Equipment
12 Revealing photos from the 2016 Shell Houston Open
GolfWRX was live this week from the 2016 Shell Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston, which is predictably in Houston, Texas. If you missed any of the photos from this, browse the galleries below:
J.B. Holmes is your defending champion this week, but the world’s now No. 2-ranked golfer Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson will be there to challenge him for back-to-back titles. Will one of the big names emerge victorious, or will a first-time winner break out of his shell at the Shell?
Now let’s see if we can stay away from the puns in this week’s Revealing Photos: Shell Shocked at the Shell Houston (not off to a good start)…
Congrats on 25 years!
In 1992, title sponsors changed hands, and the PGA Tour event in Houston became known as the Shell Houston Open. Maybe it doesn’t have the tradition of the Open Championship, but impressive still.
And three out of those 25 years, Vijay Singh was the Shell Houston Open champion (’02, ’04 and ’05).
How’s Veej getting on these days?
He’s still tearing apart PGA Tour ranges, and apparently engraining how to hook putts?
I think we forget Vijay is 53 years old and still out on Tour competing against the world’s best. And out-working them, too. As for the putting stroke, he’s tried just about everything there is to try. Maybe a snap hook will finally be the answer.
Fowler droppin’ dimes or dropping dimes?
There’s three possible meanings to this “drop dimes…” stamping:
- He’s placing the golf ball where it needs to be. In basketball, the same sentiment would mean he’s passing the ball well and he’d be recording a myriad of assists.
- He’s snitching. To “drop a dime” would mean to inform the police or another authority about illegal activity. That would be an odd thing to stamp on a wedge, but you never know.
- He breaks up with beautiful women. To “drop a dime” could mean he’s breaking up with a dime, or a woman with a subjective 10-out-of-10 ranking. Could be plausible, since he recently reportedly cut ties with Alexis Randock.
I’m gonna go with the first option, but again, you never know.
Tots Units Fem Forca
Or in English is, “United/Together we are strong.” It’s a phrase used in FC (Futbol Club) Barcelona’s anthem.
Barca fans are no joke about their soccer. And I’m pretty sure they don’t like me calling it soccer. Whoops, that’s twice. Sorry!
Omar Uresti’s sick Scotty with… athletic tape?
O-Man, that putter is sweet. I’m going to guess that the athletic tape is there as some kind of training-aid support. But don’t quote me on that.
Rust and Tungsten
The rust on these Callaway Apex irons achieves quite a mesmerizing effect, and as such you can see exactly where the tungsten plugs are placed in the sole.
And some more awesome rust on the SM6 wedges below.
Rust just never gets old, does it?
Herm, the Rocket and Johnny Wags
PGA Tour player Johnson Wagner (Johnny Wags isn’t his real nickname, but he can borrow it if he wants), ESPN NFL analyst Herm Edwards and former MLB strike-out King Roger Clemens were all on the same team for the pro-am.
You might know Herm from the “Miracle in the Meadowlands,” a play that spawned the victory formation in football. Or maybe for his coaching mediocrity if you’re a Jets fan (I am not). Or, most likely, you know him from his “you play to win the game” speech, which will live forever on the internet.
You might know Roger “Rocket” Clemens for his strikeouts in the MLB, of which he has more than 3,000. Or maybe you know him for his alleged steroid use and courtroom controversies. But if you’re a Mets fan (I am), you know him for throwing a broken bat at our guy Mike Piazza. People don’t forget, Roger.
A Scotty Cameron Titleist CB iron?
I recognize those trademark red dots. You can’t slip one past me, Scotty.
Speaking of Scotties, here’s a huge gallery of customs
I know, I know. I shouldn’t have. But I did.
In the gallery below, you’ll see Thongchai Jaidee’s gamer, his backup and his backup’s backup. There’s also a stealthy, blacked-out X5R that Dustin Johnson was testing this week, and a few dirty GSS and Tour-Only putters. Enjoy.
Love the hustle
Name another golf coach who’s gonna put it all on the floor (putting green) for his players? Throwing his body around for the loose balls with no regard for his khakis? We can all learn from his hustle, grit and determination.
Maybe March Madness has rubbed off on me a little too much, but you get the point.
3 wedges, 3 OEMs
And a prideful Texas Longhorns stamping on his Callaway Mack Daddy 2. The local Texas fans will certainly appreciate the school spirit, especially after getting upset by the University of Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAA March Madness.
Joey Logano rolls up to the Shell Houston
Let’s just hope Matt Kenseth wasn’t also invited.
Improvement
There’s digging it out of the dirt. And then there’s this.
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. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Jeff
Apr 2, 2016 at 12:49 am
Dropping a dime goes back to pay phone days, so it means making a call. It has been used in noir lit to mean snitching, as in drop a dime on a criminal by calling the police. Also means calling a girl, whether to ask her out OR to break up. My guess is that Rickie has it dialed in, so he’s dropping dimes.
RG
Apr 1, 2016 at 5:54 pm
BOOM SHAKALAKA!!
Notseeingwhatyousee
Apr 1, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Pretty sure those are drill holes in the back of that CB iron….
Cody Carter
Apr 1, 2016 at 6:33 pm
They are. I’m pretty sure that’s Matt Dobyns set. His irons are single length so the holes are to help the head weights match.
Brian mccoy
Apr 3, 2016 at 7:41 pm
I don’t see any evidence of what your speaking of. I would love to see a WITB for Matt Dobyns,
Weekend Duffer
Apr 1, 2016 at 3:40 pm
Does this website have an advertising deal with Titleist?
Bobby
Apr 1, 2016 at 10:05 pm
No it just happens to be the best equipment in golf son… no go back to your max improvement irons…..
Alex Bedwell
Apr 1, 2016 at 1:57 pm
Who is that in the last picture?
Todd Grant
Apr 1, 2016 at 2:41 pm
Luke List.