Connect with us

Equipment

TOUR REPORT: This dominant PGA pro is using hybrids (and irons) from 11 years ago

Published

on

The Florida swing is officially underway this week as the PGA Tour moved to Palm Beach Gardens for the 2022 Honda Classic at PGA National. As you may or may not know, a slew of Tour players live in the nearby area, so this week is a home game for a lot of them. That has to be nice for guys who spend most weeks on the road.

OK, that’s great, but what clubs are they using?!

I know, we’re getting to that.

Honestly, this week is one of my favorite editions of the Tour Report thus far. There’s just something about professional golfers using old golf clubs that makes me happy, and we got our fill of nostalgia this week (just wait until you see Alan Morin’s bag setup).

Alas, let’s get to this week’s 7 most interesting gear topics from the 2022 Honda Classic.

Make to check out all of our photos from the 2022 Honda Classic here!

1) Rickie Fowler explains why he switched putters

Last week at the 2022 Genesis Invitational, Fowler used a TaylorMade putter for the first time in his career. This week, we not only got in-hand photos of the new TaylorMade Spider GT, but we also talked to Fowler himself to get insight on why he switched.

Below is a snippet of what Fowler had to say about the new putter (and head over to PGATOUR.com for our full report).

“I’ve always been a good putter, it’s something I’ve always just, not necessarily been able to just rely on, but take advantage when I’ve hit it close or help save rounds by making putts, Fowler said. “But, unfortunately over the last couple years, it’s not necessarily been there…I was hitting putts on one of the greens [at Riviera], and they have the bags set up, and I looked at a few different things because I was just not hitting some great putts. I looked at a few of the different necks and different sight lines. … The longer line that’s on there right now seemed to be the one, and the small neck just sat clean. It looked nice and was really easy to line up.”

2) Henrik Stenson is still rocking the Octane

After all these years, Henrik Stenson is still using a Callaway Diablo Octane 13-degree fairway wood, which was originally a retail release way back in 2011. And still equips it with that classic Grafalloy Blue Tour X shaft.

Stenson won the 2013 FedExCup title and the 2016 Open Championship using this fairway wood setup, so you can see why he’d still have it in the bag. Plus, he hits absolute seeds with it.

While he spent a bit of time testing newer models in recent years, the old Diablo is back in the bag and it seems to be staying. Every time I see Stenson’s bag, I secretly hope it’s still in there, and he didn’t disappoint this week.

He’s also still using Callaway’s Legacy Black irons, which were a JDM release in 2012. Pure nostalgia.

On our Instagram page, GolfWRX followers are chiming in with the oldest clubs currently in their bags. Check out the post below:

 

3) Cameron Young’s driver switch (and super custom putter)

Cam Young made a splash at the 2022 Genesis Invitational against some of the world’s top golfers with a T2 finish at Riviera.

His recent strong play comes after an important swing change, where he shifted from 6-7 degrees inside-out with his driver to a more neutral delivery. After making the swing change, he also worked with Titleist Tour rep J.J. Van Wezenbeeck to change his Titleist TSi3 driver setting to better suit the new swing parameters.

For a guy who regularly hits drives at 190 mph of ball speed, every small equipment adjustment makes a difference.

Check out the full story on Young’s switch here.

On the opposite end of his bag, Young also bags an interesting custom Scotty Cameron T5 proto putter. The putter has a plumber’s neck that’s been elongated using a “knuckle,” which allowed the putter to be perfectly face balanced.

For more information on what this club building technique entails, Brian Knudson explains in our latest TG2 podcast below:

4) South Florida pro’s incredible WITB

Alan Morin is a PGA professional and South Florida PGA Hall of Famer who won the South Florida section Player of the Year honors for the 11th time.

Eleven times!

Morin is competing in the 2022 Honda Classic this week, and he has a bag that’s stacked full of cool gear.

He’s using a TaylorMade RBZ fairway wood from 2012, three TaylorMade Rescues from 2011, a set of TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons from 2011, and new Cleveland RTX ZipCore wedges with ports in the back cavities for weighting purposes. He also uses an Odyssey Versa 7 putter that’s stacked with lead tape.

Chef’s kiss.

Morin has been beating up on the South Florida PGA section for years, and the 52-year-old is doing it with clubs he’s had in the bag for over a decade. You just gotta love this bag setup.

Check out Alan Morin’s full 2022 WITB here. 

5) Charl Schwartzel finds a putter, thanks to Adam Scott

Ahead of the 2022 Waste Management, Adam Scott switched into a custom L.A.B. Golf (Lie Angle Balance) Mezz.1 Proto putter head.

Apparently, the change caught Charl Schwartzel’s attention.

After Scott’s T4 at the Genesis Invitational, Schwartzel, who’s been struggling to find the right putter for himself, gave Scott a call to get his thoughts on the Mezz.1 putter. Scott must have been convincing, because Schwartzel switched into a Mezz.1 prototype putter this week, even though he just saw the L.A.B. putter for the first time on Monday.

To get the weight just right for his lie angle, Schwartzel also has a strip of lead tape applied to the heel portion of the 8-weighted sole.

“I think it putts easier than any other putter because if you look on the arc of a stroke, it can basically stroke a ball by itself,” Schwartzel told GolfWRX. “No other putter can do that. So if you’re comfortable letting it go like that, it does basically by itself. It’s very well balanced and it feels good. It’s very sensitive to lie angle, though, you need to get the exact lie angle.”

For the full story on Charl Schwartzel’s switch and the backstory with Adam Scott, click here.

6) Lee’s gold putter is really a 1-of-many

While conducting some putter testing on practice green at PGA National, Lee Westwood was presented with a gold-plated Ping Sigma2 Fetch putter to commemorate his 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship victory.

Every time a Ping putter user wins a pro event, Ping creates a gold putter to go into the vault.

Westwood has won 44 worldwide professional events, which means he owns more real estate in the Ping vault than most any player ever. According to a Ping tour rep, Westwood’s gold putter collection is full of different models, too, so it was a surprise that Westwood was still using a Sigma2 Fetch putter nearly two years later.

See what GolfWRXers are saying about the putter (and awesome putter cover) in our forums.

7) Brooks Koepka’s commemorative Scotty

Like Westwood, Koepka was also awarded with a commemorative putter; his is a gold Scotty Cameron Teryllium TNP2 made for his 2019 PGA Championship win at Bethpage Black. Funny enough, that isn’t the exact putter model Koepka used to win that week (it was a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 SLT T10), but it is the putter model he uses now.

When I asked Koepka where he keeps the three other commemorative putters he has for his three other majors, he said, “They’re in my house somewhere, I just moved so I don’t know where anything is.”

I guess even four-time major winners have to deal with the struggles of moving. At least this week is a home game for Koepka so he can get caught up on the move into the new digs in Jupiter.

And that’ll do it for this week’s Tour Report from the 2022 Honda Classic. We’ll be back next week at the 2022 Bay Hill Invitational to do it again. In the meantime, make to check out all of our photos from the 2022 Honda Classic here!

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.

12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. Pingback: GolfWRX's top-read stories about equipment of the year - Fly Pin High

  2. Pingback: GolfWRX’s most-read equipment stories of the year – GolfWRX

  3. Pingback: The Top 10 gear stories of 2022 (so far): Where do Tiger’s FootJoy shoes rank? – GolfWRX

  4. Henry R Fitzgerald

    Feb 26, 2022 at 6:24 pm

    I think Fowler needs to concentrate on selling mortgages to people who can’t afford, beer to those who like to drink, and cheap insurance.

    He makes more money on advertising than on the course.

  5. Henry R Fitzgerald

    Feb 26, 2022 at 2:18 pm

    As long as people keep buying the BS line that they need the latest to perform, OEM’s will continue to sell the BS.

    As to Cameron’s copying spree, he couldn’t help himself with the gold putter thingy. Hoping for a Cameron original before he retires, lol…

    • Karsten Solheim

      Feb 26, 2022 at 3:41 pm

      Whuuuuuuut???? You don’t believe in the “German” Stainless forged in the magical mountains???

      • Henry R Fitzgerald

        Feb 26, 2022 at 3:51 pm

        Lol….Now, that’s the biggest baloney sandwich Cameron have sold to the cult members.

  6. Phree Theengker

    Feb 26, 2022 at 1:15 pm

    My comment about wrong think was deleted for wrong think.

  7. Phree Theengker

    Feb 26, 2022 at 12:30 pm

    I guess if you use old clubs, there’s no manufacturer to “pause” your deal for wrong think.

  8. CrashTestDummy

    Feb 26, 2022 at 11:07 am

    I totally understand the using older models. Different clubs have different feel which could mean that they may have to make alterations to their swing to compensate. They have those clubs so grooved, know exactly how they feel, and trust them 100% when hitting pressured shots.

  9. Teebo

    Feb 25, 2022 at 12:05 pm

    In reference to the PGA pro using old irons and hybrids that would be the norm if players weren’t paid to play the newest gear.

    • Tom54

      Feb 25, 2022 at 2:50 pm

      Although club pros aren’t paid to use their clubs I thought they still get stuff for free so it is strange for him not to use current models.

Leave a 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