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LPGA Tour pros embroiled in backstopping controversy

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Update: 2/22, 9:50 p.m. The LPGA released the statement below

End update

Backstopping has been a controversial subject in the game of golf as of late, and this week during the Honda LPGA Thailand, an example of backstopping occurred that has left many golf fans on social media irate, primarily for what happened directly after the incident.

The incident took place on the final green during the second round of the event and features Amy Olson and Ariya Jutanugarn at the heart of the controversy.

Playing her chip shot from the side of the green, Jutanugarn cosied her ball up by the hole, and while seemingly courteously seeking permission from Olson to tap in her putt before the latter played her greenside shot, she appeared to be waved off. Olson then backed off, played her shot, and her ball, which looked to be running well past the pin, collided with Jutanugarn’s and settled right beside the hole. The two then laughed and celebrated the development with a fist-bump.

Neither player received a penalty for the incident, which many golf fans feel violated rule 15.3a/1, which states

In stroke play, under Rule 15.3a, if two or more players agree to leave a ball in place on the putting green to help any player, and the stroke is made with the helping ball left in place, each player who made the agreement gets two penalty strokes. A breach of Rule 15.3a does not depend on whether the players know that such an agreement is not allowed.

For example, in stroke play, before playing from just off the putting green, a player asks another player to leave his or her ball that is near the hole, in order to use it as a backstop. Without knowing this is not allowed, the other player agrees to leave his or her ball by the hole to help the other player. Once the stroke is made with the ball in place, both players get the penalty under Rule 15.3a.

The same outcome would apply if the player whose ball was near the hole offered to leave the ball in play to help the other player, and the other player accepted the offer and then played.

If the players know that they are not allowed to make such an agreement, but still do it, they are both disqualified under Rule 1.3b(1) for deliberately ignoring Rule 15.3a.

Amy Olson currently sits two shots off the lead heading into the third round, while Ariya Jutanugarn is seven shots off the pace.

 

 

 

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Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

62 Comments

62 Comments

  1. Tom

    Mar 5, 2019 at 7:15 pm

    Perhaps the LPGA would draw more viewers if the attractive players just wore G-strings and pasties with high heels? (Picture Carl (Bill Murray) at the ball washer in Caddyshack!

  2. CJ

    Mar 4, 2019 at 7:35 pm

    The fist bump was the thing that made me more mad than anything. I don’t like what she did but the tours need to figure out their rules and consequences asap

    • geohogan

      Mar 29, 2019 at 10:04 am

      If Potus can get away with collusion with our worst enemy, why get excited over to professional golfers colluding to cheat the rest of the field.

  3. JP

    Feb 28, 2019 at 12:45 am

    Let them use backstops all they want. But make both players play their ball where it lies after they come to rest.
    .
    I guarantee players close to the pin will ALWAYS mark their ball.

    • Caroline

      Feb 28, 2019 at 6:07 pm

      Just another reason to slow down play…plan BS just replace the ball at rest where it was and the new ball plays where it ended up…simple…backstop, players are so good they can hit balls on the green and not the hole..hole is 4 times larger…

      • Sandra

        Feb 28, 2019 at 7:58 pm

        You just don’t get it. It’s not that they’re so good they can hit another golf ball. It’s when they miss the hole, they have a chance of hitting the other ball rather than running by too far. Have you considered the rule was written for a reason?

  4. KJ

    Feb 26, 2019 at 3:49 pm

    They both should have been DQ’d per the rules of golf. Im not buying the Im just a pretty dumbgirl routine. She is at the elite level of golf, so she knows the rules or should know the rules. I knew it and Im a 10 handicap hacker. They agreed period!

    In stroke play, under Rule 15.3a, if two or more players agree to leave a ball in place on the putting green to help any player, and the stroke is made with the helping ball left in place, each player who made the agreement gets two penalty strokes. A breach of Rule 15.3a does not depend on whether the players know that such an agreement is not allowed.

    Once again they KNOW the rules at this level. If the players know that they are not allowed to make such an agreement, but still do it, they are both disqualified under Rule 1.3b(1) for deliberately ignoring Rule 15.3a Bang see you later!!

    All stated this does NOT make them cheaters……….it makes them people who should have been issued a penalty for a rules infraction.

    Anyway it looks like the Everyone gets a trophy crowd has made it to the LPGA.

  5. mario

    Feb 26, 2019 at 9:47 am

    Good thing those referees are not taking a decision on the Irish backstop… That would last another two years

  6. Rufus T. Firefly

    Feb 26, 2019 at 9:14 am

    This is why some people avoid this game. Too many judgmental assholes looking for an issue.

  7. GrandpaDino

    Feb 25, 2019 at 5:12 pm

    Another solution in search of a problem. Play on, girls!

  8. Charlie

    Feb 24, 2019 at 11:00 am

    Let’s acknowledge the grey area involved here! The rule states when chipping up from just off the green….being said, what is the difference between 30 yards off the green, or 160 yards from the green? If you acknowledge the terminology of just off the green, that would be closer to being on the fringe versus 20 to 30 yards away. Are players going to go mark a ball from 150 out? No! So let the players use the rules to their advantage for a change!

  9. Ace

    Feb 24, 2019 at 9:01 am

    They did it but the question is how are you going to prove it? Answer…Your not

    That being siad its a dumb rule that will never really be enforced so best thing to di is remove the dumb rule and accept the fact sometimes players will get these “breaks” rather intentional or not.

  10. Gunni

    Feb 23, 2019 at 8:09 am

    Don’t worry, Karma will prevail.

  11. Ozarkgolfer

    Feb 23, 2019 at 7:54 am

    Penalties to both – obvious backstopping. No one is asking for balls to be marked when players are over 100 yards out – it makes sense when there is chipping and pitching green side.

  12. Hppyglmr

    Feb 23, 2019 at 4:50 am

    Happy Gilmore says phhhuq your rules, snobby dooshwads.

  13. Ni

    Feb 23, 2019 at 3:01 am

    Why is this even an issue? Clearly she hit Ariya’s ball by luck. Especially from where she was.

    • doug miller

      Feb 23, 2019 at 6:55 am

      I agree 100%. If she is good enough to do it on purpose just hit the pin every time, pure luck!!!

  14. dat

    Feb 22, 2019 at 8:10 pm

    I originally though this was about players using the grandstands as backstops….then I read the article.

    Stupid. This rule isn’t being broken, it is pure chance. Get out.

    • geohogan

      Feb 22, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      The way the rule is written, it isnt necessary that the opponents ball ended up being a backstop or not.
      Simply playing the shot, while the opponents ball was in position to be a backstop is sufficient to incur the penalty for each player in stroke play.

      ignorance of the rule, is no excuse from being penalized or disqualification.

  15. youraway

    Feb 22, 2019 at 5:32 pm

    The Rules are written, agreed upon and published by the R&A and the USGA. This is an obvious and flagrant violation of the Rule. It’s not only clear, but it is recorded. BUT, this is an LPGA event and I have no doubt, they will not enforce the Rules, which calls for the DQ of both players.

  16. benseattle

    Feb 22, 2019 at 3:44 pm

    Backstopping is an affront to the game and about as close to cheating as you can get because it involves not ONE but TWO players. The rule can be as simple as “balls near the cup must be marked before another player makes a stroke IF BOTH PLAYERS ARE NEAR THE GREEN.”

    In this case, Jutanugarn should have ignored Olson’s “wave off,” (even if done to speed up play) and marked her ball. Of course it’s absurd to infer that Olson TRIED to hit the resting ball but the fact remains that because the ball was left nearby INTENTIONALLY leaves open the (slim) chance that Ariya’s ball could serve as a backstop. This is a bad, bad look for ANY tournament golf so let’s just eliminate the controversy and instruct golfers to mark a ball near the cup “when in the vicinity of the green.” You’re in doubt about what that means? THEN GET UP THERE AND MARK IT.

    Why is backstopping wrong? Because it can give a player an advantage NOT AVAILABLE TO THE REST OF THE FIELD. And it’s preventable.

    • Piter

      Feb 24, 2019 at 2:57 pm

      It’s luck of the draw really. 5mm to the right and she would’ve been worse off. This time she was lucky so she smiled and so did Ariya coz id doesn’t affect her anyway. It’s not like me there are 6 balls you might “accidentally” bump into.

  17. Tom

    Feb 22, 2019 at 3:27 pm

    Notice the size of crowd in the video? NOBODY there…..nobody cares…..

  18. Pete

    Feb 22, 2019 at 2:42 pm

    Lets be honest, neither player ‘agreed to leave the ball there with the intention of helping the other player’ even if they did so non verbally. So while its a scummy move and definitely cheating, they found a way to not be in contravention of the rule. The fist bump was all about sharing a fun moment of hitting anothers ball which is rare as opposed to the, ‘hell ya, cheating is awesome’ accusation

  19. Lance

    Feb 22, 2019 at 2:20 pm

    The fist bump was simply inferring that it was a good break. Neither one of these players should be labeled as cheating here. The rules are very intricate as we all know and my bet is that neither one of the players were aware of the optics here. I understand players are responsible to know the rules but let’s cut them some slack here. I can guarantee that Ariya is the consummate professional and would never not do her part to protect the field. #letsfocusonsomethingvalid #peoplearetoughbehindakeyboard #beeducatedbeforecastingpoorjudgement

  20. Tiger Noods

    Feb 22, 2019 at 1:58 pm

    This rule requires clarification. It implies that this is during a sequence when players are putting.

    How many times have we all said, “Don’t bother; it’s not like I’ll hit it.” 99.9% of the time you’re right. In a pro’s case, maybe that’s 98%. Either way, I can’t see how this was a conspiracy. This is not a penalty, and the norms of the game do not require you to mark when another player is not close enough to use a putter.

    Molehill, not mountain.

    • youraway

      Feb 22, 2019 at 5:46 pm

      That’s not what it implies at all. A player should not leave their ball in position to assist. I assure you leaving a ball on the green while another is putting would not assist but the player would incur a penalty if their ball struck another ball left on the putting surface.

      • Tiger Noods

        Mar 4, 2019 at 5:58 pm

        You can’t even spell your own nickname correctly. Go worry about knee-height drops, troll.

  21. Dennis Wimd

    Feb 22, 2019 at 1:43 pm

    Not a penalty. What if they’d been 200 yards off? Where is the line?
    Remember if a ball strikes a ball on the green the striking ball remains where it lands and the struck ball is replaced.

    • Mike Cleland

      Feb 22, 2019 at 1:59 pm

      I agree with you. Where’s the line? Get the blue blazers involved & we’ll be marking balls before we hit our second shots on Par 5s. The way to speed up play is to “simplify” the rules. I suppose the USGA believes if they aren’t constantly getting involved in every little issue they couldn’t justify their $800,000/year salaries.

      • joey5picks`

        Feb 22, 2019 at 3:53 pm

        The line is common sense and not unduly delaying play. Bottom line, they broke rule 15.3a. Both should get a 2-stroke penalty.

  22. Bill

    Feb 22, 2019 at 1:43 pm

    Ridiculous behaviour. Olsen’s ball would’ve been about 8ft past. Bet Ariya wouldn’t leave her ball there if both had to play from where their respective balls finished.

  23. Mike Cleland

    Feb 22, 2019 at 1:36 pm

    What’s up. Do we need a rules issue at every event? The USGA & their blue blazers haven’t learned the old adage ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’…is there a lawyer on every hole? The USGA isn’t happy unless they are on the front page every week.

    • joey5picks

      Feb 22, 2019 at 3:56 pm

      The USGA doesn’t govern Australia. The R&A does. USGA only governs US and Mexico.

      • Aztec

        Feb 22, 2019 at 9:49 pm

        Wrong, it’s Golf Australia. They may choose to adopt R&A policy, but they are the governing body. Why would you think the R&A has an official voice in Australian golf?

        • Christopher

          Feb 23, 2019 at 11:49 am

          Like joey5picks posted, the R&A are the governing body for over 110 countries, Golf Australia literally confirms it (and the USGA’s) on their site. They can implement their own local rules, but they’re governed by the R&A.

    • geohogan

      Feb 22, 2019 at 11:23 pm

      if professional then know the rules or get out of the game.
      We wouldnt have issues or delays if players knew the rules,
      rather than trying to circumvent the rules.

      if players delay for rulings which should be known to them,
      the pga should begin suspending those players.

      it will speed up play and maybe the players would take time
      to learn the rules of the game they play for a living.

  24. BD

    Feb 22, 2019 at 1:31 pm

    Individuals cheating is bad enough. But much worse, and more damaging to the Int Egypt the game, is the collusion of the LPGA (and, in other examples, the PGAtour) in such cheating by failing to penalise such behaviour.

  25. kirk brady

    Feb 22, 2019 at 1:29 pm

    Back stop – maybe
    an object for lining up trying to make the chip – most likely – and no penalty there

    When is the press going to stop creating controversies to get readers – between this and organizing the extortion of Kuchar, I think the sporting press deserves an enema and 10 mile run with full pack.

  26. Dave

    Feb 22, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    Oh, it’s just the LPGA? Who cares, almost as irrelevant as the WNBA. Wish they would cut TV coverage of it entirely.

    • Steve

      Feb 22, 2019 at 2:42 pm

      Wow…a trumpster….

    • DougE

      Feb 22, 2019 at 4:59 pm

      I care. I enjoy watching the LPGA and personally, I think those girls offer a great product. You wish you were 1/2 as good. But, I’m guessing you are not and probably never will be with such a poor attitude. Sorry, but misogyny is not attractive, nor does it make you better than women.

      What is your problem? LPGA golf is much closer to the kind of golf most of us can relate to. Evidently, you think it is beneath you. You will likely never have the game of a PGA Touring pro, so why not learn something from watching the girls. With some practice, you may even be able to make some of the shots they can make. I learn so much watching them. You might too if you gave them a chance. But hey, I’m just an old 5-6 handicapper, so what do I know?

      One thing I do know is that I’d bet on Ariya, or Lexi, every day of the week over betting on anyone who thinks the girls are irrelevant.

      • Dave

        Feb 23, 2019 at 2:59 am

        You are of the minority demographic that enjoys LPGA and Champions Tour coverage, Doug. That’s not subjective, that’s fact. I know your feelings are hurt, but very few even care about LPGA and Champions.

        Sorry I’m not attractive to you, buddy.

  27. Mohamed

    Feb 22, 2019 at 12:52 pm

    The bigger question is – how do you prove intent. Also, both were playing off the green, so if they were 100yards away and this happened – what then?

    • Jim

      Feb 22, 2019 at 1:04 pm

      You’re right. The key word here is “intent”. If Amy intentionally asked for this, intentionally planning to try to hit the ball, then the penalty applies. If she was just ready to play and not wanting to wait and was not even expecting to hit the other’s ball, there is no intent.

      Due to the way the pair reacted, it was a celebration of luck!

  28. Jim

    Feb 22, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    They need to be penalized. Both were complicit once Ariya stutter stepped to NOT mark her ball and then the fist bump confirms the agreement.

  29. Doug

    Feb 22, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    Tom is a tool. This is definitely cheating. Olson waived Ariya off for the very reason of backstopping. Ariya should be protecting the field. A fail for both sides. Disappointing that both tours are failing to uphold the integrity of the same.

  30. Timothy Covey

    Feb 22, 2019 at 12:38 pm

    Stupid. What are the odds even if the plan was to hit the other ball that she would actually hit the other ball. If shes that good she should just chip it in the hole on every hole every time. Might as well cause you’d have to be that good. The fact that people are even upset let alone irate is just pure ignorance.

  31. Mon

    Feb 22, 2019 at 12:30 pm

    It really did not look like she was doing it do use the ball. I think she was ready to hit and waved off the other player who was still standing off the green.

    • joey5picks

      Feb 22, 2019 at 3:59 pm

      The “other player” has the right, and responsibility, to mark her ball to protect the field. This was a perfect example of Olson gaining an advantage on the field.

  32. kevin

    Feb 22, 2019 at 11:28 am

    apparently as the lpga and pga continue to alter the rulebook, they forget to actually enforce the rules.

    this is an embarrassment to the LPGA, and the other players should be calling this for what it is…cheating.

  33. Tom

    Feb 22, 2019 at 11:15 am

    Not a big deal, few watch LPGA…

    • snapjack

      Feb 22, 2019 at 12:30 pm

      Only Tom could come up with that kind of answer. The normal retort is, why are you here then, but in this case I say to you Tom, GFY

      • Tom

        Feb 22, 2019 at 1:48 pm

        Ohhhhhhh….snappy typing all tuff n sheet…..lol!

    • Dave

      Feb 22, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      Completely agree with you. I’m always annoyed when I turn to the Golf Channel at night to catch up on the PGA Tour highlights/coverage from earlier in the day, and we are forced to watch someone named Pornanong hit driver 235 in a tournament in Thailand.

      • Elmo

        Feb 23, 2019 at 10:22 am

        Racist too!

        Bring in religion and you’ve got the triple threat!

        Yeehaw KKK golf.

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Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls

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This week last year, I found myself praying to the weather goddesses and gods that Rochester would be spared their wrath over the next seven days. The 2023 Oak Hill PGA Championship (that was slated for August when the contract was signed) was on the horizon, and I wanted my region to show well. Things turned out fine, with all four seasons making an appearance, a PGA Professional (Blockie!) stealing hearts, and a proven champion in Koepka (although I was pulling for Viktor.)

This year, no concerns. Louisville will shine this week at Valhalla, but we’ve matters to consider before we look to four days of coverage this week. Nelly did not win on the LPGA this week, so who did? The PGA Tour held two events in the Carolinas, and Tour Champions celebrated a major event in Alabama. Four noteworthy events to run down, so let’s head to RunDownTown and take care of business.

LPGA @ Founders Cup: Rose blooms

There was a sense that Rose Zhang might have a role in the 2020s version of the LPGA. After winning everything there was in amateur golf, she came out and won her first tournament as a professional. That was last May and, let’s be honest, who among us thought it would take 12 months for Zhang to win again? Rhymes with hero, I know.

This week in New Jersey, eyes were on Nelly Korda, as she made a run at a sixth consecutive win on the LPGA circuit. Korda ran out of gas on Saturday, and that was just fine. Madelene Sagstrom and Zhang had turned the soiree at Upper Montclair into a battle of birdies. Gabriela Ruffels came third at nine-under par. No one else reached double digits under par but Sagstrom and Zhang. They didn’t just reach -10…they more than doubled it.

Sagstrom had the look of a winner with five holes left to play. She was three shots clear of Zhang, at 23-under par. The Swede played her closing quintet in plus-one, finishing at 22-deep, 13 shots ahead of Ruffels. That performance we’d anticipated from Zhang? It happened on Sunday. She closed with four birdies in five holes to snatch victory number two, by two shots. Spring is a lovely time for a Rose in bloom.

PGA Tour @ Wells Fargo: Rory the Fourth is crowned in Charlotte

Xander Schauffele is a likable lad. He has an Olympic gold medal on his shelf, and a few PGA Tour titles to his credit. Even X knows that even par won’t get much done in a final round unless conditions are brutal. They weren’t brutal at Quail Hollow on Sunday. X posted even par on day four. It kept him ahead of third-place finisher Byeong Hun An but gave him zero chance of challenging for the title.

Paired with Xander in round four was the King of Quail, Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman had previously won thrice at the North Carolina track, and he was champing at the bit to gain some momentum on the road to Louisville. While Xander scored increasingly worse along the week (64-67-70-71) McIlroy saved his best round for the final round. Thanks to five birdies and two eagles, McIlroy ran away with the event, winning his fourth Wells Fargo by five over Schauffele.

PGA Tour @ Myrtle Beach Classic: a little CG won the inaugural week

It always seemed odd that the PGA Tour had zero stops along the Grand Strand each season. This week’s event seemed odd in that the golfers played the same course each day, and there were zero handicaps involved. Most events at Myrtle Beach involve hundreds of amateurs at dozens of courses, with all sorts of handicaps.

The Dunes Club is a Robert Trent Jones Sr. course, down toward Pawley’s Island. It claims what used to be considered an unreachable, par-five hole, the watery 13th. Nothing is unreachable any longer, including a 22-under par total for a six-shot win. Chris Gotterup, a former Rutgers and Oklahoma golfer, played sizzling golf all week and won by a sextet of shots. Gotterup opened with 66, then improved to 64 on Friday. His Saturday 65 sounded a beacon of “come get me,” and his closing 67 ensured that second place was the only thing up for grabs.

Chasing the podium’s second level were a bunch of young Americans. In the end, Alastair Docherty and Davis Thompson reached 16-deep, thanks to rounds of 64 and 68 on Sunday. They held off six golfers at 15-under par. The victory was Gotterup’s first on tour and should be enough to get him a Wikipedia page, among other plaudits.

PGA Tour Champions @ Regions Traditions: Vindication for Dougie

Doug Barron, if I recall correctly, was suspended by the Powers That Be, way back in 2009, for testosterone. He was naturally low in the hormone, so he took supplements. This did not sit well with certain admins, so he was put on the shelf for 18 months. Not cool.

In 2019, Barron came out on the Tour Champions. He won in August. The next year, despite the craziness of Covid, he won again.  Barron hit a dry spell for a few years. He kept his card, but accrued no additional victories. In late April, Barron showed serious signs of life, with a t2 at Mitsubishi. This week in Birmingham, he jumped out to a lead, lost it, then gained it back on Saturday. With major championship glory on the line, Barron brought the train into the station with 68 on Sunday.

Stephen Alker, the man who could not lose just two years ago, gave serious chase with a closing 63. He moved up 11 slots, into solo 2nd on Sunday. He finished two shots back of the champion. Two shots ain’t much. Cough once and you drop a pair. Third place saw a three-way tie, including last year’s winner (Steve Stricker) and runner-up (Ernie Els.) Despite the intimidating presence of the game’s greats, however, Doug Barron had more than enough of everything this week, and he has a third Tour Champions title to show off.

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Equipment

Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?

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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.

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Equipment

Spotted: Tommy Fleetwood’s TaylorMade Spider Tour X Prototype putter

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Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.

This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.

Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.

The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.

Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.

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