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Matteson bags two TaylorMade SLDR Minis at Texas Open

Published

11 years ago

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Troy Matteson carded a respectable even-par 72 in the opening-round of the Valero Texas Open today. The score positioned him in a tie for 31st at the time he finished. Of more interest to equipment junkies, however, is this bit of trivia: the Georgia Tech alum played the opening round with two TaylorMade SLDR MiniDrivers in his bag.

Of further interest: Matteson is using one of the two Minis (the 12-degree version) from the fairway. He has been using the other SLDR Mini, a 10.5-degree model, from the tee.

Certainly, it’s a curiosity when a PGA Tour professional elects to go with the dual driver setup, as Phil Mickelson did at the 2006 Masters. However, it’s perhaps more interesting when a player decides to use what is technically a driver as his fairway wood.

Reportedly Matteson feels the 10.5-degree driver affords him as much distance as his previous gamer. Today at least, that wasn’t the case. Matteson averaged just 282.5 yards off the tee, whereas he has been averaging around 295 for the season. However, he was significantly more accurate off the tee in his opening round than he has been thus far this season. Matteson found 64 percent of fairways today. His average hit percentage entering this tournament is just 52 percent. Further, he hit just 55 percent for the 2013 season.

Obviously, there is the danger of a small sample size here and comparing driving distances from week to week doesn’t tell the whole story. Further, given the wet conditions today, Matteson’s shorter driving distance isn’t surprising. It’s unlikely, too, that the lack of roll out is the sole cause of a 12 percent uptick in driving accuracy.

Thus, we’ll have to see what Matteson does for the rest of the week.

Regarding the 12 degree: The Rockledge, Florida native feels the club gets airborne as well as a traditional fairway wood. Presumably, it carries farther as well.

Given this fact, it will be interesting to see if more TaylorMade employ the services of the MiniDriver from the fairway.

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Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

13 Comments

13 Comments

  1. stacker

    Mar 31, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    I was on the range on Saturday. Its not a 430. That pic isnt right. Its the size of a true fairway

    Reply Report comment

  2. Jonathan

    Mar 28, 2014 at 9:22 pm

    Why has nobody pointed out the obvious here? Comparing the two heads in the picture, it’s clear that the 10.5 is much larger head than the 12 degree. The 10.5 is not a “mini-SLDR”. It’s believed to be the next series of drivers from TaylorMade called SLDR S-class. You can easily see it’s anywhere from 430 – 460cc. Let’s get more pics of that 10.5!!! That’s the real story here with this picture!

    Reply Report comment

    • Bob Gomavitz

      Mar 29, 2014 at 2:55 pm

      I think you pretty much nailed it….10.5 head has the sliding weight for sure and is bigger. The 12 seems smaller and not sure about the sliding weight. Notice how the horses were not shown….glue in I bet for both and I bet the SLDR-S series is grey with a glue in shafts

      Reply Report comment

    • Chris

      Mar 29, 2014 at 3:42 pm

      His caddy is one of my best friends. I talked to him about this the night after this article was posted. The 10.5 is 275cc. He said that Troy was probably going to have the van build him one that’s between 8 and 9 degrees rather than stick with the 10.5.

      Reply Report comment

    • Jon

      Mar 29, 2014 at 5:50 pm

      Not even close to 430-460cc. If you would take the time to look at some of the post on the SLDR mini you will see the 10.5* Mini (Version 3) is Tour Only version with a longer hosel made for bending and they are all 260cc’s regardless of the loft This is straight from Brian Bazzel. You can also get the same info off USGA.ORG under the conforming club list.

      Reply Report comment

    • takeherdeep

      Mar 30, 2014 at 3:04 pm

      Surprised that no one has mentioned the fact that the way the picture is taken the 10.5* is a lot closer to the camera then the 12* so it will naturally look bigger…

      Reply Report comment

  3. ND Hickman

    Mar 28, 2014 at 8:25 am

    It’ll be interesting to see if this leads to a reduction in driver head size across the industry.

    Reply Report comment

  4. Nick

    Mar 28, 2014 at 1:47 am

    I was skeptical of the SLDR Mini Driver concept until seeing it in person yesterday. If it performs half as good as it looks, the Mini will be a staple in my bag for years to come.

    Reply Report comment

  5. RG

    Mar 27, 2014 at 10:23 pm

    It’s not a 2 wood its a “Mini-Driver”, and these aren’t the droids you’re looking for. Like my buddy with a 30 degree 7 iron.

    Reply Report comment

  6. totebagger

    Mar 27, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    #takeitdeep

    Reply Report comment

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

Published

3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

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GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

By

Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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