Equipment
Tiger says he played a Bridgestone golf ball for “a number of years”
File Tiger Woods confirming a long-time industry rumor under things you didn’t expect to happen at the beginning of 2017.
In what could mostly be described as a State of the Union, Tiger Woods posted a 1,500-word blog post to his website on Thursday where he discussed a wide range of topics, including battling the flu over Thanksgiving, playing golf with Donald Trump, his performance at the Hero World Challenge, golf course design philosophy, and even his take on injuries in the NFL.
Read the post in its entirety here.
But for GolfWRXers, the most interesting insights came from his discussions about equipment.
Along with saying he’s still tinkering with “ball-wood” combinations — he played a TaylorMade M2 driver and TaylorMade M1 fairway woods at the Hero — Woods also implied that he used to play a Nike golf ball that was made by Bridgestone.
“What people don’t realize is that Bridgestone made the Nike golf ball for a number of years,” Woods said. “It’s a great ball and making the switch wasn’t that hard.”
As the face of Nike golf for years, this confirms the hunches that those in the know in the golf industry (here’s a forum thread from 2008 discussing the topic) had about Nike golf balls; at least during the company’s early days in the golf ball market. This certainly could explain Woods’ new golf ball deal with Bridgestone, and his decision to put the B330S golf ball into play for his return to competitive golf.
Of course, Nike isn’t the first golf equipment company to outsource the production of golf balls. But it’s interesting that Woods chose to publicize that information.
Woods has also confirmed that he’ll be playing in the Farmers Insurance Open, the Honda Classic, the Genesis Open and the Dubai Desert Classic, and we’ll be closely following his equipment changes throughout the season.
Related: Tiger Woods WITB 2017
- LIKE311
- LEGIT50
- WOW23
- LOL19
- IDHT11
- FLOP11
- OB10
- SHANK374
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
- LIKE3
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
- LIKE3
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK2
Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
View this post on Instagram
OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
- LIKE41
- LEGIT4
- WOW1
- LOL2
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK4
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Matthieu Pavon WITB 2024 (May)
Pavon’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Ping G430 Max (9...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2015 Wells Fargo Championship
Then-No. 1 player in the world Rory McIlroy began the week at the Wells Fargo Championship at 3-1 odds, if...
Akshay Bhatia WITB 2024 (May)
Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos...
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
19th Hole4 days agoReport: LIV star turns down PGA Championship invite due to ‘personal commitments’
-
19th Hole1 week agoGary Player claims this is what ‘completely ruined’ Tiger Woods’ career
-
Equipment3 days agoDetails on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship
-
Whats in the Bag2 weeks agoTeam McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
-
Whats in the Bag4 days agoKeegan Bradley WITB 2024 (May)
James Awad
Jun 12, 2020 at 1:18 pm
Worst kept industry ‘secret’ – like forever.
And folks still think a company with the highest defective shoe returns, mismatched sleeve & collars on their premier shirts – actually built a foundry & learned to forge irons?!?!
David Hammond
May 8, 2019 at 1:52 pm
NIKE (or other major OEM, insert name here) designs golf gear.
A factory, usually not in the USA, makes all or parts.
NIKE literally MAKES nothing nada never. They are a promotional management firm only. If not for a Tiger-level player they probably would never have entered golf gear because it is a tough market to pierce. That is proven by their exit.
Infidelity is not linked to golf gear.
JR
Jan 25, 2017 at 2:03 pm
So Tiger “played a Bridgestone ball for a number of years”? No wonder he’s off his game. I usually only play the same ball for a couple of rounds.
Rich Douglas
Jan 8, 2017 at 9:56 am
Here’s a crazy idea: play the equipment that is best for you regardless of celebrity endorsement. If a player influences you away from what’s best for you then you’re more interested in identity over playing your best golf.
Chuck
Jan 7, 2017 at 3:26 pm
I don’t think it is true for Tiger to say that he’s been playing Bridgestone balls “for years,” any more than it was true for Tiger to say that all of his Nike equipment was chosen by him because it was the best, and he could play anything he wanted if it performed for him.
In a matter of weeks after being relieved of a contractual duty to promote Nike equipment, he’s gone back to his old Cameron putter and 2016 TM M-series woods. Tiger had an all-Nike bag, because that is what he was paid for.
If a golf ball is designed and formulated by Rock Iishi, working for Nike, and gets manufactured under a contract with Bridgestone, and is otherwise unlike any other marketed Bridgestone ball, it’s cute (and clever, in a Tiger Woods-deceptive sort of way) but it’s not a Bridgestone ball.
St
Jan 7, 2017 at 6:28 pm
But that’s not what he’s saying. So why don’t u have a nice cup of STFU
Chuck
Jan 8, 2017 at 1:06 am
To be precise, THIS is what Tiger’s blog post stated:
“I’m still testing clubs and trying to find the best ball-wood combo. What people don’t realize is that Bridgestone made the Nike golf ball for a number of years. It’s a great ball and making the switch wasn’t that hard. I’m really excited to join the Bridgestone team. For now, I’ll probably stick with some of my old Nike equipment, and use my Scotty Cameron putter. I’m also proud to be working with Monster and look forward to the things we’ll do together.”
Okay. So “for a number of years,” Bridgestone manufactured the Nike golf ball. Of course they did. Rock Ishii came to Nike directly from Bridgestone. Nike was starting from zero in golf ball manufacture. I don’t doubt — never doubted — the truth of that.
But then there is all of the talk about very, very special balls formulated specifically for Tiger by Nike/Ishii for basically all of the time since the Nike One came into being.
http://www.si.com/vault/2005/03/28/8256146/#
So…
a) Was Tiger bs-ing for the sake of his big sponsor, when he was claiming that he could play any equipment he wanted, but Nike’s was all the best? And that for the last 15 years or so, his Nike golf balls have been carefully designed and tuned by Rock Ishii and the Nike staff? Or;
b) Is Tiger bs-ing for the sake of his new big sponsor, when he claims that his Nike golf balls were really Bridgestones? Or;
c) Is Tiger perpetually clever with his words, always helping out his sponsor of the moment and saying whatever he can get away with, with plausible deniability, to say something that sounds remarkably clever and informative in favor of the sponsor of the moment? Or;
d) All of the above.
1badbadger
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:55 pm
He’s not a fraud and didn’t lie about what golf ball he was playing…Nike outsources all their products. They don’t make anything…not even athletic shoes. They are a marketing company. They don’t own any production facilities. They did have a team that DESIGNED their golf balls, and Bridgestone simply MANUFACTURED them to their specs. Nike balls, just made in Bridgestone’s plant.
St
Jan 7, 2017 at 6:34 pm
Oh, he’s a fraud, alright. Just ask Elin
Chunkiebuck
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:40 pm
I’ll alert the media.
TIm
Jan 6, 2017 at 8:40 pm
Gee Maxfli, Dunlop Slazanger and some Wilson balls were all made in the same plant back in the 80’s 90’s….right here in the good old USA. John Daly played a Dunlop ball made in South Carolina for awhile and won with it in San Diego. Locco Pro urethane cover ball..then Addis (Taylormade) took over the plant and Dunlop and Slazanger sold off their names (DICK’S SPORTING GOODS) for use in USA. They kept Maxfli a short time then sold that off to Dick’s.
Swizzle
Jan 6, 2017 at 6:15 pm
Everyone wants to sound like the know more than the last guy. Like many of you I was aware of all this in early 2000’s. Seems it was a slow day at work for a lot of you!
mikee
Jan 6, 2017 at 3:42 pm
Just like Nike ice hockey skates…..Sergei Federov (at that time with the Detroit Redwings) was the “face” of Nike skates. He was using “rebranded” Bauer skates.
Dave R
Jan 6, 2017 at 2:02 pm
Folks it’s a golf ball that’s all. Relax move on .
MrPoopoo
Jan 6, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Speaking of golf balls… is anybody on Tour rocking the Kirkland Signature balls? That would be hilarious.
Bandrz
Jan 6, 2017 at 4:04 pm
Yes, but they are known as Taylormade balls on Tour. Same factory.
TIm
Jan 6, 2017 at 8:28 pm
disagree, to the point it would not be the Taylormade tour balls they are made in South Carolina. Maybe the lower end Taylormade balls…
birdie
Jan 6, 2017 at 12:58 pm
how or why? just because a ball is made by bridgestone doesn’t mean they performed exactly the same. there were intended differences.
many companies design, engineer, and create product and use a competitor to actually manufacturer it. this isn’t new.
Tazz2293
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:58 am
All the woods worshipers who played Nike were lied to by woods and got hornswoggled by Nike.
Dj
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:26 am
All of those “woods worshippers” people were also playing Bridgestone balls. Everyone here knows that Bridgestone made Nike’s initial balls until they started with RZN
Bert
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:12 am
I think what is being said is players deceive golf fans with their endorsements. Endorsing a product knowingly it is really something else is deception in the name of making money. When a golfer takes such action they are not creditable. So take the head-cover off and let the golf fan, who’s really supporting you, know the equipment you actually play.
Orangeology
Jan 6, 2017 at 10:35 am
only if that deception—you called—was for a specific player’s equipment ‘only’. if the entire brand had a manufacturing deal with another company—where’s the case in between Nike & Bridgestone in the earlier days—then it’s different story, we guess?
Dj
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:29 am
The golf fans who bought Nike balls prior to their RZN tech were also buying Bridgestone manufactured balls. It wasn’t just tiger. Bridgestone manufactured all of Nike’s balls at retail, not just tigers
Wayne J Bosley
Jan 5, 2017 at 8:14 pm
They were not the only company making balls for Nike and had stopped doing so a few years ago ,,,, I feel sorry for the other two companies that were doing a good job supplying in recent years that have had their Nike business evaporate without much notice.
Shallowface
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:05 am
Who were those “other two companies?”
1badbadger
Jan 7, 2017 at 12:01 am
Initially, Bridgestone made all of Nike’s golf ball models. After a few years, they did start using other companies as well, but Bridgestone continued to manufacture some of their models.
cgasucks
Jan 5, 2017 at 6:27 pm
Earl was no saint either. He cheated on Tilda and there are rumors of Earl bringing in hookers to Tiger’s childhood home in California.
eric
Jan 6, 2017 at 9:40 am
i love the internet. a comment thread about a golf ball turns into claims about tiger’s dad and hookers.
Boobsy McKiss
Jan 6, 2017 at 12:16 pm
Seriously. Some fools wait for any chance they can get to rip on tiger, probably trying in vein to subconsciously fill that empty void they have in their life. Like he’s the only professional golfer, athlete, or famous figure who ever cheated on their spouse. ROFL.
TIm
Jan 6, 2017 at 8:32 pm
Pretty simple this is a Golf site and Tiger Woods is the Best to ever play the game, not even close…so why not take shots at someone who plays the game you love better then you ever dreamed possible…
Scott
Jan 5, 2017 at 4:07 pm
Makes sense. I have never liked either ball.
LOL
Jan 5, 2017 at 3:42 pm
Why are you so angry, did he bang your aunt, mom, sister?
Tazz2293
Jan 5, 2017 at 4:19 pm
Probably along with yours too
Phil
Jan 5, 2017 at 1:27 pm
When will Tiger admit that his “Nike” irons were made by Miura?
Barry
Jan 5, 2017 at 4:39 pm
Probably around the same time he puts a new set in the bag
R0B
Jan 5, 2017 at 10:25 pm
+1
(you beat me to it)
Dj
Jan 6, 2017 at 11:27 am
Tigers Nike irons were never touched by Miura, genius
JR
Jan 25, 2017 at 2:04 pm
And you know this how?
1badbadger
Jan 7, 2017 at 12:27 am
In all fairness, none of the major OEMs own their own forging plant. Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway, Bridgestone, Srixon, etc all use factories overseas to produce their forgings.
Dj
Jan 5, 2017 at 12:51 pm
This has been confirmed numerous times by Nike golf themselves so not sure how it’s considered a rumor
Eddie
Jan 5, 2017 at 4:41 pm
I think it was pretty widely known back when Nike first got in the golf ball business back when Bridgestone’s golf stuff was called Precept.
cgasucks
Jan 5, 2017 at 6:29 pm
I knew that when I started playing golf in 2000. It is well known that Bridgestone made Nike balls for a long time.