Opinion & Analysis

Working with the living legend Roger Cleveland

Published

7 years ago

Oct 9, 2019

This job has a ton of unique, out-of-body experiences that go along with it. Traveling the country, testing new gear, and most importantly, getting to know the community that drives and creates the equipment we love so much.

When I was flying from Toronto to Carlsbad, I was struck by something that hadn’t really sunk in. I was going to meet and work with Roger Cleveland, Chief Club Designer for Callaway Golf, and the lead creative for the company for over 23 years. It’s been a bucket list item for me since I was a kid. I’ve played a 588 wedge since the beginning, and Roger was one of the few individuals I followed and built a ridiculous amount of curiosity around. It was an “oh my God” scenario, and it didn’t disappoint. How could it?

We were on-site to get our first look at the new Callaway Jaws MD5 wedge, and Roger was kind enough to give me the full tour of what he and the team at Callaway had come up with. With all club launches, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the data—spin, launch, etc. But when Roger and I began our journey, it was apparent that although these new wedges are packed with new ideas, it’s the wisdom of this man that you feel and experience the most.

Now, let’s be honest here, all of the OEMs make unbelievable stuff. I grew up in a time when the grinds that were available consisted of standard and a shovel. These days, with the influence of people like Roger, all golfers can dial in the bottom half of the bag to the nth degree. Now standard offerings are versions of a C, S, etc.—all tour-inspired shapes that satisfy pretty much every player who ever picked up a club.

This particular line has all the fixings one would expect. It’s a five-grind, multi-bounce line that has grooves that could peel the paint off of a car. In the video, you will see that I didn’t want to demonstrate what these things do on shots that would rely on the ball zipping back like a midnight infomercial. It’s the stock shots where you will see the most value in the Jaws MD5. The 40-yard pitch or a shot from just off the green that needs to check a bit. It’s practical spin where I saw why these wedges are fantastic. In the video, there is a moment where on a simple pitch I could literally hear the ball ripping the grass. On a fuller shot it’s normal…but on a 60-foot pitch-and-run? Not normal.

Believe it or not, the grooves on the Jaws MD5 are intense, but that was the second biggest story I discovered. After hitting a bunch of shots, there was one big surprise that I experienced: It was the Low Bounce W Grind 60 that really impressed me. I am a lunatic when it comes to lob wedges. I’m a good wedge player and will not entertain any wedge not resembling something with a ton of heel relief and a thinner flange. As you will see in the video, once I listened to Roger a bit and heard the excitement in his voice (about this wedge in particular), there was just enough daylight shining on my brain to give it an honest look. Bottom line: it’s the hidden jewel of the entire Callaway lineup. Especially for better players.

Wedges these days are pretty much paint by number with the only real shifts being CG placement. It’s rare that a new grind comes to retail that legitimately impresses me—and I will go even further: I was as impressed as I’ve been in any new club launch. I’ve had a few holy s**t moments, and this was one of them.

After the fitting/testing was complete, this is what I landed on and what I learned.

Callaway Jaws MD5

46S, 50S, 54C(@55), 60W
True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts
Standard lie

The biggest takeaway from this whole experience was that, when it comes to the scoring clubs, it’s wisdom, not science, that makes them special. I can see Roger Cleveland in every grind Callaway offers; I can see the thousands of players, clubs, sessions, and shots he’s been involved with. And it’s not exclusive to this new offering, it bleeds throughout Callaway as a company.

So, were my expectations met? Yes. The man is a wizard. There a few of them still out there, but when you get to spend time with one, you better thank the golf gods you got the time. And you wanna know the best thing? He was as excited and passionate with me as I’ve seen him with the likes of Phil and the rest of the Tour. The guy just loves talking golf, and as a ride-or-die golf junkie, I’m grateful he wanted to chat with me on that unbelievable day.

Watch my full testing/fitting session here.

Opinion & Analysis

5 Things We Learned: Thursday at the PGA Championship

Published

2 weeks ago

May 15, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Aronimink is not a storied club, but when Donald Ross himself proclaimed it to be as good as he can design and build, one had to take notice. Jay Sigel was the pre-eminent male amateur golfer from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He might have called any number of Philadelphia clubs home, but he chose Aronimink. It served him well. Gary Player won a PGA Championship here in 1962, and was followed by the 1993 winner … nobody. Aronimink gave that event away to Inverness, for reasons of which it is certainly not proud. So be it. We had to wait sixty-four years for the PGA to return to Newtown Square, but here we are. Aronimink has been neo-restored by Gil Hanse and team, to return Ross features with an eye toward defense against the dark arts, errrr, high-tech equipment.

Day one saw Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau dig big holes, to the tune of plus-four and plus-six, respectively. Since the first-round lead will be minus-three at worst, many shots will need to be made up for the power couple to reach contention. By nightfall, seven golfers held the day-one lead at three-under par 67. Shots and sticks caught our attention, and we are proud to present Five Things We Learned on Tech Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship. Thanks to InsideTourGolfer, Today’s Golfer, and GolfWRX for initial equipment research.

First, meet Min Woo Lee

Min Woo Lee, aka Dr. Chipinski, has once again thrust himself into the conversation of Can he, will he, when will he? Lee has so much talent, wins not nearly as often as we believe that he should, and has no major near-misses (much less titles) on his wiki. The young Aussie is getting older and wiser, but is he able to avoid the scarring that holds the older and wiser back from breaking through? Philadelphia offers another opportunity. Min Woo signed for five birdies and two bogeys on day one, and grabbed a share of the opening-day lead at Aronimink. Winners transcend history and the moment, and Lee will need that sort of ascent to lift the Wannamaker on Sunday.

Second, meet Aldrich Potgeiter

The young South African golfer can rip driver with the best of them. Aronimink tips out at nearly 7400 yards, but beyond the fairway bunkers that ensnare only the mortals, Potgeiter can take his chances with wedge from the rough. On Thursday, he spent plenty of time in the spinach. Like Popeye, he used his muscles to gouge and thrash and dig his way out. Six birdies against three bogeys on the card brought AP in a three deep.

Third, meet Martin Kaymer

Not a major event takes place without a where’s he been throwback moment. We know that Martin Kaymer left the PGA and DP World tours for LIV golf, but the two-time (US Open and PGA) major winner has a lifetime exemption into at least one major event, and he seizes the opportunity each May. Kaymer joined the six-seven brigade with four birdies and a solitary bogey on day one. Kaymer was never a long hitter, and the years are kind to no golfer. The German champion will need to uncork every bottle of guile and strategy in his cabinet to remain in contention. For today, though, he occupies a rung on the ladder of Tour Tech.

Fourth, meet Scottie Scheffler

Let’s see, he’s the defending champion at the PGA, and he found his way back to the top tier with five birdies against two bogeys. To be a favorite and then play up to that stature and expectation is quite difficult. Just ask Rory, Bryson, and some of the other pre-tournament heartthrobs. Scheffler’s game is complete, and to knock him off the OWGR #1 pedestal, one needs to defeat him at the majors. Aronimink is the sort of course that fits Scheffler’s game. Better yet, it unfits the game of many of his challengers. Don’t expect Scheffler to go away anytime soon. Come Sunday, he’ll be around.

Fifth, meet Stephan Jaeger

Clocking in for the unheralded players shift are Ryo Hisatsune and Stephan Jaeger. Hisatsune logged seven birdies on day one, but gave most of them back with four bogeys. Still, he’s tied at the top for a time. Jaeger pitched five birdies against two bogeys, including a run of three consecutive, from holes four through six. Odds are that one of the two will hang around through 36 holes. Odds also suggest that both will be gone by Saturday evening. Still, the PGA Championship has historically been the major most likely to be won by an under-known. Both Hisatsune and Jaeger feature on that list, so good luck, lads!

Club Junkie

Club Junkie’s Titleist GTS driver fitting results!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of the Club Junkie Podcast, I head to the Titleist Performance Institute for a full driver fitting with the new Titleist GTS lineup. We dive into the fitting process, talk about what made the biggest difference in performance, and break down how the different GTS heads and shaft combinations compare on the launch monitor. If you are thinking about a new driver setup for this season, there is a lot to take away from this one.

I also get into Brooks Koepka and the gear setup he brought to the PGA Championship, including the putters that caught my eye during the week. There are some interesting equipment trends showing up at the highest level right now and we break down what stands out.

To wrap things up, I talk about reshafting a few wedges, what I learned during the process, and swapping an adaptor onto a new shaft for another build project in the shop. A gear packed episode from start to finish for anyone who loves golf equipment and club building.

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Club Junkie

Club Junkie WITB, week 16: New Titleist GTS woods!

Published

2 weeks ago

May 14, 2026

Brian Knudson

Excited for this week’s WITB as we get to add the new Titleist GTS woods to the bag! I was fit at Titleist’s TPI facility in Oceanside California a few weeks ago and my new clubs just showed up. I am also adding a cool set of irons that I built last year some wild custom wedges into a new golf bag. Speaking of the bag I have a new Ghost Anyday Black Ops stand bag that I will be using on my Motocaddy Remote M7 electric cart.

Driver: Titleist GTS3 (11 degrees @ 10.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6s

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD CQ-7s

5-wood: Titleist GTS (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

9-wood: Titleist GT1 (24 degress)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7s

Irons: Bettinardi CB24 (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper Lite 110 stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (50-09 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (56-12 SB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Wedge: TaylorMade MG5 (60-08 LB)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT 125 Stiff

Putter: Dan Carraher ZT Proto

Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour

Bag: Ghost Anyday Black Ops Stand Bag