You might call GolfWRX the OG of WITB. While we would find this more cringeworthy than a middle-aged suburban Dad doing the Griddy unironically, it’s nevertheless true, at least concerning large-scale, consistent coverage. While other forums featured “tour photos” for a time first, we’ve been posting WITB galleries in our forums of player equipment from PGA Tour events for two decades — and we’ve been diving deeper into the professionals’ gear configurations on the front page for almost 15 years.

WITBs, winning WITBs: Every media outlet, OEM, and social media equipment content creator, and most “YouTube golfers,” delve into these things now in some capacity. It’s a bona fide type of golf media, generally, and golf equipment specifically, coverage. Even after seeing tens of thousands of them, we at GolfWRX still believe WITBs are cool/fun/interesting and can’t wait to click a link in a tournament photo thread to see what a player is playing.

Robert MacIntyre’s clubs.

If we’ve established that we’re in the majority, it’s only right to point out there is a small but vocal minority that suggests tour pro WITBs are a) not interesting in their own right and b) have little application to the games of amateurs.

Naturally, we strongly disagree with this perspective and would like to share a few of the many reasons why tour pro WITBs are worth paying attention to.

It’s fun!

Let’s start with the most basic reason: If you have even the slightest interest in golf equipment, and we’re assuming you do, since you’ve arrived at this website, how can you not find photos of the actual clubs a tour pro is playing interesting? 30 years ago, where could you see actual WITB photos? Once a month in Golf Digest? In a long shot of some Getty image featured in a publication? There is, for us at least, an endless novelty to peeking into the bags of pros at their 14 weapons of choice — and fortunately, we’re able to take it a step further with in-hand photos of the clubs every week. How cool is that?

Different strokes for different folks

Consider the WITB of, say, Rory McIlroy, who averages 320 yards off the tee, versus Brandt Snedeker, who is about 35 yards shorter. You’d expect to see substantial differences in the 14-club setups of these two golfers, and you do. For instance, Snedeker, with his slower swing speed, plays AeroTech SteelFiber shafts in his irons. With putting being essential to his play, his aging Odyssey Rossie White Hot XG putter isn’t going anywhere. It’s interesting to look at a player’s statistical profile and then look at what’s in his bag.

First to know

While the landscape has changed over the past decade due to social media, GolfWRX’s WITB photos and gear galleries from tour events are still, more often than not, the first place you can see in-hand photos of yet-to-be-released equipment and prototype clubs. If you’re interested in what’s to come in the world of equipment, you have to be plugged in to our WITBs and tour photo galleries.

Tracking changes

What’s Adam Scott playing this week? 14 new clubs? It’s always interesting to see changes a player is making to their club setup. Trying a new driver? Shaft change? Whole new set of irons? Hopping on a trend? Not only the current setup, but how that setup changes (or doesn’t) over time, how it compares to past setups (again, we have years of WITBs to reference), all intriguing!

Enhancing golf on TV

What driver is the tournament leader playing? Ever wonder that while watching on TV? More often than not, we have a recent in-hand photo of the club. Browsing player WITBs is a great second-screen experience while tuned in to the broadcast — and it gives you something to do if the tournament leaders are, uh, extremely deliberate in their play.

U.S. Open winner J.J. Spaun’s bag ahead of the tournament.

Free agent focus

Equipment free agents, that is, players not signed to an OEM full bag deal, are some of the most interesting players to keep tabs on — the aforementioned Adam Scott is high on that list. Many GolfWRXers view the clubs these players choose to put in play with greater interest, as they are not paid to play them and put them in the bag purely for performance reasons. Free agents are also likely to play older-generation clubs, which is always cool to see.

Oldies but goodies

On that subject, seeing, say, Aaron Rai still gaming a TaylorMade M6 driver or (until recently) Daniel Berger playing TaylorMade irons from 2011 is like riding a wave of nostalgia. Our WITB galleries give you a first-hand look at some previous generation (and genuine vintage) clubs in play.

Aaron Rai’s TaylorMade M6 driver.

Tracking trends

Zero-torque putters, anyone? Jailbird mania of 2023-24? Trends abound in pro WITBs. Often (and as OEMs hope), these trends can carry over to the retail space. We have always been among the first to get in-hand photos of L.A.B. Golf’s putters and document the players putting the flatsticks in play. As the adoption of the boutique putter makers’ wares grew, the major OEMs were keen to join the party. We’ve documented that as well, bringing you in-hand looks at “zero torque” designs and showing you the golfers putting them in play.

What to consider for your game

If plenty of pros are switching to zero-torque putters, should I? It’s a question many golfers are asking. Perhaps doing so could improve your play? But you wouldn’t even know to ask the question if you hadn’t been following along with our WITBs and forum photos.

Similarly: 7-woods. Utility irons with graphite shafts. Mini drivers. Combo sets.

Also on this note: Pros modify their bags based on the course they are playing. Most of us aren’t going to be so nuanced as changing bounce configurations of our wedges, but if you’re playing a windy, links-style course versus a softer track where you need to elevate the ball into the green, might choose a utility iron over a high-lofted wood. Seeing what the pros do in such situations can inform your decision.

Tour issue putters

An area of intrigue in their own right, tour issue putters are a wonder to behold, and GolfWRX is the best place to see them. Over the years, nobody has featured as many photos of, say, Tiger Woods’ Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS putter or Jordan Spieth’s 009M. We also bring you photos of new models and prototypes straight from the putting green. If you’re a putter lover, our WITBs and tour galleries are appointment viewing.

Wedge stamping

The wonders of wedge stamping almost deserve a second installment of this piece all their own. From what we call “the traditional” (a player’s initials), to the sand blasting and lasering of Anthony Taranto, the blank canvas that is the back of a tour pro’s wedge is well worth keeping an eye on.

DFS, betting implications

Finally, and the WITB purists might disagree with this inclusion, but for DFS players out there, seeing a player make a club switch is something to factor into your lineup building and wagering considerations. For example, this week, Collin Morikawa is expected to put a new putter in play. We took photos of the putter earlier this week. Will something click? Will the experiment backfire? Worth pondering if you’re rostering or betting him this week…

There are surely dozens more reasons to plug in to tour pros’ WITBs, but these are just a few from a quick back-of-napkin list. Let me know why else you enjoy tour pros’ WITBs in the comments, WRXers!