Equipment

WRX Insider: #TigerTuesday – Building the ultimate Tiger bag

Published

4 years ago

Jul 21, 2020

The title says it all. I’ve done this with my buddies more than once; sit around and piece together the ultimate 14-club Tiger Woods set based on personal affinities, iconic shots he has hit, and tournaments he has won.

I think you will find some obvious choices in here but some may shock you.

(And yes, we are going club for club)

Driver: Nike Ignite 8.5 w/ Original Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 73 X5Ct X flex

I know, I know…”What about the Titleist 975D?” Truth is, what Tiger did with the 975D will never be touched. In 2000, he was second in driving distance at 298 and hit 71.2 percent of the fairways. So concern and outrage dually noted. HOWEVER, 2005 and his integration of the 45-inch, graphite-shafted, 460CC “modern head” propelled his distance game to a new level, and once again he out hit the “Tiger Proofed” golf courses like Augusta. It’s also the driver that ultimately encouraged him to retire “old trusty” (bel0w) in order to shorten the gap between his driver and 3-wood.

3-wood: Titleist 970 15 degrees w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Obvious for so many reasons but ill give you the top 3 reasons that are indisputable:

1) It was the coolest 3-wood ever made 2) His drive on #13 in 2001, out hitting Phil’s driver by 20. 3) His majestic missile at #14 at St. Andrews in 2000 on Day 3. That’s enough.

5-wood: Nike T40 Tour 19 degrees w/ Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 103X 2006

Tiger finally swapped out his 970 for the Nike T60 (15 degrees) in early 2005. This was still a time when his 2-iron continued to be a consistent weapon. However, due to the overall distance the new driver and 3-wood were going, he now needed a club that he could fly a bit further than a 2-iron but also one he could hit way up, way down, and everything else. That’s where the T40 came into the conversation and it has been a weapon ever since.

2-iron: Mizuno MP-29 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

The original sting machine. Go back and watch his 1995 U.S Amateur victory at Newport CC. He relies on the choked down version of that shot the whole week. Obviously, it evolved from there, but his 2-iron prowess went from power to precision with this club.

3-iron: Nike Forged (Red Logo Model) w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

With this club, he picked apart Southern Hills CC at the 2007 PGA Championship. It was so good in fact that Tiger limited himself to only a few drivers the entire week.

4-iron: Nike Forged w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

2006 Open Championship at Hoylake, second day #14…you’re welcome

5-iron: TaylorMade P7TW w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

(4:15:00)

In my opinion, it was the key shot of his 2019 triumph. Some may argue it was the tee shot on 12, the lag on 9, the tee shot on 16. His five-iron from 227 not only applied the first foot on the neck of his chasers, but it also illustrated that on that course, in that situation, he’s unbeatable.

6-iron: Mizuno MP-14 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

“Hello, world.” Who does that? Makes the most notable pro debut in history and goes off and holes one out in the final round. Granted, he finished miles back from the winner but that particular shot showed the field just how scary it could get. That tee shot was getting 4 and 5-irons into it all day, this kid comes in with a flighted 6-iron that not only went in but would have stopped on a dime right next to the hole if it didn’t. VERY few in the field were capable of having a shot in their bag that even sniffed that.

7-iron: Titleist 681T w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

3 Dec 2000: Tiger Woods looks on during the Williams World Challenge at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.Mandatory Credit: Donald Miralle /Allsport

2000 U.S. Open, Pebble Beach, 6th hole Day 2, 205 out of the right rough.

“It’s just not a fair fight” -Roger Maltbie NBC

It never was.

8-iron: TaylorMade P7TW w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Tiger hit nine 8-iron approach shots on Sunday at Augusta, two of which represented the beginning of his chase (8-iron into the seventh for a birdie) and the door-slammer (8-iron into the 16th).

9-iron: Mizuno MP-14 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

(4:12) 16th Hole at TPC Scottsdale, 1997 Phoenix Open…WHO DOES THAT? It was the total “what if” scenario. That guy, on that day (party Saturday) on that hole. Oh. My. Word.

PW: Titleist 681T w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

(4:43)

2000 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM, Tiger chases a nervous Matt Gogel and to add terror to fear, he hits this little 2 finger PW from 97 yards that finds itself in the cup for an eagle and an eventual TW victory.

56 degree: Titleist Vokey 258.08 bent to 56 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100/S400

This one took some consideration, but ultimately I chose this one because it gave me the first visible clue as to how dialed TW got with his clubs, bending a 58 strong to reduce the bounce and arrive on a leading edge that was just right. I remember studying that wedge in detail.

60 degree: Nike FastBack 60 degrees w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

“In your LIFE!” #16 at Augusta, 16th hole…you know the rest. The most Tiger shot of all time.

Putter: (1999-now) Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2 (AKA The Elder Wand)

Arguably the most talked-about putter in the history of the game. It’s a history stick and should be at the top of every “best” list ever.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

13 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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