Connect with us

Equipment

14 Revealing photos from the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont

Published

on

GolfWRX was live this week from the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. If you missed any of the photos from the week, make sure to browse all of the galleries in the links below.

Oakmont is really difficult, the winning score will probably be over par and players will complain. Also, equipment companies released some awesome one-off gear for the U.S. Open.

Any other questions? Good. Now let’s reveal some photos from an awesome week in photography.

College vs. Pros

56792a8bf80449ee1b1ce7088e07176d

In American sports, you’ll often hear a hypothetical question posed that goes something like “Do you think the Alabama Crimson Tide could beat the Jacksonville Jaguars?” It’s a ridiculous question, but also very fun to hear both sides of the coin.

In golf, we have the U.S. Open to settle that debate. Since the U.S. Open is indeed an Open, and allows any golfer with a certain handicap a chance to qualify, you often end up with a slew of the best college golfers competing against the top pros in the world. So you’ll see a large number of college golf bags at Oakmont this year.

If you don’t know who to root for at the Open, maybe you can find a golfer who’s representing your alma-mater.

An Oakmont Ode to the “City of Champions”

a059454307867e0d2864e57cbf154832

Equipment companies always bring their best out for the U.S. Open. This year, Odyssey/Callaway stole the show with designs that represent Pittsburgh’s sports franchises, and Oakmont as well.

The putter covers are a shoutout to the throwback Steelers uniforms, with the number 16, which I’ll take a wild guess represents both the year 2016, and the 116th championship.

2a9987d998e38cc12aa84cde34240e57

Also, the bags are a stroke of genius, with “Church Pew” and Steeler-logo zippers. The custom Oakmont logo is awesome, too.

4f2461451fbd92018b7826ab0f9f8871

The bag strap has 12 stripes, representing the 12 church pews in the iconic bunker between hole Nos. 3 and 4. I told you they were intricate.

Nike players are custom Ballin’

5e537725eada6c53604ee456c891e102

Can you guess the U.S. Open player that customized each of the golf balls, and what the logos stand for? GolfWRX members decode them in our forums. Click to see if you were correct.

Location, location, location

7dfdaca08b11a71a588ece2bb35c0b4d

This tire shop knows exactly what it’s doing. As players at Oakmont invariably have the wheels come off on their rounds on Nos. 7 and 8, they can go right across the road and get them fixed. Brilliant.

What’s the local rule on Trucker honks?

IMG_5844

Surely you know by now, if you’ve seen coverage of the U.S. Open, there’s a turnpike that cuts through the course, with holes 2 through 8 “across the road.” And the road is dangerously close to where players tee off on No. 9. A flinchy player could certainly be thrown off by an inadvertent, or purposeful honk.

IMG_5846

There’s also a train track, which could cause even more of a distraction, especially for players putting on the 8th green (pictured to the left).

Will-it be put into play?

c62dee68b2b165cf572ee702f4e654c1

Danny Willet, as a proud Masters Champion, brought these custom Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana shafts out on the range at the U.S. Open. The green and yellow shaft has the date and rounds of his 2016 Masters victory.

Also, it was a big week for Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana shafts, as a few new models were unveiled. Check them out here and here.

Streb’s Stanley wedge

476382740785a88de3832ca5830b5bce

Robert Streb, king of wedge stampings, is from Oklahoma, so I’m not exactly sure why he has this stamping, but it’s cool nonetheless. The local Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup on the Sunday before the U.S. Open began, so it’s only right that someone in the field bagged a celebratory wedge, in custom black-and-yellow lettering.

The Three Sisters

ca676874ed96fa4c2df10aaaa73dfe93

Adidas released these BOA Tour360 shoes ahead of the U.S. Open, and a few were spotted on the range this week. While in Pittsburgh, of course I had to check out the inspiration for these shoes — the Three Sisters bridges.

IMG_5631

If you’re in the area this week, or ever find yourself in Pittsburgh, I highly recommend taking the Duquesne Incline to check out this awesome view of the city and the patented-Pittsburgh yellow bridges.

Board up those swing flaws

d18f6ec9503457f7664f7f852791881f

There’s something poetic about being at the U.S. Open competing for millions of dollars, and practicing with a chewed up block of wood from the woodshed as a training aid to cure a swing flaw. Just goes to show, you don’t need the most expensive gadgets to improve your game, even at the highest level.

Dab on ’em

bcb3066259065605e5c2f3b28f97d302

Harold Varner III brought the “Dab” dance into the world of golf, and now it makes its debut at the U.S. Open via this Florida Gator’s putter head cover.

It’s the dance that refuses to die.

Doing it big at the U.S. Open

76b9219db4f4e07148f8af43b8121494

Everything at the U.S. Open is bigger. The course, the grandstands, the Trackman tri-pods and even the cameras.

IMG_6074

Check out how big this camera rig is. You now know what goes into producing the TV visuals of the panning shots on the putting green and No. 18.

IMG_6085

Is Rory a GolfWRXer?

8cf141f7852b02dc058b2915e4bf8e6b

Only a GolfWRXer would be at the U.S. Open checking out another golfer’s driver shaft.

What’s a thicker lie?

a6f3d223284d2f4f0090638584ac7b84

Landing in this guy’s afro, or the rough beside 18 green?

It’s not all misery

00fc42ef4dac369c612d43cb2641bc2a

The media and TV coverage will use words like grueling, a battle and a grind to describe the U.S. Open, but for fans the U.S. Open is often nothing but a good time. And oh yeah, “GolfWRX rocks!”

Bonus: Food Review

IMG_5424

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not a food expert, but I have consumed sustenance before. While the food at Oakmont was much more expensive that it was at The Masters, it did offer an array of options including Primanti Bros, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Oakmont Grill.

Chicken Sandwich ($8.50)

IMG_5419

Grilled chicken, with melted (kinda) cheese and bread; certainly nothing fancy. It was the vanilla of ice cream. But they let you put your own toppings on it, and you can’t beat the view (Church Pews pictured below).

IMG_5437

Rating: 1 Oakmont Squirrel out of 5 

Steak Sandwich ($15.00)

IMG_5961

Fairly well seasoned. A bit dry. Some pieces were too overdone. But very tasty, especially after walking about 20,000 steps around Oakmont, and adding some creamy horseradish sauce.

Rating: 3 Oakmont Squirrels out of 5

Nearby “Best” Cheesesteak ($11.00)

IMG_4861

So I recently read a ranking from USA Today that said a Cheesesteak joint — called Groove Cheesteak Co. in nearby Pittsburgh — had the best PHILLY Cheesesteak in Pennsylvania. Blasphemy, right? I had to check it out.

IMG_4877

The veggies tasted fresh and weren’t too greasy, the cheese sauce was delectable, and the steak was juicy and flavorful. BUT, it was far from the best cheesesteak I’ve ever had, which makes me wonder why USA Today ventured outside of Philly to don the “Best Cheesesteak” award. Would definitely eat it again, though.

Rating: 4 Oakmont Squirrels out of 5

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Matty

    Jun 18, 2016 at 11:39 pm

    Anyone notice about Bryson’s new long irons on the Monday equipment photos? It looks like the Cobra Fly-Z+ Forged added with something at the cavity and the sole similar to the brass weights on the Edel long irons.

    • greg Moore

      Jun 19, 2016 at 9:02 am

      He’s had that in the bag for quite a while. Can’t remember if it was Bay Hill or Masters.

  2. Grizz

    Jun 18, 2016 at 9:50 pm

    Streb is a diehard Pens fan.

  3. Greg

    Jun 18, 2016 at 11:19 am

    Glad the “fro” made it!

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

BK’s Breakdowns: Cameron Young’s winning WITB, 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

Whats in the Bag

Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)

Published

on

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

Check out more in-hand photos Malnati’s clubs here.

Continue Reading

Equipment

GolfWRX Members Choice presented by 2nd Swing: Best driver of 2025

Published

on

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%

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 2nd Swing Golf (@2ndswinggolf)

Continue Reading

WITB

Facebook

Trending