News
The Dufner signing says a lot about Cobra
Editor’s note: Cobra Golf announced today Jason Dufner is signed to a multi-year full-bag deal.
In all honesty, if you have been following Jason Dufner over the past 9 months, this announcement may not surprise you. He spent 2 years living out every gear heads dream by being an equal opportunity player. He had some epic bags, most notably the drool-worthy National Custom muscle backs finished off with Auburn Tiger BB&Co Ferrules. It was amazing, but even he admits that yes it can be fun messing around but it’s still playing with career fire.
I think it needs to be pointed out that Dufner, believe it or not, is a tough nut to crack when it comes to his clubs. The guy is incredibly smart, precise and knows what he needs….and like Tiger, will not compromise. Those compliments can be a blessing and a challenge for companies all at once. The latter being a guy that is a hard switcher, a hard sell and won’t budge unless it’s perfect.
This critical eye isn’t reserved for only certain clubs, they all have to fit into a very thin pocket. For instance, Jason is a low launch, low spin, average distance player. His lofts are a nod to the late ’90s with a 28 Degree 5 Iron and 48 Degree Pitching Wedge but the guy has no interest in picking up 20 yards. His clubs need to go a certain number every time out of certain flight window. Yes, he looks at Trackman, but imagine selling a car to a guy that isn’t attracted to speed or gadgets but only the granular feel of making a right turn and how far his eyes track over the steering wheel. There are no Trackman numbers for feel and instinct.
But like TaylorMade getting Tiger into an iron he likes, Cobra signing Jason Dufner says more about the quality of work of the people behind the scenes than anything. As a Tour Truck junkie, I’ve gotten to know a bunch of the guys and in particular Ben Schomin of Cobra. As this process went on, I would text him questions about working with JD and I could literally feel his excitement around the process through text.
I can still remember the day late this summer that I saw Cobra wedges in Dufners bag. At that point I knew today was coming. Ben Schomin has become someone Jason trusts, trust that is earned at least equipment wise. Most of the stories around Dufner came around his wedges. The grinds, bounce, shaft, grips need to be perfect and if they are just a whisper off, it’s a non starter. I can only think of a few guys on tour that are like that. Guys that can tell you the yardage and spin numbers on a wedge shot before it even lands…that’s Jason.
So although this signing may seem typical for this time of year, for me it’s awesome. Jason Dufner is extremely interesting to follow, and when he’s playing well, it’s always a good time. But most importantly it’s a testament to the hard work of the folks at Cobra and in particular Ben Schomin. Well done Benny, very well done!
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News
Morning 9: Is it Rory’s time? | Stricker WDs | Why Valhalla is a great major venue
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News
Tour Rundown: Rose blooms, Rory rolls
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.
Take a look back at hole No. 1… @rosezhang is living life on the edge ? pic.twitter.com/o6z6SK7TRA
— LPGA (@LPGA) May 12, 2024
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.
HOLE-OUT EAGLE FOR RORY!!!
He now leads by SIX! pic.twitter.com/UE49lwfwNC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
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.
Leader by SIX!
@ChrisGotterup | @MyrtleBeachC pic.twitter.com/TVdA6ZPYc4— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2024
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.
At the @RegionsTrad, all champions receive a green bike.
Doug Barron decided to take a victory lap ? pic.twitter.com/bEzENMjZwv
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 13, 2024
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
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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Dr Tee
Dec 16, 2019 at 7:26 pm
maybe the Dufner Cobra signing says something about Cobra…
but what does the butt wipe signing say about Dufner ??
Hoganben
Dec 4, 2019 at 10:07 pm
Bs about Tiger and his irons….all of Tiger’s irons have all been basically identical since he stopped playing eye 2s. Ps…. Patrick Reed’s new forged irons look like all the other forged blades too.
Scott
Nov 24, 2019 at 5:55 am
The dude sells butt wipes on his hat….WTF? No way would he represent my company.
Daniel
Nov 13, 2019 at 9:25 am
Love that the whole article is how serious he takes his clubs, but first thing you notice about the picture is the bryson troll stamped on to the wedges. Golf needs Duff.
Steve
Nov 12, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Maybe he should just go down to Golf Galaxy and get whatever’s on clearance because he can probably miss the cut with those too.
Pat MaGroin
Nov 13, 2019 at 11:08 pm
you owe me a new monitor after I spit up on it reading your post 🙂
well said…..
Cody Reeder
Nov 20, 2019 at 1:53 pm
Duff is an interesting guy but will not make much difference in the long run. No screen time.
Everyone
Nov 12, 2019 at 5:42 pm
MORE WRITING LIKE THIS!!
Digger Dave
Nov 12, 2019 at 6:40 pm
Thats the first thing that cane to my mind 1/2 way through the article!
Cobra also makes great gear that is just as good if not better than everything else out. I just sold a set of Cobra MBs bc i got a set of Mizunos and a set of the old TW Nike blades. Sad to say 2 months later im back to ordering another set of Cobras and done tinkering.
Benny
Nov 12, 2019 at 2:53 pm
Awesome mews and great article Johnny. Thanks as always Golfwrx.
Hope he wins. More and more I am turning back towards Cobra. Could be a great honeymoon.
Silverbackster
Nov 12, 2019 at 2:33 pm
As an engineer, Thats good with numbers and accuracy, but where is the RESULT? Where is the winning? Thats no one would sign, you put employees through hell dialing in perfect combination, but then can’t even make top 100 in the world past two years!?
event country week year Missed cut *RANKING*
Houston Open USA 41 2019 MC – 1 – 192nd
Safeway Open USA 39 2019 MC – 1 – 179th
Sanderson Farms Championship USA 38 2019 MC – 1 – 176th
A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier USA 37 2019 T57 – 1 – 167th
Wyndham Championship USA 31 2019 MC – 0.9783 – 167th
Barbasol Championship USA 29 2019 T18 1.74 0.9565 1.66 155th
John Deere Classic USA 28 2019 MC – 0.9457 – 161st
3M Open USA 27 2019 T66 – 0.9348 – 157th
Rocket Mortgage Classic USA 26 2019 MC – 0.9239 – 149th
U.S. Open MAJ 24 2019 T35 3.65 0.9022 3.29 136th
the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide USA 22 2019 T7 11.56 0.8804 10.18 146th
Charles Schwab Challenge USA 21 2019 T40 1.70 0.8696 1.48 194th
PGA Championship MAJ 20 2019 MC – 0.8587 – 194th
Wells Fargo Championship USA 18 2019 T4 11.50 0.837 9.63 183rd
RBC Heritage USA 16 2019 T63 – 0.8152 – 222nd
Valspar Championship USA 12 2019 MC – 0.7717 – 195th
THE PLAYERS Championship USA 11 2019 T74 – 0.7609 – 187th
Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard USA 10 2019 MC – 0.75 – 173rd
The Honda Classic USA 9 2019 T75 – 0.7391 – 166th
Genesis Open USA 7 2019 MC – 0.7174 – 162nd
Desert Classic USA 3 2019 MC – 0.6739 – 127th
Sony Open in Hawaii USA 2 2019 T73 – 0.663 – 125th
Aztec
Nov 12, 2019 at 6:51 pm
As an engineer, your grammar is terrible.
Martin
Nov 28, 2019 at 5:22 pm
But his comment is to the point;-)
No results lately,, just a drama on tour. Hope for better now but clubs are just clubs,
golfraven
Nov 24, 2019 at 5:01 pm
Hey, go easy on Duff. He is still recovering from his wife walking out on him. Not that she was a great asset but hey so is life at times.
John
Dec 2, 2019 at 12:34 pm
On his worst day he’d still beat you 10&8 playing one handed. As an engineer you must know this.