'I'm not a tinkerer': Brooks Koepka's set-it-and-forget-it gear setup
For the first time since the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Brooks Koepka will tee it up in a non-major on Thursday at the Farmers Insurance Open. The return carries some nerves, but if there’s one thing the 35-year-old won't have to sweat, it’s complicating the situation with unnecessary changes.
For Koepka, control starts with one obvious variable: familiarity with what’s in the bag. Outside of switching drivers from the Srixon ZX7 to the Titleist GT3, Koepka's gear hasn't changed much in nearly four years.
Asked during his pre-tournament news conference if he'd considered testing new equipment leading up to the trek to Torrey Pines, Koepka offered the kind of answer you'd expect from someone with a static setup.
"I haven't really tested anything," Koepka replied. "I'm not a tinkerer. If something works, something works and I don't really switch up. I like everything that I've got in the bag."
That philosophy shows up most clearly in the long clubs—the ones that tend to expose uncertainty fastest. Koepka continues to lean on a 2016 Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron and a 2017 TaylorMade M2 3-wood, both relics by modern equipment standards, dating back close to a decade.
In an era where pros routinely shake up at least a few clubs in the bag, Koepka has never seen the point in following the same gear blueprint.
"I feel like I have a good understanding of the control, where the misses are," he continued. "I haven't really tinkered with anything, man. I like my bag setup right now.”
The Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron remains one of the more telling holdovers. One of the only Nike clubs still left on the PGA Tour—Tony Finau also plays a Vapor Fly Pro long iron—it offers Koepka exactly what he wants: a penetrating flight and precise feedback. There’s no mystery in how it behaves, which matters when tournament reps are at a premium. Even the Fujikura Pro shaft shows significant wear from years of use.
The same goes for the M2 HL 3-wood—a club long favored for its ability to produce a higher launch than the standard version, allowing Koepka to deploy it off both the tee and the turf without second-guessing.
Koepka doesn’t chase equipment gains; he leans on certainty. When he talks about "knowing where the misses are," it's less about perfection and more about predictability—something that comes in handy when you're nervous on Thursday or in contention on Sunday afternoon.
At Torrey Pines, with its demanding setup and premium on controlled ball flight, that mindset plays.