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WM Phoenix Open Tour Report: Adam Scott speaks, CHIII talks putter testing, and custom “party” covers

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2 years ago

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Every year, the Waste Management Phoenix Open is home to the “Greatest Party on Grass,” and event-goers celebrate with a couple of adult beverages. The stadium atmosphere on the 16th hole is one of the most raucous scenes in sports, and most certainly the rowdiest in golf.

TPC Scottsdale – site of the WM Phoenix Open – is also known for having some of the smoothest and truest rolling greens on Tour. Players often find the WM Phoenix Open to be a great spot for putter testing.

So, in this edition of our weekly Tour Report, we focus mostly on new and custom putters as well as festive custom putter covers we spotted inside the ropes this week.

Let’s dive right into the Tour Report from the 2022 WM Phoenix Open. Here are 10 things we spotted.

Check out all of our photos from TPC Scottsdale here!

1) Adam Scott’s Mezz.1 putter and new bag

Being that Adam Scott is no longer a full Titleist staffer, I was curious to see what he’d have in the bag this week. While he does still have 13-of-14 Titleist clubs in the bag, he’s using a new L.A.B. Mezz.1 Proto broomstick-style putter.

He spoke with GolfWRX about the new head:

“I think they’ve refined their design with this new head,” Scott said. “The original head, that Directed Force, maybe was hard for a lot of people to adjust to the size of the head, and this new [Mezz.1 Proto] is smaller, but has the same benefits…I thought the technology in the original was good, but now with the new head design, it feels, looks, does all the things better than the original head for me…I’m looking forward to a week on pure greens to see what happens.”

He’s also made a bag switch-up for this year. He’s now carrying an all-red leather staff bag with “UNIQLO” logos on the front and side panels. Scott is a brand ambassador for the global apparel retailer.

2) New Scotty Cameron putters

Scotty Cameron began tour seeding of two new putter models this week: Phantom X 9 and X 9.5.

Click here for more photos, speculation and information about the launch.

3) Charles Howell III does putter testing, as always

Ahead of his 600th start this week, Charles Howell III was conducting some extensive putter testing. As he explained to GolfWRX, he enjoys doing putter testing just to keep things interesting since he’s happy with the rest of the 13 clubs in his bag.

“I don’t switch anything else…I’ve played the same driver and driver shaft forever now. I’ve played the same 3 wood, etc., so you have to switch something. There’s also part of it, too, that it keeps it interesting and exciting. When you’ve played golf as long as I have, sometimes it’s just part of the fun of it to look at something else. It’s why we’re all gear heads, right? You don’t need any more reason to it than that. I’m not a guy that can look at the same putter forever. I’m just not.”

4) New Ping putters

Ping unveiled a number of new PLD (Putting Lab Design) putters this week, and Ping has confirmed that a retail offering is on the way. According to a Ping representative, the “PLD Milled” putters will come available in four models – Anser, Anser2, Prime Tyne 4 and DS72 – starting the second week in March.

5) Custom party covers

Seemingly every year, Bettinardi creates a new custom “Party On” headcover made of festive colors. This year, the company is back again with a new design, featuring stick figures partying with solo cups. A few artistic liberties aside, I’d say they capture Arizona’s Phoenix Open party scene quite well.

Swag Golf, a company that makes custom covers and putters, got in on the fun as well with its Cactus party covers.

6) Aaron Rodgers’ TaylorMade putter

With hair down to his shoulders, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers showed up at the Wednesday Pro-Am with a bag full of TaylorMade equipment. His setup included a brand new Stealth Plus driver and a custom TaylorMade Spider putter with an “A12” logo on the sole; as a reminder, Rodgers wears No. 12 on the football field.

7) Tom Hoge’s custom Pebble-winner

I don’t want to sell you on it too hard, but the story behind Tom Hoge’s winning Odyssey White Hot OG 2-ball putter is an all-timer. What started as a simple request for a custom putter turned into so much more.

Check out the full inside scoop on Hoge’s ultra-custom 2-ball putter here. 

8) Brooks Koepka’s Cleveland-Srixon setup

As of November 2021, Brooks Koepka is officially a Cleveland-Srixon staffer, and he’s carrying a Srixon staff bag. Speaking with the media, Koepka went deep into his experiences with the company’s clubs over the past year. To summarize, he’s extremely happy with the V-sole construction of his irons, he loves the stability that his Srixon Z-Star golf ball offers in the wind, and he worked hard with the company on the grind of his Cleveland RTX ZipCore wedges – especially the lob wedge (pictured above).

For a much deeper dive into Koepka’s new setup, click here.

9) C.C. Sabathia’s Eastside Jordans

Former left-handed pitcher of the New York Yankees, C.C. Sabathia, played in the Wednesday Pro-Am wearing a pair of custom Jordan 4’s. In speaking with GolfWRX, he revealed they’re a limited-edition collab between Jordan and Eastside Golf.

Eastside Golf was developed as a lifestyle brand, raising awareness to the sport among the youth and non-golfers: “We want to inspire the culture, promote diversity and continue to be authentic,” says their website.

10) A proto Toulon blade

While this putter wasn’t designed for any pros in particular, the Odyssey Toulon SSM Proto is a bullseye-style putter that can be used by lefties and righties.

Xander Schauffele, a right-handed player, had some fun on the practice green, hitting a few putts from the left-handed side. Don’t worry, he’s sticking with his right-handed stroke come competition time, but the Toulon blade was a big hit on the greens given its updated take on an old-school design.

And that’ll do it for this week’s putter-heavy Tour Report, and don’t forget to check out all of our photos from the week here. We’ll see you next week for the 2022 Genesis Invitational.

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He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Ed Settle

    Feb 12, 2022 at 7:19 pm

    I’m sure you noticed it also, Aaron Rodgers logo on the bottom of his putter is not just 12, but “a R”

    Reply Report comment

  2. PJM

    Feb 11, 2022 at 1:44 am

    “Ping unveiled a number of new PLD (Ping Lab Design) …”

    Hmmm – pretty sure PLD is an initialism of Putting Lab Design, as it appears on the putter shown.

    Reply Report comment

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Whats in the Bag

Cameron Young WITB 2024 (March)

Published

19 hours ago

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Mar 25, 2024

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  • Cameron Young WITB accurate as of the Valspar Championship. 

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra Tour Z5 65 M5

2-wood: Titleist TSR 2W Prototype (13 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist T100 (4-5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: MMT Utility 105 TX (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 58-08M, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7

Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 5.5 Tour Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align

Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot

 

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Equipment

Best hybrids 2024: Expert fitters recommend the hybrids for your game

Published

22 hours ago

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Mar 25, 2024

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At GolfWRX, we believe the best hybrid for your game is going to be the one that gives you the greatest opportunity to both score and save shots during your round of golf.

In 2024, we have seen a continued expansion of hybrid options from every manufacturer with models designed to fit golfers of all skill levels and clubhead speeds. Some manufacturers offer models all the way down to 8-iron-replacement lofts.

That being said, ultimately the best way to find the best hybrid or hybrids for you is to work with a professional fitter using a launch monitor and gap them accordingly. The difficult part is a lot of people don’t have easy access to fitters, launch monitors, and club builders — so at GolfWRX, we have done a lot of the work for you.

We want to give you the tools and information to go out and find what works best for you, and we’re offering recommendations based on exactly what you need from your hybrids.

We have again broken our 2024 best hybrid list into two categories.

  • Best hybrid for golfers seeking forgiveness
  • Best hybrid for golfers seeking versatility

We reached out to our trusted fitters to discuss how they sort through the hybrid club options available to golfers. Forgiveness and versatility were the highest-ranked choices.

Most versatile hybrids of 2024

Titleist TSR2

“Forgiving speed and performance,” is the branding for the TSR2. TSR2 hybrids remain slightly longer with a classical shape. Center of gravity is lower and deeper in the TSR2 for higher launch and maximum forgiveness.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Ping G430

In all of the G430 fairway woods and hybrids, Ping developed Carbonfly Wrap in a bid to deliver more distance by positioning the CG closer to the face line in design to maximize ball speed, resulting in higher, longer carries. The lightweight composite crown wraps into the heel and toe sections of the skirt, creating weight savings of 10 grams, which are reallocated to achieve a lower CG and increase ball speed.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke

Leveraging the company’s new Ai Smart Face, Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke hybrid has been reshaped and features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

TaylorMade Qi10 Rescue

The Qi10 Rescue is designed with an all-new Carbon Crown that helps free up weight for improved weight distribution in the heads. The club has split internal weighting to achieve more distance and a higher launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue

The Qi10 Tour Rescue model features a C300 face with a more compact look and a higher-toe design. It’s designed for better players who seek to combine distance and control with iron-like turf interaction, workability, and precision.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Most forgiving hybrids of 2024

TaylorMade Qi10 Max Rescue

Qi10 Max Rescue clubs are designed with all-new Carbon Crowns that help free up weight for improved weight distribution in the heads. The Qi10 Max has an ultra-low CG (center of gravity) and a shallow face height for even higher launch and greater forgiveness.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke HL

Designed for players with moderate to average swing speeds who are looking to hit the ball higher to maximize carry distance, the Paradym Ai Smoke HL leverages the company’s new Ai Smart Face. It features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Ping G430

In all of the G430 fairway woods and hybrids, Ping developed Carbonfly Wrap in a bid to deliver more distance by positioning the CG closer to the face line in design to maximize ball speed, resulting in higher, longer carries. The lightweight composite crown wraps into the heel and toe sections of the skirt, creating weight savings of 10 grams, which are reallocated to achieve a lower CG and increase ball speed.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast is designed for moderate-swing-speed players. In addition to Ai Smart Face, Max Fast features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Titleist TSR1

Titleist’s new TSR1 hybrids are built with a larger, “wood-like” size to help golfers find more speed and forgiveness. They’re also built 0.5 inches longer than standard to provide additional assistance in creating speed.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Best hybrid of 2024: Meet the fitters

Conclusion

The fitters consulted for this piece have accumulated data from thousands of fittings with golfers just like you. From beginners to tour players, their feedback and information can’t be undervalued.

Join the discussion about the best hybrids of 2024 in the forums.

 

 

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Whats in the Bag

Nelly Korda WITB 2024 (March)

Published

24 hours ago

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Mar 25, 2024

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  • Nelly Korda’s WITB accurate as of her win at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship.

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 Max (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 60 S

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7 S

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 S

Hybrid: Ping G425 (26 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue HB 7 S

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (5), TaylorMade P7MC (6-PW)
Shafts: AeroTech SteelFiber i80 cw

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 54-SB), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-T)
Shafts: AeroTech SteelFiber i95 cw

Putter: Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

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WITB

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