darkness” opts for the more forgiving ZXi 5 long irons because he gets that added launch across the face.
Mid & Short Irons: Srixon ZXi 7 – (6 – PW)
Staying with Srixon, Darren turns to the more playable ZXi 7 irons for mid-range and shorter shots. The new ZXi 7 irons get the nod over Clarke’s previous P7MC, providing the same level of playability but more forgiveness on approach. Based on his stats from the first three tournaments, the “nicest man in golf” will need some assistance on approach this season.
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ – (54, 58, 56 degrees)
Cleveland remains “Double D’s” preferred wedge manufacturer, except he’s now playing the RTZ range. He has three wedges in the bag, giving him versatility on pitch, chips, and bunker shots. It appears the change is working for him as he sits among the top 20 players on the Tour Champions for scrambling after three tournaments.
Putter: L.A.B Golf OZ1 – (SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 1.0 Grip)
L.A.B Putters continue to grow in popularity on tour five years after first debuting in Adam Scott’s bag.
Darren Clarke has joined the club, stroking a L.A.B Golf OZ1 putter with a thicker SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 1.0 grip. “Clarkie” has always been a bullseye with the putter, and that continues with his new OZ1, placing him in the top 10 on tour for putts per round and overall putting average.
Ball: Titleist Pro V1X
The Pro V1X is the second Titleist product that Darren plays, and it’s the only item that he retains from the last time we caught up. Despite being slightly firmer in design than the Pro V1X, Clarke enjoys the higher ball flight and sharper descent, which suits the target golf approach on PGA Tour Champions courses.
Darren Clarke WITB 2023
Last time we caught up with Darren Clarke with WITB photos he was carrying:
Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (8 degrees)
3 Wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (13.5 degrees)
3 Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19.5 degrees)
Utility Irons: Srixon ZX (18 degrees)
Irons: TaylorMade P7MC (4-PW)
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50-10 Mid, 54-12 Full, 58-10 Mid)
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Tour Only T5.5 Putter
Final Thoughts on Darren Clarke WITB
Dunlop brands dominate Darren Clarke’s bag in 2025 after previously relying on TaylorMade. Besides his driver and putter, every club in his bag is either made by Srixon or Cleveland. The only item to remain consistent is the Pro V1X golf ball that continues to give the 2022 Senior Open Champion long game distance and greenside spin.
Incidentally, his 2022 victory at Gleneagles was the last time that the Dungannon native lifted a trophy on the PGA Tour Champions.
Do you think Clarke will end his winning drought in 2025? Let us know in the comments. Keep reading with more what’s in the bag articles listed below, including Bernhard Langer, Steve Alker, Paul Stankowski, Vijay Singh, and more!
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Clubs Does Darren Clarke Play With?
Driver: Titleist GT3 (9.0 degrees) with Fujikura Ventus with Velcore Blue 6-X Shaft
Fairway Woods: Srixon ZXi (13.5 and 15 degrees) with Fujikura Ventus with Velcore Blue 6-X shaft
Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4-5); Srixon ZXi7 (6-PW)
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (54, 58, 60)
Putter: L.A.B Golf Super Stroke with TPT Golf Putter Shaft with a SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 1.0 golf grip
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
What golf ball does Darren Clarke use?
Darren Clarke prefers to utilize a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball.
