Equipment
Poulter chooses Odyssey White Damascus putter for The Open
Last week, Ian Poulter took to twitter to ask for help choosing a new putter for The Open Championship. (Click here to read our full story).
I am sacking my putter, I will use a new putter at the Open. Putter manufacturers please send me some to try to my IJP office please.
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) July 7, 2013
As expected, putter makers jumped on the opportunity to get their putters in the hands of the European Ryder Cup star, sending retail store-sized shipments to Poulter’s IJP offices.
Eight days after Poulter’s proclamation (10:08 p.m. local time at Muirfield), he was true to his word and confirmed on Twitter that he would switch to a new putter.
My putter is selected for the week. It is an Odyssey White Damascus. Rolling it very nice. Testing over for now. http://t.co/tU4ICJPr72
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) July 16, 2013
Poulter’s new putter is the same brand as his old putter, an Odyssey White Hot XG #7, but it’s a new model from the company.
The putter’s official name is “Odyssey White Damascus iX #1,” and while it has yet to be announced in the United States, but it has been publicized in Japan, where it is expected to be released in September.
Click here to see photos of the rest of the clubs in Poulter’s bag.
Odyssey’s Damascus insert on a White Damascus #9 iX9 HT putter.
According to a Callaway representative, the putter has an insert made of Damascus Steel, which is known for its almost mythical strength and has been used to make samurai swords for hundreds of years. The Damascus insert has Odyssey’s Metal X face pattern chemically milled into it, and another insert made of soft urethane insert behind it.
The back flanges of the Anser-style putter are made of tungsten, which Odyssey says moves the CG low and deep in increase the putters moment of inertia (MOI).
So what did Poulter do with the rest of the putters he was sent? According to his Twitter account, his staff will be in touch with putter makers and ship the putters back to them.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
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Blaise
Jul 22, 2013 at 5:03 pm
“high end” putters sell better in japan.. well that’s because the product is made for $50 in China an then sold for $540 in japan. so if that is how this club manufacturer is run it is a perfect example of why our economy is where it is today. you take these billion dollar corporations to China, take away the jobs from us, so no one has the money to buy these “high end” putters that realistically should sell for $150-$200.
J
Jul 19, 2013 at 9:06 am
Odyssey…
If its available there…it should be here. Plain and simple.
Shouldn’t have to pay duties to get a product from an American company.
Boooo…
Josh
Jul 18, 2013 at 11:46 am
Wow… according to some of you, I hope Poulter never tries to take the INSERT out and use it as a dagger or fashion it into a cannon. I certainly hope that he considered that much more than he did how the ball might actually feel to him coming off the face of the club.
BallzDeep
Jul 18, 2013 at 10:50 am
You guys are absurd. People all over the world drool over golf clubs made with BeCu, Terillium(sp?), urethane, aluminum, speed slots, circle T stamps, buzzing bee’s, white paint, etc. You wouldn’t do that on a cannon either. The fact that they have a tour player with 1.5 million Twitter followers who had an open tryout for the putter he chose for his most important tournament of the year probably means they’re going to sell.
I also think this is a way cooler way to intro a putter to the world than quite possibly the douchiest video of all time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jPxtHqj5hY
I’m not a Scotty hater at all, but this video makes me laugh so hard at the other tools in the room that buy into his magic.
golfa8
Jul 18, 2013 at 9:06 am
He should have tried the “Tank”. It fits his Ryder Cup profile.
Blanco
Jul 17, 2013 at 5:57 pm
Perfect putter for Poulter. Shiny ancient steel with cloak and dagger graphics– will go well with gold pants and a leather cape.
Ah thnxBlancO
Jul 18, 2013 at 3:55 am
Thanks Blanco for making my night. Poulter, couldn’t you have just walked out onto the practice green and found one? Drama dawgs and Englishmen
Hamkenstein
Jul 17, 2013 at 5:45 pm
I think it’s the decorative part that’s important here. That’s why the money is spent on bespoke/ custom finish putters. Not to much worry about a putter blowing apart.
MarkInChiTown
Jul 17, 2013 at 4:24 pm
Sorry to burst your balloon Odyssey, but Damascus Steel has for hundreds of years been known as very cheap and very unreliable steel. Its poor quality made it affordable, but very dangerous to use. Cannons made from
Damascus Steel were known to blow apart! You won’t be selling any of these in Europe, or the far east. I’m surprised you have no metallurgists on your staff. They could have saved you from making fools of yourselves…
BIG
Jul 17, 2013 at 4:28 pm
That’s what I’m saying. Lots of better steels out there.
Drew
Jul 17, 2013 at 1:28 pm
Hey Odyssey brand team…You talk about this steel being used to make samurai swords and then you go and put an English excalibur sword on the sole?
Odyssey_PM
Jul 17, 2013 at 2:25 pm
A couple points of clarity since there seems to be some confusion here:
– We never said this wasn’t being released in the United States. Stay tuned. Why Japan first? There is a much larger high end market for putters there. We have roughly 50% market share there and sell $500+ putters in droves. Retailers in the U.S. will not stock them because US consumers won’t spend that much except in limited numbers.
– Damascus has been used by expert metallurgists for thousands of years in daggers, swords and all sorts of other executions. Samurais were not the only ones that used this type of metal.
– Things are changing…the fact that we even allow tour players in the U.S. or Europe to use a putter that we’d sell predominantly in Japan is a big change. We saw a guy shoot 59 on the Web.com with one this past week and we another player choose one here.
Seriously…stay tuned. We might surprise you with how we operate now. To pass on us because of actions in Callaway or Odyssey’s past is big mistake. All we can do it is prove it to you.
BIG
Jul 17, 2013 at 4:03 pm
I work for a knife company and I can tell you there are a lot of better steels than Damascus. Damascus, while quite a bit more expensive, is more decorative than anything.
Matt
Jul 18, 2013 at 12:16 am
Yeah America’s economy has been sucking for the last five years and I’m sure that’s put a hurting on the high end putter market. Can’t say I blame you guys for taking new products to the Japanese market first. Hey but for the record I love my new low end white hot pro #9.
Tony Lynam
Jul 22, 2013 at 9:28 pm
And to add, Damascus refers to the legendary sword makers in the middle east (whose stamp looks like a Star of David). We have those stamps on our Marine NCO and Officer swords (the Mamaluke).
Matt
Oct 2, 2015 at 2:03 pm
+1 to Tony. Know this is an old article, but author needs to get this kind of thing right. Damascus steel is 100% a medieval steel from the middle east, hence the name… Damascus is the capital of Syria… Damascus steel was NOT used to make samurai swords. Tamahagane or other specialized steels were used in Japan.
Also, BIG, while you may have worked for a knife company, they probably did not use true Damascus steel. Modern Damascus is generally made simply by folding the metal during the forging process so a “water” pattern forms. Also see “Wootz steel” and “Crucible steel” for other similar metals found in different areas of the world. The forging process of ancient Damascus has been lost to time, though certain metallurgists have set out to try and recreate the composition. It is NOT a brittle metal, but in fact was known for being extremely strong while having great flex to it. There were actually carbon nanotubes present in the original composition, well before nanotechnology was in place.
Basically, everyone above Tony is COMPLETELY WRONG in what they are stating…
Nice try haters, but you are simply misinformed.
-Matt
Displayname
Jul 17, 2013 at 11:55 am
That insert/face combo looks AWESOME! Could finally be a replacement for my old White Steel insert. Bring it to the US and bring back the SRT 2 ball and I’m sold!
Ben Hudson
Jul 17, 2013 at 7:49 am
Viral marketing – 1
the rest of us – 0
shanked
Jul 17, 2013 at 12:08 am
I understand that Japan has a large market, but seriously?!? We get stuck with Versa while they get these? I’d game that any day of the week. Maybe I need to tweet out that I’m looking for a new flat stick…
gunmetal
Jul 18, 2013 at 12:39 pm
You can game this when it gets released to Japan. It will cost you $549 but that’s what they pay for it in Japan.
NB
Jul 16, 2013 at 11:13 pm
Pretty cool putter picked by poulter, he should ebay the other ones he didnt select and donate it to charity though. Then he could choose new clubs constantly and make lots of donations.
J
Jul 16, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Sick!
It’s still frustrating that an American Company release product in Japan WAY before if ever at all in the United States.
Pretty serious turn-off when it comes to buying Callaway.
Blaise
Jul 16, 2013 at 11:26 pm
agreed. maybe that’s why i dumped my odyssey for the american made bettinardi
john
Jul 16, 2013 at 11:27 pm
the market for golf clubs in japan is so much larger that it would be silly not to release things there first…they sell to a year round market of a much greater percentage of golfers/population, they can sell it for more AND they get to see what sells and what doesn’t over there before bringing it here. on a side note, most of the stuff is made in asia so its already over there anyway…its been happening for years and EVERY company does it…callaway, taylormade, and even TITLEIST…you can find all the stuff online if you’re willing to pay
optumus
Jul 17, 2013 at 12:05 am
actually, scotty putters are milled in socal, not china
AndyJ
Jul 18, 2013 at 9:55 am
Actually Scotty’s putters are made in Mexico
J
Jul 17, 2013 at 12:14 am
At least release it here.
Philip Nielsen
Jul 18, 2013 at 10:55 am
Good point, I think people on here forget that these club manufacturers are companies lol.
Philip Nielsen
Jul 18, 2013 at 10:55 am
Good point, I think people on here forget that these club manufacturers are companies seeking profit lol.