Bryson DeChambeau may be about to make a major equipment change at Shinnecock Hills.
GolfWRX equipment insider Alistair Cameron spotted DeChambeau testing a prototype TaylorMade driver on the range this week at the U.S. Open, capturing the moment on video. Per GolfWRX, the club is a TaylorMade Qi4D Proto 200+ set at 7 degrees of loft, close to the 6-degree spec he runs on his current Krank Formula Fire driver.
Two versions of the prototype appeared on the USGA conforming list Monday morning, just hours before DeChambeau was spotted testing one on the range. That timing is notable. Clubs don’t land on the conforming list by accident — both versions have been officially cleared for tournament play.
Per GolfWRX, DeChambeau is testing the two-weight port version, with heel and toe weights of 10 grams each, not the second version which features an additional rear weight. The face has significant curvature, described as more bulge-and-roll than a standard Qi4D model — consistent with how DeChambeau has configured most of his clubs. He is also pairing the head with the newly released Project X Titan Black 70-gram TX shaft, a departure from his usual Project X Prototype D70.
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DeChambeau has gamed the Krank Formula Fire Pro LD since 2023, including his 2024 U.S. Open win at Pinehurst. The Krank has been cemented at the top of his bag through 2025 and into 2026, seeing considerable success on the LIV Tour. Replacing it at a major would be a significant move.
It wouldn’t be his first time with TaylorMade in the bag. After his Cobra contract was not renewed at the end of 2022, DeChambeau briefly played a TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus before landing on the Krank. He is no longer an ambassador for LA Golf, the brand he had partnered with to co-design a retail driver, which removes any conflict for a TaylorMade arrangement.
The switch hasn’t come out of nowhere. At the Masters earlier this year, DeChambeau told media he had been building his own clubs, saying “it’s my own personal clubs I’m building.” He went on to play Augusta with a 1-of-1 5-iron he designed and 3D-printed himself. Equipment experimentation has clearly been on his mind all season.
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Whether the prototype makes the bag for Thursday’s opening round remains to be seen. DeChambeau has always said the numbers have to be there for any change. Replacing a driver he won a major with is a high bar. Cameron said he would try to get more from DeChambeau directly — more details are likely to emerge before Thursday.
