Equipment
Tiger Woods signs multi-year golf ball deal with Bridgestone
It’s official. Tiger Woods has signed a multi-year deal to play Bridgestone golf balls… more specifically the Tour B330S with the “Tour B” logo that’s available exclusively on Bridgestone’s website.
“After extensive testing I chose the best golf ball for my game,” Woods said in a Bridgestone Golf press release. “This golf ball is reacting identical with how I want to play.”
Image from Bridgestone Golf.
In 2000, Woods switched from a Titleist golf ball to a Nike Tour Accuracy, and he has used a Nike golf ball ever since. He won 13 of his 14 career majors with a golf ball that had a Swoosh on it, but when Nike announced that it was exiting the hard goods business in August, speculation swirled about what golf clubs and golf balls Woods might play next.
“The night immediately following [the news of Nike exiting the hard goods industry], we received request from Tiger’s camp for samples,” said Elliot Mellow, Marketing Manager of Fitting at Bridgestone. “We sent him both the B330 and B330S golf balls, and he took awhile to evaluate both those golf balls, and balls from other companies… Between the two golf balls [B330 and B330S], the S has the softer cover, allowing Tiger to play the short game shots he’s used to.”
After more than a year off from competitive golf due to injuries and doubts about his game, Woods returned at the 2016 Hero World Challenge on December 1 where he used a Bridgestone Tour B330S golf ball.
Image from Bridgestone Golf.
Woods has confirmed that he will tee it up on the PGA Tour at the Genesis Open February 16-19 at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
The terms of Woods’ contract with Bridgestone Golf were not disclosed.
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Equipment
Rory McIlroy spotted testing a new TaylorMade “PROTO” 4-iron at the 2024 Valero Texas Open
Update, 5:30 p.m.: Regarding his prototype iron, McIlroy offered this in his pre-tournament press conference:
“Yeah, I went out, spent a couple of days with the TaylorMade guys at the Kingdom. Yeah, they just produced these couple of proto, I guess like are they the MC replacements maybe…
“They performed really well. It’s just as fast as the 760 that I was using. Launch is a little higher actually, which was surprising, and it’s just sometimes I felt like when I hit my 5-iron in the blade and then the 4-iron in the 760 it was such a different feel. To go from a 5-iron now to that 4-iron, it feels a little closer to what I feel in the 5-iron. So just a little bit more responsive, but didn’t lose any performance from it, which is great. Yeah, it will be in the bag this week.”
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Now just what do we have here?
On Wednesday at the 2024 Valero Texas Open, GolfWRX.com spotted Rory McIlroy testing a new, mysterious TaylorMade “PROTO” 4-iron.
Clearly, the 4-iron is a prototype, but since it doesn’t say “Rors Proto” or “RM” on it, then maybe it’s a prototype for an upcoming iron release from TaylorMade. Or, maybe it’s an upgrade for a previous or existing iron model from the company.
For reference, the photo below shows what McIlroy’s previous P760 4-iron looks like…
If the new prototype was an upgrade on the former P760 design, that would certainly be a large design departure, aesthetically speaking. It’s not impossible, but the new proto definitely looks significantly different.
McIlroy’s new proto – aesthetically, at least – looks more similar to TaylorMade’s P7MC irons, a model that Collin Morikawa uses for his 5 and 6-irons, as pictured below.
The new proto is also reminiscent of TaylorMade’s old P750 and P770 irons:
So what could McIlroy’s new TaylorMade “Proto” be? Is it a one-off prototype for McIlroy? Is it a re-design of an older model? Is it a harbinger of a bigger release in the future?
What is it?!
Unfortunately, TaylorMade hasn’t yet commented publicly on the prototype iron, so for now, we wait. And enjoy the photos of McIlroy testing it on Wednesday in San Antonio.
Here’s what it looks like from address…
And here’s what McIlroy’s numbers looked like while testing it on the range…
Uhh, yeah. Those are pretty good 4-iron numbers.
Will McIlroy make the switch into the new prototype 4-iron this week? That remains to be seen, but it should be noted that it was the only 4-iron in his bag on Wednesday.
*We’ll update this post as further information becomes available
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron here, plus more photos!
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- Raul Pereda what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR2 (10 degrees, B2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 5 X
3-wood: Titleist TSR3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 7 X
7-wood: Ping G430 Max (21 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 50-08F, 54-08M, 60-08M)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey 2-Ball Ten Tour Lined
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy
Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x+
Check out more in-hand photos of Raul Pereda’s clubs here.
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- Rickie Fowler what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Project X Denali Black 70 TX
3-wood: Cobra Aerojet LS (14.5 degrees @13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Green 75 TX
5-wood: Cobra LTDx LS (17.5 degrees @18.5)
Shaft: UST Mamiya LIN-Q White M40X 8F5
Irons: Cobra King Tour (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper 125 S+
Wedges: Cobra Snakebite (54, 56, 58 degrees)
Shafts: KBS Tour 610
Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird
Grip: SuperStroke Tour 3.0 17-inch
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Tack
Ball: TaylorMade TP5
Check out more in-hand photos of Rickie Fowler’s clubs here.
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Raul Pereda WITB 2024 (April)
Raul Pereda what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here....
Rickie Fowler WITB 2024 (April)
Rickie Fowler what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here. Driver: Cobra...
Callum McNeill WITB 2024 (April)
Callum McNeill what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here....
Jimmy Stanger WITB 2024 (April)
Jimmy Stanger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
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ND Hickman
Dec 26, 2016 at 5:02 am
He only won one major with Titleist balls?
Chunkie Buck
Dec 16, 2016 at 6:22 pm
Someone hold back my keyboard courage!!! Jamie, you’r an idiot! It was code speak to skirt the site mods. Read the words backward you krod!!
Dat
Dec 15, 2016 at 5:52 pm
So, you must play the tour F?
dAVE fROM aCCOUNTING
Dec 15, 2016 at 4:39 pm
Normally a big fan of your sardonic humor, but this was a little lame. Gotta bust the chops of the chop buster once in a while. Keep you on your toes.
dAVE fROM aCCOUNTING
Dec 15, 2016 at 5:36 pm
Plus, if frosted flakes hasn’t come knocking yet, no one will. Bridgestone B330s…Tiger Woods says, “They’re Grrrreeeeaaat!” Now that’s a marketing dream team.
dAVE fROM aCCOUNTING
Dec 15, 2016 at 6:29 pm
Heck, there’s always FUBU.
-The other Dave
Chunkie Buck
Dec 15, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Next thing you know he’ll be doing argaiV adds talking about how he’s “6 regnol.
Jamie
Dec 16, 2016 at 4:52 pm
english much?
McPickens
Dec 15, 2016 at 2:25 pm
bridgestone has been the best ball for years, they just aren’t willing to pay every tour player to play them like Titty
ooffa
Dec 15, 2016 at 1:25 pm
They should have signed a multi week contract. He will be lucky if he can get through a month without a WD
Woof
Dec 15, 2016 at 11:46 am
Is this the new style now, with the hat looks like it was washed in the machine? I guess that’s what happens when he doesn’t have a nice wife to do the washing for him lmao
Rich
Dec 15, 2016 at 9:46 pm
As if he washes his hats!
Brad
Dec 15, 2016 at 10:23 am
Guess he’s not buying TMAG….
cgasucks
Dec 15, 2016 at 11:20 am
Guess not..if he was still in the TMAG buying mix with that Bridgestone contract in force…that would be a huge conflict of interest as TMAG makes balls too (obviously).
Jared Bouchey
Dec 15, 2016 at 10:05 am
Bridgestone was making the Nike ball anyway so it’s basically the same
cgasucks
Dec 15, 2016 at 11:22 am
Yeah…for all I know Tiger is still playing a Nike Ball with a Bridgestone logo slapped on it..
ksb
Dec 15, 2016 at 6:12 pm
I was told by someone in the know that he was always playing the B’stone B330 with a Nike logo slapped on it.
1badbadger
Dec 16, 2016 at 2:28 am
Bridgestone manufactured the balls, but Nike designed them. The ball Tiger played previously was a Nike designed ball and was not the B330 or B330-S with a swoosh stamped on it.
jim
Dec 15, 2016 at 9:44 am
cant believe he didn’t go with the K-sig
DJ
Dec 15, 2016 at 8:11 am
More evidence that titleist isn’t the only ball out there. Good for Bridgestone
The Dude
Dec 15, 2016 at 11:36 am
Whack!