Equipment
Tiger Woods’ personally used 1997 Masters prototype Scotty Cameron putter sells for big bucks
How much would you be willing to pay for a Scotty Cameron putter personally used by Tiger Woods? Well, for someone out there the answer was just short of $23k.
As Golf.com’s Jonathan Wall first reported this week, the putter in question is the Scotty Cameron Newport Teryllium TeI3, and although it didn’t play a role in 13 of Woods’ 14 major victories, it is a putter associated with his very first Masters triumph back in 1997.
The putter sold via Green Jacket Auctions, and according to their description, the flat-stick was not just used by Woods, but it was the prototype version of the Newport TeI3 which he used on his way to dominating Augusta National for his first major victory.
Per the report, this particular putter has a teryllium insert which features 32 vibration-dampening dots that sought to soften the feel of the putter and offset the five screws that were used in the back cavity during the milling process.
As the description on Green Jacket Auctions states, Callaway’s director of fitting and instruction, Randy Peterson was the recipient of the putter before the 1997 golf season, and the flat-stick has “Tiger” stamped in dancing letters on the toe, while “Proto” and “XXX” are stamped on the back bumpers. The last five digits of the Certificate of Authenticity from Cameron (84437) also spells out “Tiger” on the phone keypad.
While $22,784.40 may seem like an inordinate amount to pay for a putter, there is reason to believe that the new owner of the Scotty Cameron Newport Teryllium TeI3 may have got themselves an excellent deal. Two previous Tiger Woods Newport 2 GSS backups (the same model he used on his way to winning 13 of his 14 majors) have been sold via Green Jacket Auctions in the past three years, for totals of $53,146 and $44,401, and comparing this Scotty Cameron putter to those previous models, the auction company states
“With all due respect to those fine putters, perhaps no privately owned Tiger Woods putter holds a candle to the collecting appeal of this specimen.”
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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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Barkley Chuck
Feb 23, 2019 at 3:25 pm
Always wondered what club Elin used to pound some justice into the old Tigre’!!
Charlotte
Feb 22, 2019 at 3:44 pm
Does this make my Studio Stainless Newport worth more? Its the same look without the insert. Feels great. Just a little heavier than the Newport 2.
passerby
Feb 22, 2019 at 10:09 pm
no sir cuz nothing related or relevant.
Jamie King
Feb 22, 2019 at 3:22 pm
If your local golf course had this putter and rented it…would you pay $200 to play a round with it?
JP
Feb 22, 2019 at 7:15 pm
I won’t pay a $200 greens fee! Screw renting ANY putter. I like mine just fine.
Big Ern
Feb 22, 2019 at 10:45 pm
Amazing question!
Depends though if it were some 1/2 kept joint with greens that look similar to a cheetahs fur or a top notch place like a TPC course. If at the latter i definitely would fork over the $200.
Jacob McCain
Mar 14, 2019 at 3:45 pm
I have played a round with one of Tiger’s backup putters. It’s very nice but I wouldn’t pay $200 to do it.
Tim
Feb 22, 2019 at 2:57 pm
I didn’t use it either.
In fact, Tiger and I didn’t use for the EXACT same amount of time!
How much does that add to the value?
Some people…
toyzrx
Feb 22, 2019 at 2:56 pm
What about the PING longneck Anser he used to win US am against Trip Keuhne? Probably was 1995 or 1996, but I bet that thing is pretty valuable too.
Sean
Feb 22, 2019 at 12:36 pm
Article is a little misleading. This is not the actual putter used to win the 97 Masters. The auction listing describes it as the prototype given in 96 before the actual Te3 putter was provided which Tiger went on to win the masters with.
The actual 97 Masters putter is priceless IMO and likely sits in Tigers house (hopefully mounted : )
Nachos
Feb 23, 2019 at 12:26 pm
Thanks for this, the price seemed low. That and why would it sell for less than backups?
Tom
Feb 22, 2019 at 11:17 am
How much are his personally used bimbos going for?
JP
Feb 22, 2019 at 2:24 pm
You asking to buy or just a short term lease?
Tom
Feb 22, 2019 at 3:00 pm
Good point, JP!
DonJuan
Feb 22, 2019 at 10:49 pm
Short term lease maybe 150 miles or less. Not looking for love
dat
Feb 22, 2019 at 10:33 am
Considering how much the regular tour models go for, this isn’t a bad value for a high end collector.
GOLFFRR
Feb 22, 2019 at 10:06 am
I was able to sit in on a speech that Scotty Cameron did and he told us about the story of how the dots came in to play in those putters. It all started with Tiger getting a putter from him that was too heavy for his liking. Tiger needed it lighter and needed it overnight. Scotty couldn’t re make a putter so he though he would drill some holes in the back. Once he did that he noticed it was rusting, so he went to local store and bought some caulking and put it in the holes to stop the rust. he went and won that week and the putter was all over TV the rest was history 🙂
Jon
Feb 22, 2019 at 11:32 am
There’s other stories about Scotty and tigers putters. The actual gamer tiger has used for 13 major victories was supposed to ship out the day that Scotty had finished it. Tiger wanted the head to play exactly 350 grams. The putter came off the mill at 353g (or so not sure on exact #s) so Scotty decided to mill a couple grams out of the back of the face because he knew that tiger would be able to feel the extra weight. Tigers putter was the first of nearly every tour putter after his to have a ‘tour dot’ yet the reason for tigers red dot in the cavity is not to distinguish it from retail model it’s so that it plays the right way. The cool thing is that Scotty has made over 20 back ups for tiger over his career in the identical configuration and not one of them has ever gone into play. Because they, “Don’t feel right.” That’s why tigers putter looks so beat up, because he won’t use another one. There’s also been multiple times where tiger has thrown the Scotty at his golf bag or slammed it off the ground and bent the hosel way out of whack and Scotty has had to drop what he’s doing and fly to wherever the tournament is to fix the alignment/ set up of the putter. I couldn’t imagine what his actual putter would sell for considering one of the back ups that weren’t good enough for tiger have sold for over $50 grand.
Benny
Feb 22, 2019 at 5:59 pm
Great info Jon and exactly right. But here in lies the issue… Scotty shaved that weight with those drilled dots to sehd 2 grams. One on the face/ heel and other in the cavity. But Scotty said “to keep it from rusting he used red printing ink for the dots and lettering”.
How does GSS rust?? (Stainless steel does not rust)
It doesn’t, so that means Tiger’s real putter is carbon underneath the finish.
But to push the GSS line and sales Scotty and Tiger have stated for ever its GSS when the real putter is a Pro Platinum finish.
This was the only stainless like finish Scotty had at that time.
Its all marketing boys and the video where Scotty explained all this has been removed from their site.
I have also seen pics of Tigers putter from 2013-2015 seasons where it looked brand new. But the real TW NP2 is all banged up.
IMO I believe its not just 1 putter and instead he has used a handful of these to win but kept secret so that Scotty can market his $10k GSS putters.
Jacob McCain
Mar 14, 2019 at 3:42 pm
Stainless steel does rust. Especially if you’re a tour pro who uses it as a tool and don’t take care of it. let it sit in the rain for 10 minutes then put a cover over it and don’t dry it off. It’ll rust for sure. Not nearly as badly as carbon but still will have rust spots. Also Tiger’s putter wasn’t 350. It was 335 or 330 originally. Due to remilling to get dings and such out it’s down to about 325 now.