Ben Kohles Leads Tour Iron Play With Split Set Strategy

Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesBen Kohles currently leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Approach, and his equipment choices challenge the traditional view that elite iron play requires a full set of blades. According to MyGolfSpy, Kohles utilizes a split setup that pairs long irons (4 – 5) with cavity-back models while reserving cavity‑back irons for the mid‑to‑short range.airs long irons with cavity-back models while reserving cavity‑back irons for the mid‑to‑short range. This configuration defies the old assumption that only pure muscle heads can deliver precision on tour-level shots.According to MyGolfSpy, five of the top 10 iron players use blades in part of their setup. Data indicates that for golfers, the most telling selection is frequently the club placed in the bag above their 7-iron. Kohles uses Titleist T250s for his 4- and 5-irons, a model that scored 8.8 overall in MyGolfSpy’s player distance testing. From the 6-iron through the 9-iron, he switches to the 620 CB, a cavity-back model Titleist introduced in 2019.The Data Behind the Split SetMyGolfSpy’s testing provides concrete numbers that detail how the split approach affects top players. The T250, used by both Kohles and Keegan Kitayama, delivered results in distance categories during the 2026 player’s distance test. In MyGolfSpy’s 2025 player’s iron test, the P7CB achieved a score of 9.1 for both accuracy and forgiveness. These figures show that modern cavity-backs can match the precision of blades while offering more help on off-center strikes.Two weeks ago, during the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, MyGolfSpy applied the same timing cutoff used in its driver story to select the top 10 players from the Tour’s 2026 Strokes Gained: Approach‑the‑Green standings through that event. This metric quantifies the strokes a player gains or loses relative to the field on approach shots during each measured round. Shots played with wedges and hybrids are counted, though irons remain the most prominent factor in the calculation. The equipment listed comes from documented 2026 bags, ensuring the data reflects current tour usage.Why Fitting Matters More Than TraditionThe presence of cavity-backs in the long irons of top players indicates that fitting needs to address specific distance gaps rather than just aesthetic preferences. MyGolfSpy stated, “The Tour’s best iron players aren’t all playing blades, and the split sets are where the real fitting lessons live.” Accuracy accounts for half the overall score in the 2026 iron testing, based on Strokes Gained metrics. Forgiveness and distance each represent one-quarter of the total score, where forgiveness evaluates how consistently an iron delivers similar outcomes on mishits. A player like Kohles gains an advantage by using the T250 for distance on long approach shots while relying on the 620 CB for control on shots that require stopping power. Lessons for the Amateur GolferAmateur golfers often assume they need blades to play like the pros, but the numbers suggest otherwise. The 620 CB offers a design that helps players who might miss the center of the face more often than tour pros. MyGolfSpy’s testing shows that the P7CB maintains high accuracy even when forgiveness is a priority. This means a golfer can keep the ball in play more often without sacrificing the feel they expect from a forged iron. The split set strategy lets players hit longer distances with long irons while keeping control on shorter approach shots. MyGolfSpy’s robot data and thousands of shots from real golfers confirm that performance varies based on the specific club design.