TaylorMade’s Adrian Rietveld on what it’s like to suit up with Rory McIlroy

Listen, if you’ve spent any time around a Tour truck, you know that the distance between a “good” driver’s rig and a “legendary” one is measured in fractions of a millimeter… and a lot of sweat. I recently sat down with TaylorMade Senior Tour Manager Adrian Rietveld, for an episode of The tournament was confirmedand what he broke down for Rory McIlroy’s switch to Qi4D it’s the kind of gold that keeps me up at night.

Rietveld, aka AD, has been a close friend since my WRX days and watching his evolution from a new hire in the US coming from the DP World Tour to the Alpha fitter on the TaylorMade truck has been one of the proudest things to witness in the industry. There’s nothing better than getting those messages early in the season when he’s had a breakthrough with a player or a new piece of technology. Passion and dedication are inspiring; honestly, a lot of what I know about this game comes from this guy and Callaway’s Kellen Watson. Podcasts like this really make me grateful again.

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Accuracy at 190 mph: ‘Rory the Robot’

Adrian began to peel back the curtain on the R&D process at The Kingdom. Imagine a robot specially calibrated for Rory’s delivery: 5 degrees up, top ball speed 180-190 mph. This is not just a car; is a simulation of a freak of nature.

The stress in the room was palpable. Adrian noted that at those speeds, a face angle discrepancy of just 0.2 degrees, a literal width, would send the ball out of bounds. It gives you a chilling estimate of how accurate Rory must be with his hands. When the robot finally started spitting out that familiar Rory flight, Adrian knew they were close. But “close” doesn’t win green jackets.

Sweet spot at 2400 rpm

For years, the “Rory Number” has been 2200 to 2400 RPM of rotation. Here he owns the air. The challenge with the new Qi4D architecture was to tighten the standard deviation without losing flight integrity.

Adrian described a session at The Bears Club where the data was almost unbelievable. We’re talking 190 mph ball speed with a spin deviation of maybe 150 RPM over dozens of shots. This is pure, unaltered consistency. It’s the kind of performance that makes a guy like Rory ditch his old man and never look back. In fact, Adrian mentioned that once Rory hit the final version of Qi4D, he no longer got his previous driver.

TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Driver

SHAPE FOR SPEED The re-engineered head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics developed through advanced simulations. FACE FOR DISTANCE 60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that provides weight savings, exceptional ball speed and more durability compared to a titanium face. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE The 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust the loft angle, reach and face for optimized flight. PROVEN TOUR TECHNOLOGY The new and improved Speed ​​Pocket™ cutting edge protects ball speed and reduces spin on low face shots. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-material construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed and stability.

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The “Harry Diamond” effect.

One of the most interesting points that Adrian made was about the visual evolution of the club. When they were viewing the finished pieces at Wentworth, Rory’s caddy, Harry Diamond, made a crucial observation. Harry noted that while the previous prototype was clean, the retail Qi10 had a distinct top line on the crown.

Rory was watching them both and Harry, who knows Rory’s eye better than anyone, helped bridge the gap. Adrian found it easy to bring both versions to The Bears Club for the final showdown. Harry’s involvement isn’t just about holding the bag; it’s about the second set of eyes that ensures the player doesn’t just see good numbers, but sees a look that inspires complete confidence.

Rory McIlroy’s Qi4D driver features

This is not an exceptional build. Every gram and every quarter inch was contested. Here’s the full breakdown of the big stick Rory used to conquer Augusta:

The architect of the top of the pyramid

Beyond the nuts and bolts of a driver, you have to look at the direction Rietveld has taken with TaylorMade. It is unprecedented. We’re talking about a guy who has simultaneously managed the bags of three of the best players in the world, a “Triple Crown of Fitters” that most of the industry can only dream of.

His record is not just about longevity; it’s about stability. Adrian has overseen a period where TaylorMade athletes have captured seven of the last nine Masters titles. Whether it’s Scottie Scheffler’s unmatched ball-striking, Tommy Fleetwood’s unique iron demands, or Rory’s pursuit of a career Grand Slam, Adrian is the common denominator. He’s gone from a “driver specialist” to a jack-of-all-trades, proving that the secret sauce at TaylorMade isn’t just the carbon, it’s the people who know how to tune it.

Emotional Connection

What I like about Adrian is that he is not just a “numbers guy”. He takes this personally. He spoke about the stress of “Chasing the Masters” and the 10 years of work that led to Rory’s latest success.

You can have all the robots and Trackman data in the world, but at the end of the day, it’s about a player looking down at a piece of carbon and feeling like he was “born with a driver in his hand.” Rory’s specific Qi4D setup, with that gray face and topline that helped Harry, was a collaborative build that started as an East Lake shell and ended up with a green jacket.

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