Last updated 7.7.2026.
Throughout his career, Ernie has showcased one of the most naturally powerful and fluid swings in golf. Long celebrated as a ball-striking maestro, this season his biggest weapon has surprisingly been his putter. Look out, old guard—Ernie’s on a tear, and that yellow ball is rolling hot. In 2025, he captured the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
Let’s take a look into his bag setup. Els has been a loyal XXIO/Srixon/Cleveland (all owned by Dunlop) player since he first joined the Champions Tour five seasons ago.
| Club / Category | What’s in Ernie Els’ Bag | Key Insight |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | XXIO 13 Driver (8.5°) | Smooth, forgiving, and easy to launch—perfectly suited to Els’ effortless swing. |
| Fairway Wood | XXIO X 3-Wood (14°) | The topline resembles the popular TaylorMade SIM2 fairway woods frequently seen among PGA Tour players. |
| Irons | Srixon ZX Mk II Utilities + Srixon ZX7 Mk II Irons | A split set similar to Shane Lowry’s setup, blending forgiveness in the long irons with precision and feel in the scoring clubs. |
| Wedges | Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore | Instead of the common Vokey setup, Els relies on Cleveland’s spin-focused RTX 6 ZipCore wedges. |
| Golf Ball | Srixon Z-STAR XV (Yellow) | Els prefers the high-performance yellow version of the Z-STAR XV, proving yellow is the new white. |
| Overall Takeaway | Forgiveness + Feel | Ernie Els’ bag is built around easy-to-hit, premium equipment that balances forgiveness, consistency, and shot-making control. |
Key Takeaways:
- For those looking for well-made and forgiving gear and yet not familiar with the XXIO brand, you need to go demo Ernie’s woods. Smooth. Like his swing. Currently, he’s hitting the XXIO 13 Driver with 8.7 degrees loft.
- The toplines on his XXI0 X 14-degree 3-wood remind us of the omnipresent TaylorMade SIM2 metal wood you see the gear-free agents play on the PGA TOUR.
- His iron set-up looks very similar to recent PGA TOUR winner Shane Lowry – a split set featuring easier-to-hit ZX Mk II utility long irons and the super soft Srixon ZX7 Mk II mid-short irons.
- Vokey? Nope. His bag features Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedges.
- Golf ball. The Big Easy plays with a big yellow Srixon Z Star XV. For Ernie, yellow is the new white. And playing the new white means banking lots of the ol’ green.
DRIVER: XXIO 13 Driver, 8.7 degrees
FAIRWAY WOOD: XXIO X 3-wood, 14 degrees, EvenFlow Blue 6.5 85x shaft
IRONS: 2-5 – Srixon ZX Mk II utility irons with KBS S-taper 130X shaft | 6-9 – Srixon ZX7 Mk II irons with KBS S-taper 130X shaft
WEDGES: Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack wedges 52MB, 56MB, 60LB with KBS S taper 130X
PUTTER: Bloodline Golf
BALLS: Srixon Z Star XV (yellow)