Curious why so many pros you see on TV have a Cleveland wedge or two in their bag? You're not alone. While some brands are known for their drivers or irons, Cleveland has carved out a legendary reputation in the short game. In this article, we’ll look at the top-tier pros who trust Cleveland clubs for their biggest moments and break down exactly what models they're using and why.
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Why Cleveland Dominates the Wedge Game on Tour
Before we name names, it's important to understand why Cleveland is such a force, particularly with wedges. It’s not just about paying players to use their gear, it’s about a decades-long legacy of performance that pros trust when their livelihood is on the line. Think of it like this: for a tour pro, their wedges are their money-makers. These are the scoring clubs used for everything from full shots out of the fairway, delicate pitches from the rough, and tricky bunker escapes. Trust is everything.
Cleveland, for years, has focused on a few core principles that resonate with the best players:
Tour-proven shapes: Their wedge heads have a classic, compact look at address that appeals to a skilled player's eye. There’s nothing distracting or unusual, which gives a player confidence to be creative with their shots.
Aggressive Groove Technology: Cleveland is always at the forefront of groove technology. Their current RTX lines featuring ZipCore and UltiZip Grooves are engineered to be sharper, deeper, and closer together. For a tour pro, this means maximum spin and control, especially from wet grass or the rough, where performance can often drop off.
Grind and Bounce Options: This is a big one. Elite players are incredibly particular about how their wedge interacts with the turf. Cleveland offers a variety of sole grinds (low bounce, mid bounce, full bounce) that allow players to match their wedges perfectly to their swing type and the course conditions they face each week. A player with a steep angle of attack needs a different sole grind than a player who "sweeps" the ball.
Their longstanding Srixon/Cleveland/XXIO staff program, which features some of the game's biggest stars, is a testament to this performance, placing their clubs in the winner's circle time and time again.
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While many players under the Srixon umbrella use Cleveland gear, a few major champions stand out as marquee names who rely on these clubs for the most demanding shots in golf.
Brooks Koepka
Brooks is one of the most intense competitors in modern golf, and his equipment choices reflect a no-nonsense, performance-first mindset. While he is a Srixon staff player and plays their irons, his loyalty to Cleveland wedges is unwavering. You will almost always find a set of Cleveland RTX wedges in his bag.
What's in his bag? Brooks typically games a set of Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack wedges. The "Tour Rack" designation means these are raw, un-plated wedges that rust over time. Many pros prefer this because it reduces glare and they feel it adds a bit more texture to the face for extra spin. His setup usually includes:
Pitching Wedge (around 46°): Usually the PW from his Srixon iron set.
Gap Wedge (around 52°): A Cleveland RTX ZipCore.
Sand Wedge (around 56°): A Cleveland RTX ZipCore.
Lob Wedge (60°): A Cleveland RTX ZipCore.
For a player like Brooks, whose power game sets up wedge opportunities, having complete control over distance, trajectory, and spin inside 130 yards is non-negotiable. His trust in Cleveland is a huge marker of their tour-level performance.
Shane Lowry
The 2019 Open Champion is another Srixon staffer with legendary hands around the greens. His creativity and touch in the short game are world-class, and he leans heavily on Cleveland tools to execute those shots. Lowry’s bag is a great example of the full Cleveland-Srixon partnership.
What's in his bag? Lowry often has Cleveland wedges and, notably, has used a Cleveland putter for significant wins.
Wedges: He uses the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack wedges, typically in a 50° and 58° setup. Like Koepka, he opts for the raw finish. For a "feel" player like Lowry who grew up playing tough windswept links courses in Ireland, having a wedge that can produce different shots - low spinners, high floaters, and creative chips - is vital.
Putter: Lowry has had great success using a custom Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT putter. This shows that Cleveland’s expertise extends beyond just wedges. When you find a flatstick you trust, you stick with it, and Lowry's confidence with his Cleveland putter speaks for itself.
Hideki Matsuyama
The 2021 Masters Champion is well-known for being one of the most meticulous and demanding players when it comes to his equipment. He famously takes a long pause at the top of his swing, a move that requires total confidence and stability from his clubs. Matsuyama puts his equipment through rigorous testing before anything makes it into his bag for a tournament.
What's in his bag? Hideki is a full Srixon/Cleveland staffer, and his setup reflects his precision.
Wedges: He carries Cleveland RTX 4 Forged Prototype wedges. His lofts are usually around 52°, 56°, and 60°. The fact that he uses a "Forged" prototype is key, it speaks to his preference for the soft feel that comes from forged carbon steel. His wedges are tailored with specific sole grinds that allow him to open the face for delicate flop shots or keep it square for full shots without changing how the club sits on the ground. This level of customization is what top players expect, and Cleveland delivers.
Keegan Bradley
A PGA Championship winner and long-time Cleveland/Srixon staffer, Keegan Bradley often uses a mix of clubs from both brands. He is a fantastic example of a player who trusts the technology across the board, not just in the scoring clubs.
What's in his bag? While he plays Srixon irons now, he has been known to use Cleveland drivers in the past. It’s his wedge setup that remains consistent.
Wedges: He typically plays Cleveland RTX ZipCore wedges (often raw), much like his fellow staffers. For a great ball-striker like Bradley, the transition from his Srixon irons to his Cleveland wedges needs to be seamless in terms of feel, trajectory, and distance gapping. The reliability of his wedges allows him to swing aggressively, knowing he can control the result.
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It's Not Just About the Contract: The Free Agent Factor
Perhaps the biggest vote of confidence for Cleveland is the number of "free agent" players who choose to use their wedges. These are pros who don't have a full bag equipment contract, meaning they can play clubs from any manufacturer they want. When a player who is free to choose anything lands on a Cleveland wedge, it says everything about the club's raw performance.
You’ll often see players on the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and Korn Ferry Tour with bags full of different brands, but a Cleveland wedge (or two or three) sitting right there alongside them. They aren't getting paid to play it, they are playing it because they believe it gives them the best chance to score. That’s because, at the end of the day, consistent spin, predictable turf interaction, and a shape that inspires confidence are universal needs for a tour player. Cleveland consistently provides the solution.
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While the wedges get most of the spotlight on Tour, it's worth asking about the rest of the lineup. Why don't we see as many Cleveland drivers or iron sets at Augusta or St. Andrews?
The simple answer is brand strategy. Srixon is positioned as the tour-focused brand for irons and woods, with forged offerings and players’ shapes that elite pros gravitate towards. You can see this in the bags of all their staffers.
Cleveland, on the other hand, specializes in two areas:
The best wedges in the game for all players, from a tour pro to a 20-handicap. This is their core identity.
Game-improvement clubs for amateur golfers. Their Launcher series of drivers, fairway woods, and irons are highly regarded for their forgiveness and distance. While a tour pro might not need that level of help, these clubs are fantastic options for everyday players struggling with a slice or seeking more consistency.
Putters, like the Huntington Beach SOFT and Frontline series used by Lowry, continue to make gains on tour due to their innovative weighting technology and soft feel. It just proves that no matter the club, performance and feel are what earn a spot in a pro's bag.
Of course, picking the right wedge is only half the battle, knowing when and how to use it under pressure is what really separates scores. That’s exactly why I developed Caddie AI. The app acts as your personal caddie on the course, helping you with everything from club selection to shot strategy. If you're stuck in a tough lie, you can even snap a photo of your ball, and I'll give you clear advice on the best way to play the shot, removing the guesswork so you can play with total confidence.
Spencer has been playing golf since he was a kid and has spent a lifetime chasing improvement. With over a decade of experience building successful tech products, he combined his love for golf and startups to create Caddie AI - the world's best AI golf app. Giving everyone an expert level coach in your pocket, available 24/7. Caddie's mission is simple: make world-class golf advice accessible to everyone, anytime.
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