Five years ago, hybrids were still a regular part of bags on the PGA Tour. Even Rory McIlroy was using one.

Today, they’re almost nonexistent, with only three PGA Tour winners across 37 events carrying one for their victory this past FedEx Cup season.

On the PGA Tour, hybrids have been largely replaced by high-lofted fairway woods and a resurgent uptick in utility irons, thanks to advances in technology for both alternatives.

Yes, while 12 PGA Tour winners used a 7-wood in 2026 — four times as many as a hybrid — and one additional player (Alex Fitzpatrick) who plays a 9-wood, 14 players carried a utility iron.

But the really interesting trend is that while utility iron usage at the top end of the bag is still relevant, it’s growing in use for the top end of the iron set too. Of those 14 utilities that won PGA Tour events, four players used them to replace a 4-iron.

One of those players is World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who uses a 23-degree Srixon ZU85 utility iron in place of a traditional 4-iron.

There was also a major won this season with a player who didn’t even have a 4-iron in the bag at all!

Keep reading below for a breakdown of the hybrids and utilities PGA Tour winners had in their bags for the 2026 FedEx Cup season.

The winning hybrids and utilities during the 2026 FedEx Cup season

3-Hybrid: 1 win by 1 player

Viktor Hovland might have the most traditional hybrid use case of the three PGA Tour winners who used one.

At the Travelers Championship, Hovland played a 20-degree Ping G440 hybrid, replacing the Ping iDi 3-iron he normally plays. Basically, this club serves as a 5-wood/7-wood alternative for Hovland.

PING G440 Custom Hybrid

The G440 hybrids appeal to a variety of skill levels, each engineered to deliver different ball- flight characteristics – from the slightly fade-biased 2 hybrid for off-the-tee performance to the draw-inducing 5, 6 and 7 hybrids that help optimize gapping. They all share a new, shallower and thinner face design, which improves face contact for more ball speed and higher-launching shots that hit and hold the green.  FLIES HIGH LANDS SOFT Optimized launch and spin ensure distance with stopping power.  FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, optimize launch/spin and increase forgiveness.  ROUNDED SOLE  Ensures pleasing face angle in all hosel settings  CARBONFLY WRAP  Lightweight carbon crown saves weight to increase MOI, lower CG. 

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore

4-Hybrid: 1 win by 1 player

For the early part of the season and including his win at the Players Championship, Cameron Young and Titleist were experimenting with a unique hybrid concept. Young, along with Tom Kim, was playing this GT1 hybrid as a 7-wood replacement, but with a fairway wood shaft.

The oversized GT1 hybrid profile was the perfect club for this, and it proved useful for Young over the first few months of the season.

But, like many other hybrids, Young subbed out the GT1 for the new GTS3 7-wood when it became available for him at the Masters.

Personally, I would also call this a 3-hybrid and not a 4-hybrid since it’s 20 degrees and he clicks it down to 19, but there’s a “4” stamped on the hosel to match the lofts the typical GT1 user plays in their irons.

Titleist GT1 Custom Hybrid

$329.00 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Titleist

5-Hybrid: 1 win by 1 player

The only player to win this season on the PGA Tour without a 4-iron did so instead with a 24-degree Titleist 5-hybrid. While Rai was the only winner without a 4-iron this season, it’s becoming more and more common for players to drop the 4-iron for something more forgiving.

More often these days, that’s a 7- or 9-wood, but Rai is not alone in playing the 5-hybrid there.

Titleist GT2 Custom Hybrid

$329.00 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore, Titleist

2-Utility: 2 wins by 2 players

The ole 2-iron, even in Utility form, is just hanging around on the PGA Tour, with not a ton of use outside of links golf season.

Gary Woodland used his Wilson 2-iron to win in Houston, while Tom Kim played an 18-degree Titleist T200 in addition to a 5-wood to win the Scottish Open.

Titleist 2025 T250•U Custom Driving Iron

Distance never looked this pure. T250U Irons feature all the benefits of T250 with a build that can be paired with high-performing hybrid graphite shafts. It’s a powerful combination of speed, stability, and consistency with built-in versatility to attack the course from the tee or turf. All packaged in an ultra-clean design that players love.   Singular Design  High-strength steel construction allows powerful performance technologies to be discreetly housed within a sleek, modern design.  Elevated Speed  A new forged L-Face Design heightens ball speed and launch for astounding distance across the face. Enhanced Consistency Improved Max Impact Technology and a progressive groove design promote consistent carry, spin, and dispersion from any lie. High Flight & Stability  Split high-density tungsten produces optimal CG with high stability for more forgiving shotmaking. Iron Set Blending The U505 and T250U feature a player-preferred profile with minimal offset, allowing you to blend into the top end of a mixed setup seamlessly.

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore, Titleist

3-Utility: 7 wins by 7 players

This was by far the most common utility iron loft, coming in around 20-degrees.

Unsurprisingly, more players had 3-irons in the bag later in the year when conditions became drier and hotter. Winners this year included Scottie Scheffler (Srixon ZU85) in Memphis, the Champion Golfer of the year, Ryan Fox, who used a prototype Srixon ZXi5+ that we’re anxious to learn more about, Ricky Castillo (Titleist T350 prototype), Bud Cauley (Titleist U505), Steven Fisk (Mizuno 225 Fli Hi), Stefano Mazzoli (Callaway Apex UT) and Jackson Koivun (Titleist T250U).

Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi 2026 Custom Utility Iron

The Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi has become a fixture with the majority of Mizuno’s tour players. An easy launching, powerful long iron replacement that flows seamlessly into either the Mizuno Pro M13, M15 or full iron set. With a chassis now fully upgraded to 4335+ Nickel Chromoly for elevated ball speeds. INTERNAL TUNGSTEN WEIGHTING: 26 grams of weight low in the head for elevated launch compared to traditional long irons. HARMONIC IMPACT TECHNOLOGY: Applied to best match the vibration patterns Mizuno’s tour players identified with a soft muscle-back feel. INCREASED BOUNCE ANGLE: Increased by a degree for improved turf interaction.

$270.00 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Mizuno

4-Utility: 6 wins by 4 players

This one is the biggest growing trend on the PGA Tour. While many pros are replacing their 4-irons with players distance options, others are going one step further and going with utility irons.

Now, most aren’t going all-out with hybrid shafts, instead putting the same shaft as the rest of their iron set in these, but the extra prioritization of launch and forgivness at the pro level cannot be overlooked.

Along with Scheffler, who also uses a ZU85 at the 4-iron spot, Collin Morikawa (TaylorMade P-DHY), Jacob Bridgeman (TaylorMade RSi TP UDI) and Akshay Bhatia (Callaway X Forged UT), all used utility irons for their 4-irons this season.

TaylorMade P-DHY Custom Utility Iron

Shallower face height, increased sole width and longer blade length create a super forgiving and versitile long iron. Designed with a low CG for a mid-high launch and mid-range spin. INDIVIDUAL MASS OPTIMIZATION Featuring advanced thick-thin back wall construction, sound stabilization bar, and deliberately distributed mass to maximize forgiveness. Each iron is uniquely designed with every gram strategically placed to achieve specific performance goals with premium forged feel. OPTIMAL LAUNCH AND FORGIVENESS Designed to deliver easy launch, increased forgiveness and enhanced consistency. The new internal weighting structure combines with proven technologies such as the forged 4140 OptiFace, Speed Pocket™ and up to 26g of tungsten. THRU-SLOT SPEEDPOCKET The Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ provides increased face flexibility while preserving ball speed and distance on low face strikes.

$249.99 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore, TaylorMade

Total brand count

*Scottie Scheffler played two Srixon utilities at the FedEx St. Jude.

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