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2008 PGA Merchandise Show Review

http://www.golfwrx.com/BagChatter/2008/01/15/callaway-embraces-adjustability-with-i-mix/

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Last week the focus of the golf world was set square on Orlando, Florida for the 2008 PGA Merchandise show.

With over 1,200 companies in attendance and thousands of new products to cover, it’s almost impossible to condense it into one place. However, GolfWRX has managed to cover just about every product in attendance. On the heels of the USGA’s recent rule amendement opening golf clubs to new forms of adjustability, many OEM’s were showcasing new interchangeable fitting systems which may now be used in play. Throw in recent club introductions for 2008 along with a few new surprises and you begin to understand why last week was so exciting for golfers everywhere.

Adjustability

As mentioned, adjustable clubs were the big story at the PGA Show. Included in the program was a special Adjustable Club Symposium which featured panelists from the USGA, manufacturers, club fitters, and retailers who discussed the effect the new rule will have on the golf retail landscape. But the discussion didn’t stop there. In addition to the new Callaway I-Mix line which we recently covered, Nike, Nickent, and Ping also had new adjustable systems to introduce. Exactly how this adjustability rule will be accepted by the public is still very much in the air. As a result, companies seem to be embracing it in different ways. Ping and Nike seem to be using this system for now as a practical fitting tool which allows golfers to quickly change head and shaft combinations as well as provide more demo opportunities among retailers. Both have fitting carts loaded with metal wood heads, iron heads, and shaft options for golfers to try. Callway, which has had a similar Opti-Fit system in place for a year is banking on the fact that golfers are ready to take this technology to the course full time with their I-Mix line. Nickent also has their Evolver 4DX series ready to play.

Woods

There were a few noticeable introductions among the driver and fairway wood category. Among the most impressive were the new Nike SQ Sumo drivers which has already been widely adopted by Nike’s tour staff. The new Sumos will come in a traditionally shaped Tour model and a super-forgiving Square. The new models both offer even greater MOI than before, but with more traditional feel and sound. Many people at the demo day were especially amazed at just how much Nike improved the sound of the SQ Sumo Square model.

Although not the largest OEM, Tour Edge has earned major buzz with their Exotics fairway woods which boast ridiculously high ball speeds thanks to their inventive chemically bonded cup face technology. Tour Edge has finally incorporated this technology into a line of drivers with two models – the XCG which is a traditional round shape, and the high MOI XLG which has a hexagonal shape. There is also a newly updated XCG fairway wood which will provide a more forgivingi option for golfers lookng for Exotics performance with a bit more forgiveness than the Exotics CB2.

Irons

One of the big surprises of the PGA Show was the announcement of Cleveland’s CG Tour blade iron. Form forged from 8620 carbon steel with fully milled faces, the CG Tour promises to be a very exciting entry into the player’s club market. With its low muscle, slightly thicker topline and sole compared to most other blades on the market, this looks to be a great model for golfers looking to transition to a more playable blade or more confidence inspiring blade.

Also the long awaited MacGregor MT series has finally launched. The new line has been comptletely reworked and has an iron design to fit every golfer out there. The Pro M and Pro C are true tour inspired clubs that will give accompished golfers all the control they need. The MT is a slightly larger iron with a full cavity and undercut channel that stil retains a look even better players will easily love.

Wilson’s Pi7 irons helped Padraig Harrington win the Open Championship last year, and now they’re available to everyone. The compact head and thin sole give it the traditional player’s cavity look. However, the perimite weighting and elastomer insert combine to give it forgiveness while still maintaining a very soft feel.

Putters

The PGA Show is a mecca for putter enthusiasts. Several of the boutique brands were there in force along with some of the larger ones. Although Titleist was not at the show, Scotty Cameron was there to support his friends at Tablerock who were showcasing some of his collectible models.

One very interesting introduction was Kevin Burns and his new Kustomized fitting stations. The kiosks allow a golfer to take a few putting strokes on a computer based putter and then calculates the best putter to fit their stroke. The kiosk then sends the information to Burns who mills the putter and in a week your custom putter is in your hands ready to use.

Accessories

Without a doubt, the PGA Show is dominated by accesories. Some are incredibly useful, others may never again see a golfer’s hands. However, one thing the PGA is not short of are accesories intended to make a golfer’s life a little easier. From teaching aides to apparell, to head covers, just about every brand was at the PGA Show.

The following was just a small sample of all there was to see at the PGA Show. This description could literally continue for hundreds of pages and still not capture the depth of equipment available at the show. If the show made one thing abundantly clear, it is that the number of quality products in the golf industry has never been higher.

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.

From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.

Specs/ Additional Details

-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)

-Original Anser Design

-PING PP58 Grip

-Putter is built to standard specs.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Inside Collin Morikawa’s recent golf ball, driver, 3-wood, and “Proto” iron changes

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As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.

The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.

On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.

Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.

At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.

“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.

Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.

“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.

“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.” 

In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.

On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.

According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.

“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.” 

See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here. 

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Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage

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Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.

It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.

When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”

“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”

 

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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.

Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:

“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.

“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.

“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.

“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.

“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”

So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.

His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.

See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here

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