Ernie Els plays a bag that would look odd on the PGA Tour and makes a lot of sense on PGA Tour Champions. His driver is an XXIO, a Japanese brand built for moderate swing speeds. He carries no hybrids and uses four Srixon utility irons from the 2-iron to the 5-iron instead.
His official website lists the setup below. Golf365 published the same list, with the driver shaft added, after his win at Firestone. We could not find a dated 2026 tournament bag check for him, so this page shows the most recent consistent list and flags where sources differ.
Ernie Els's bag in 2026: full specs
| Club | Model | Loft / No. | Shaft | Shop | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | XXIO 13 | 8.7° | Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 60 TX | Check Price | [2] |
| 3-wood | XXIO X | 14° | Project X EvenFlow Blue 6.5 85X | Check Price | [1] |
| Utility irons | Srixon ZX Mk II Utility | 2–5 | KBS $-Taper 130X | Check Price | [1] |
| Irons | Srixon ZX7 Mk II* | 6–9 | KBS $-Taper 130X | Check Price | [1] |
| Wedges | Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack* | 52 MB, 56 MB, 60 LB | KBS $-Taper 130X | Check Price | [1] |
| Putter | Bloodline (model varies, see below) | — | — | Check Price | [1] |
| Ball | Srixon Z-Star XV (yellow) | — | — | Check Price | [1] |
| Glove | Srixon | — | — | Check Price | [1] |
* A Japanese tracking site (golfscale.jp, checked May 2026) lists Srixon ZXi7 irons and Cleveland RTZ wedges instead. That would be a straight model-year update, but we could not confirm it from an English-language tour source. In 2024 Senior Golf Source reported Srixon Z U85 utility irons and an 8.5° XXIO 13.
Els's shoes and glove
| Item | Brand / model | Evidence | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earlier shoe | Puma Ignite PwrAdapt | Last named model, reported April 2019 (Bag Notes). Too old to call a 2026 shoe. [3] | Check Price |
| Glove | Srixon | Per his official site. [1] | Check Price |
Shoe reports go out of date faster than club lists, so the date is the newest report we found.
Why a four-time major winner plays an XXIO driver
XXIO designs its drivers for players with moderate swing speed, with light overall weight and high launch. Els is in his late 50s and plays the Champions Tour, where the goal is to keep carry distance as speed drops. He still uses a tour-weight 60-gram TX-flex shaft in it, so this is not a soft, light build. It is a forgiving head paired with a stiff shaft, which is a common way for strong older players to get launch without losing control.
Four utility irons and no hybrids
From 2 to 5, Els carries Srixon ZX Mk II utility irons, which are hollow, iron-shaped heads that launch higher than a blade long iron. He uses no hybrids. Senior Golf Source notes he prefers the workability of irons. The utility irons share the KBS $-Taper 130X shaft with his ZX7 Mk II irons and his wedges, so the whole set from 2-iron to 60° uses the same steel shaft.
The Bloodline putter
Els has been a Bloodline Golf ambassador since 2018, and Senior Golf Source reports he has used the Bloodline R1-J blade since 2017. Bloodline putters stand up on their own, so a player can step back and check alignment. He has also been linked to a Bloodline mallet, so we list the brand rather than one model until a dated 2026 photo confirms which head is in play.
The yellow ball
Els plays the Srixon Z-Star XV in yellow. It is the same ball as the white version, just a different colour.
Bag history: how Els's setup changed
| Period | Driver | Irons | Putter | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | XXIO 13 8.5° | Srixon Z U85 utility 2–5 + ZX7 Mk II 6–9 | Bloodline R1-J blade | [4] |
| Current list | XXIO 13 8.7° | Srixon ZX Mk II utility 2–5 + ZX7 Mk II 6–9 | Bloodline | [1] |
What amateurs can take from Els's bag
- Forgiving head, stiff shaft. If you have lost swing speed but still have a strong transition, try a game-improvement driver head before you drop to a soft, light shaft.
- Utility irons are a real hybrid alternative. If hybrids hook on you, a hollow utility iron at the same loft is worth testing, as Els does from 2 to 5.
- One shaft through the set. Els uses KBS $-Taper 130X from the 2-iron to the 60°, which keeps feel and timing consistent.
FAQ
What driver does Ernie Els use in 2026?
An XXIO 13 at 8.7° with a Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 60 TX shaft, per his official site and Golf365.
What irons does Ernie Els use?
Srixon ZX Mk II utility irons from 2 to 5 and Srixon ZX7 Mk II irons from 6 to 9, all with KBS $-Taper 130X shafts. One tracking site reports a move to ZXi7 irons, which we could not confirm.
What putter does Ernie Els use?
A Bloodline putter. Senior Golf Source reports he has used the self-standing Bloodline R1-J blade since 2017.
What ball does Ernie Els use?
The yellow Srixon Z-Star XV.
Sources
- ErnieEls.com — What's in the Bag (official site)
- Golf365 — Inside Ernie Els' winning bag at Firestone
- Bag Notes — Ernie Els equipment history
- Senior Golf Source — Ernie Els WITB 2024