Equipment

Bagging the right bag

Published

12 years ago

Feb 7, 2012

GolfWRX Staff

By Shane Downey

GolfWRX Contributor

Every year the major OEMs usually come out with new staff bags and a couple even make special release bags just for the majors. I have to be honest, the bags that coincide with the Masters are, in my opinion, the best. It could be due to the fact that I have lived in Augusta and walked the pristine fairways in April, there is truly something special about living there leading up to the Masters. Another reason could be due to the fact my son was born in Augusta. The first time he was at Augusta National, he was still in the womb. I have such fond memories of the place I once called home. With these memories in mind, either way, the Master release staff bags are a personal favorite.

While the majority of the GolfWRX community, including myself, are admitted club and shaft aficionados, it would be extremely difficult to tote these weapons of madness around without the benefit of our bags. I must admit that I have a bag addiction. At least I have taken the first step in admitting it (only eleven more to go)!

The golf bag has been around as long as the game itself. During this time they mainly consisted of a leather or canvas bag with a leather strap and quite possibly a pocket or two. They have evolved with time and technology into three main categories; cart bags, stand bags and staff bags. All three come in a variety of sizes, colors and configurations.

The cart bag is just that, a bag that is designed to either fit on a golf (or pull) cart and yet possesses all the advantages of the larger staff bags. Pockets are plentiful for a variety of necessities you may need while enjoying your round. Sun Mountain and Ogio are two brands that quickly come to mind when mentioning cart bags. Although they have usually one strap, they come in a myriad of colors, styles, and construction materials. So if you are one that consistently uses a cart of some sort, then definitely look into getting a cart bag.

A bit before my time when caddies were the norm, they carried the bag dutifully following the player no matter wherever he may have hit his ball. Caddies soon lost out to electric carts, which is a shame. Quite a few golfers still enjoyed walking and carrying their own bags, which created a niche for bags that eventually evolved into the stand bag. The stand bag is usually a very lightweight bag that when set down and pushed forward, two legs are propelled out to create a tripod of sorts. Most also have dual shoulder straps such that the weight can be distributed evenly on both shoulders, much like a backpack. Most major OEM’s make dual strap stands bags, which are adjustable to your height with regard to the shoulder straps. These also come in many sizes, types and colors. If you abhor the idea of any type of cart, the stand bag is perfect for you.

The last major type of bag, and my personal favorite, is the staff bag. The staff bag is a large, multi-pocketed, usually logoed bag that you see inside the ropes on the PGA Tour. I have owned many staff bags in the short twelve years of playing this game and seem to never tire of having one. They are usually 9.5 – 10.5 inches wide and have five or six large pockets. The staff bag can carry just about everything you may or may not need while playing your round. I have personally put two-dozen balls, six gloves, laser range finder, a complete rain suit, an extra pair of shoes, tees, Band-Aids, Motrin, sunscreen and snacks into one staff bag. This may seem like overkill, but I love the staff bag for this purpose.

There are quite a few individuals who play “tour equipment” on the forum, from drivers to irons with x-flex shafts and “tour only” shafts and heads that I could only dream of hitting. However, with my slow swing speed, a tour staff bag is about as close as I will ever get to use tour equipment.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

7 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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