With the PGA Tour heading to the Far East for the annual trip to Japan, one of golf’s best equipment markets, what better time to check out some of the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) clubs that GolfWRX spotted on Tour this season? From the latest tech to Hideki Matsuyama’s almost 20-year-old driving iron, and everything in between, see which clubs made the trip across the Pacific to North America.
Matsuyama’s mega utility iron
Plenty of parts about this club really stand out about the Srixon ZR Forged UTI, and of course it had to be Matsuyama testing it out at the 2026 U.S. Open.
Starting with what might be one of the thickest toplines, the nearly two-decade-old club features a high-rebound face for increased distance and a hollow head for improved directional stability. The sole is almost completely flat with a sharp leading edge and notch in the cavity for some trailing-edge relief. The 3-iron head that Matsuyama had also features a lot of offset.
The design was Srixon’s first utility-type iron and also might have one of the most unfortunate names. This could be why the ZR Forged UTI was never launched in the U.S.
Gotterup’s Bridgestone Cavity
Chris Gotterup added a recently released Bridgestone B-Forged 100CB 4-iron in the bag for the playoffs. Its compact cavity-back design gives the three-time winner a little more forgiveness when needed, which, with his length, isn’t that often.
The design incorporates a thicker version of Bridgestone’s “Impact Core,” which increases the mass directly behind the striking area to manage vibration. The sole of the iron includes relief on the toe and heel trailing edges to maintain stability through the turf and promote consistent contact from a variety of lies.
The club also incorporates Bridgestone’s “Biting Face” technology, a specialized sandblasting treatment that creates a rougher surface texture to increase friction, across the lineup.
Stenson’s Legacy sticks
Some more oldies: Henrik Stenson is still using his Callaway Legacy Black irons, which he has been hoarding in his garage ever since they went in his bag in 2013. What’s cool about these irons is that it was actually Roger Cleveland who helped design them, alongside Callaway Japan, and they were Endo Forged from S20 Carbon Steel. These were in the bag for Stenson’s 2016 Open win, and he used them again this year at Royal Birkdale.
Callaway’s X Forged evolution
Originally launched to the Japanese market, the X Forged irons gained popularity in 2024 on the DP World Tour, the Asian Tour, and on the ladies’ KLPGA and JLPGA tours. As Callaway tour reps noted globally, better players took a strong liking to the new Japan-only X Forged irons because their tri-sole construction improved turf interaction across various grass conditions, along with the one-piece 1020-carbon feel and the high-toe look at address.
So in 2025, Callaway brought that version of the X Forged iron to the U.S., only for a new 2026 JDM version to start popping up in PGA Tour bags. The most significant update to the 2026 model is the transition from S20C to the softer S15C carbon steel. Not only did we see the newer version, but we were also treated to a torched edition, which Min Woo Lee tested out at Shinnecock Hills.
Along with the custom finish, the X Forged star heads were spotted in the bag of Kevin Roy at the Bank of Utah Championship. The Star heads feature a slightly thicker topline and a wider sole. They also come with stronger lofts than the core X Forged model, upwards of 3 to 4 degrees depending on the iron.
And the X Forged lineup wouldn’t be complete without some wedge options, and those were found in Caleb Surratt’s and Chris Kirk’s bags. The X Forged wedges also come in the softer S15C carbon steel and feature a very simple shaping.
Odyssey’s Tri-Beam hosel
It would be Japanese club design without something a little wacky. Kaito Onishi’s Japan-only Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Mini features the unique triangular “A-shaped” Tri-Beam hosel. The design is said to increase off-center stability, while reducing head twisting and improving a user’s face control.
