Question is, when was the last time that a 1-iron was used on the PGA Tour? Also, when did the initial decline of the 1-iron occur? When was it about 50%, 25%, 10%, etc?

My own opinion is that the 1-iron is alive and well in the evolved form of the modern day driving iron/utility club (not hybrid). TaylorMade, Callaway, Srixon, Titleist, etc all make driving irons used by professionals and amateurs alike. The number used to identify a club and the loft of the club are completely subjective when comparing equipment from different eras but the intended purposes remains the same.

Maybe at about the time that Lee Trevino proclaimed that, "Even God can't hit a 1 iron..." and before the year was over Lee was struck by lightning on the golf course. Be careful who you challenge!

Jimbo

You're probably right. I guess when I say 1-iron, I mean a 17* driving iron give or take. Wilson Staff has a 17* utility iron under the new Model Series that they labeled a 2-iron. So with that in mind, did the PGA Tour ever move away from the 17* driving iron, and did they just jump from a 17* 1-iron to a 17* 2-iron?

I was going to reply that they never went away, they just changed the number on them to a "2".

The 1 iron was never in the bags of most tour pros even back to the Hogan era. The most common bag set up was 3 woods, 2-PW, SW and putter. There was a big surge in 1 irons with the introduction of the Ping Eye 2’s which featured a 1 iron that even the less skilled could use (ask me how I know). It usually replaced the third wood in the bag. Several factors lead to the demise of the 1 iron. The lob wedge. Room had to be made in the bag for it. 2 and even 3 irons with the loft of older 1 irons. The hybrid. As others have said we have the modern driving irons, but they’ve come a long way from say a Wilson Staff button back 1 iron which was my unicorn when I was a kid.

When Joey Sindelarfinally took it out of the bag in 2005.

It died with the balata ball.

The current monstrosities that people are calling 1-irons are, in fact...not 1-irons.

when the rolls came out of the oven ...

the hybrid era knocked it out...but man nothing like a striped 1 iron on a links course....running...running...running...still running

This ^. When spin dropped it became useless really.

I guess the closest thing would be guys using a bladed 2 iron. Woodland used the Staff Model 2 iron (18°) last year. Tapio Pulkkanen on the European Tour still uses an Apex MB 2 iron right now. These are the only two I can think of right now.

Sandy Lyle: "For 15 years, it was a battle"Is there still a place for a 1 iron in the game?

No, the lowest iron I now carry is a 3. I am capable of hitting lower but there is not a lot of use for it now.

Back in the 80s and 90s it was a very useful club to take the spin off the ball, and the Balata balls were a high-spinning ball.

The Ping one iron really helped to keep the ball flight down. I could play all day with it and some days it would go 280-300 yards. Plus, I liked the flight.

Now the balls are designed to get a high launch angle without too much spin.

I had this discussion with Tiger a couple of years ago in China and he said I’d love to see you hit it now as you wouldn’t carry it more than about 190 yards as it would just drop out of the sky.

https://www.nationalclubgolfer.com/news/ncg-meets-sandy-lyle-2/

This

I have a Wilson staff 1 iron from the early 80's. I checked the specs and it's loft is equivalent to a modern 3 iron or 3 hybrid. So maybe the 1 iron died when club companies starting strengthening the lofts of irons to create extra distance.

Consequently this is also the exact logic as to why I always argue that a higher spinning ball would actually HELP lower speed ams. It would launch easier with more more height and carry for all long clubs. Even driver.

You and Nitram both nailed it in 2 separate posts. I still have and hit several 1 irons but then when doing so I am playing vintage golf with a balata or softer modern ball. But now days outside of the professional tours and top AM players how many 3 and even 4 irons do you see in bags now days ? I have even wussed out in my old age and am bagging 2 hybrids on the top end except when I play strictly vintage golf.

Sorta off topic but believe it or not I hit a modern Pro V higher off a persimmon driver than I do a balata also hit the same Pro V off the persimmon higher than I do a Srixon Soft Feel or Wilson Duo. Funny ain't it?

I remember Curtis Strange hitting an approach with a 1 iron in '88 or '89 in a playoff with Nick Faldo? in the US Open. I still have a Karsten I 1 iron I played for years, but, as noted, it is probably about the equivalent of a modern 3 iron.

Many things died that year in the late 90's:

Balata balls, 1-irons, pleated pants and Keith Richards (unofficially for the 3rd time)

When they started stamping them with a 2 or 3

I take this baby for a ride quite often ... I love its sound and resulting ball flight!

Those pics above remind me of my old 1-iron. Was a Hogan Apex II Black Cameo. Gives me the willies just thinking about it.

I’m still convinced that human evolution stopped in 1999 , went over the cliff and is headed back toward cave life. 100 % serious.

The millions of people that will never know the pleasure of a conversation near the fax machine.

Or how to send your squeeze a late night message on her beeper.

Or the fact that we used to leave the house and be un accounted for , for maybe 3-4 hours and nobody worries or cared. Last of the free days.

The most correct answer thus far is the ones stating that 2 and 3 irons are the same club as the old 1 irons. It is easy to compare today's lofts/lengths with the clubs from 90s and before. Second-biggest cause is the changes to the ball. Third is that hybrids replaced them, but at the professional level hybrids do not perform the same way as a low-lofted iron (utility or 2 iron today). Easier to hit but harder to keep down when desired.

I had a full set of those Hogan PCs shown above back in the late 80s. Loved them, that 1-iron was a joy to hit well (when things were working). Still have them stashed away somewheres...

I read an article (I think it was about maybe Oakmont's 600+ yard par five) that stated John Daly was gaming a Wilson 0 iron at one point. Supposedly he went driver, 0 iron to get onto that green in two during that US Open.

If someone has the full story or link to the article throw it up here.

Regarding today's clubs versus yesteryear's 1 irons; you can drive the weight in a club so low now with tungsten weights and moving weight to the perimeter they ought to be more popular. Plus keep in mind that at one point in time it was still pretty hard to center up a driver and get what you were after. A scalded 1 iron probably did not give up much in the distance department but had a fair bit more control. On a scruffy dry course hitting one about head-high and letting it run was probably the best play.