Equipment

Poulter chooses Odyssey White Damascus putter for The Open

Published

11 years ago

Jul 16, 2013

Last week, Ian Poulter took to twitter to ask for help choosing a new putter for The Open Championship. (Click here to read our full story).

I am sacking my putter, I will use a new putter at the Open. Putter manufacturers please send me some to try to my IJP office please.

— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) July 7, 2013

As expected, putter makers jumped on the opportunity to get their putters in the hands of the European Ryder Cup star, sending retail store-sized shipments to Poulter’s IJP offices.

Eight days after Poulter’s proclamation (10:08 p.m. local time at Muirfield), he was true to his word and confirmed on Twitter that he would switch to a new putter.

My putter is selected for the week. It is an Odyssey White Damascus. Rolling it very nice. Testing over for now. http://t.co/tU4ICJPr72

— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) July 16, 2013

Poulter’s new putter is the same brand as his old putter, an Odyssey White Hot XG #7, but it’s a new model from the company.

The putter’s official name is “Odyssey White Damascus iX #1,” and while it has yet to be announced in the United States, but it has been publicized in Japan, where it is expected to be released in September.

Click here to see photos of the rest of the clubs in Poulter’s bag.

Odyssey’s Damascus insert on a White Damascus #9 iX9 HT putter.

According to a Callaway representative, the putter has an insert made of Damascus Steel, which is known for its almost mythical strength and has been used to make samurai swords for hundreds of years. The Damascus insert has Odyssey’s Metal X face pattern chemically milled into it, and another insert made of soft urethane insert behind it.

The back flanges of the Anser-style putter are made of tungsten, which Odyssey says moves the CG low and deep in increase the putters moment of inertia (MOI).

So what did Poulter do with the rest of the putters he was sent? According to his Twitter account, his staff will be in touch with putter makers and ship the putters back to them.

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29 Comments

Blaise

Jul 22, 2013 at 5:03 pm

“high end” putters sell better in japan.. well that’s because the product is made for $50 in China an then sold for $540 in japan. so if that is how this club manufacturer is run it is a perfect example of why our economy is where it is today. you take these billion dollar corporations to China, take away the jobs from us, so no one has the money to buy these “high end” putters that realistically should sell for $150-$200.

Reply Report comment
J

Jul 19, 2013 at 9:06 am

Odyssey…

If its available there…it should be here. Plain and simple.

Shouldn’t have to pay duties to get a product from an American company.

Boooo…

Reply Report comment
Josh

Jul 18, 2013 at 11:46 am

Wow… according to some of you, I hope Poulter never tries to take the INSERT out and use it as a dagger or fashion it into a cannon. I certainly hope that he considered that much more than he did how the ball might actually feel to him coming off the face of the club.

Reply Report comment
BallzDeep

Jul 18, 2013 at 10:50 am

You guys are absurd. People all over the world drool over golf clubs made with BeCu, Terillium(sp?), urethane, aluminum, speed slots, circle T stamps, buzzing bee’s, white paint, etc. You wouldn’t do that on a cannon either. The fact that they have a tour player with 1.5 million Twitter followers who had an open tryout for the putter he chose for his most important tournament of the year probably means they’re going to sell.
I also think this is a way cooler way to intro a putter to the world than quite possibly the douchiest video of all time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jPxtHqj5hY
I’m not a Scotty hater at all, but this video makes me laugh so hard at the other tools in the room that buy into his magic.

Reply Report comment
golfa8

Jul 18, 2013 at 9:06 am

He should have tried the “Tank”. It fits his Ryder Cup profile.

Reply Report comment
Blanco

Jul 17, 2013 at 5:57 pm

Perfect putter for Poulter. Shiny ancient steel with cloak and dagger graphics– will go well with gold pants and a leather cape.

Reply Report comment
- Ah thnxBlancO
  
  Jul 18, 2013 at 3:55 am
  
  Thanks Blanco for making my night. Poulter, couldn’t you have just walked out onto the practice green and found one? Drama dawgs and Englishmen
  
  Reply Report comment
Hamkenstein

Jul 17, 2013 at 5:45 pm

I think it’s the decorative part that’s important here. That’s why the money is spent on bespoke/ custom finish putters. Not to much worry about a putter blowing apart.

Reply Report comment
MarkInChiTown

Jul 17, 2013 at 4:24 pm

Sorry to burst your balloon Odyssey, but Damascus Steel has for hundreds of years been known as very cheap and very unreliable steel. Its poor quality made it affordable, but very dangerous to use. Cannons made from
Damascus Steel were known to blow apart! You won’t be selling any of these in Europe, or the far east. I’m surprised you have no metallurgists on your staff. They could have saved you from making fools of yourselves…

Reply Report comment
- BIG
  
  Jul 17, 2013 at 4:28 pm
  
  That’s what I’m saying. Lots of better steels out there.
  
  Reply Report comment
Drew

Jul 17, 2013 at 1:28 pm

Hey Odyssey brand team…You talk about this steel being used to make samurai swords and then you go and put an English excalibur sword on the sole?

Reply Report comment
- Odyssey_PM
  
  Jul 17, 2013 at 2:25 pm
  
  A couple points of clarity since there seems to be some confusion here:
  – We never said this wasn’t being released in the United States. Stay tuned. Why Japan first? There is a much larger high end market for putters there. We have roughly 50% market share there and sell $500+ putters in droves. Retailers in the U.S. will not stock them because US consumers won’t spend that much except in limited numbers.
  – Damascus has been used by expert metallurgists for thousands of years in daggers, swords and all sorts of other executions. Samurais were not the only ones that used this type of metal.
  – Things are changing…the fact that we even allow tour players in the U.S. or Europe to use a putter that we’d sell predominantly in Japan is a big change. We saw a guy shoot 59 on the Web.com with one this past week and we another player choose one here.
  
  Seriously…stay tuned. We might surprise you with how we operate now. To pass on us because of actions in Callaway or Odyssey’s past is big mistake. All we can do it is prove it to you.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - BIG
    
    Jul 17, 2013 at 4:03 pm
    
    I work for a knife company and I can tell you there are a lot of better steels than Damascus. Damascus, while quite a bit more expensive, is more decorative than anything.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Matt
    
    Jul 18, 2013 at 12:16 am
    
    Yeah America’s economy has been sucking for the last five years and I’m sure that’s put a hurting on the high end putter market. Can’t say I blame you guys for taking new products to the Japanese market first. Hey but for the record I love my new low end white hot pro #9.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Tony Lynam
  
  Jul 22, 2013 at 9:28 pm
  
  And to add, Damascus refers to the legendary sword makers in the middle east (whose stamp looks like a Star of David). We have those stamps on our Marine NCO and Officer swords (the Mamaluke).
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Matt
    
    Oct 2, 2015 at 2:03 pm
    
    +1 to Tony. Know this is an old article, but author needs to get this kind of thing right. Damascus steel is 100% a medieval steel from the middle east, hence the name… Damascus is the capital of Syria… Damascus steel was NOT used to make samurai swords. Tamahagane or other specialized steels were used in Japan.
    
    Also, BIG, while you may have worked for a knife company, they probably did not use true Damascus steel. Modern Damascus is generally made simply by folding the metal during the forging process so a “water” pattern forms. Also see “Wootz steel” and “Crucible steel” for other similar metals found in different areas of the world. The forging process of ancient Damascus has been lost to time, though certain metallurgists have set out to try and recreate the composition. It is NOT a brittle metal, but in fact was known for being extremely strong while having great flex to it. There were actually carbon nanotubes present in the original composition, well before nanotechnology was in place.
    
    Basically, everyone above Tony is COMPLETELY WRONG in what they are stating…
    
    Nice try haters, but you are simply misinformed.
    
    -Matt
    
    Reply Report comment
Displayname

Jul 17, 2013 at 11:55 am

That insert/face combo looks AWESOME! Could finally be a replacement for my old White Steel insert. Bring it to the US and bring back the SRT 2 ball and I’m sold!

Reply Report comment
Ben Hudson

Jul 17, 2013 at 7:49 am

Viral marketing – 1
the rest of us – 0

Reply Report comment
shanked

Jul 17, 2013 at 12:08 am

I understand that Japan has a large market, but seriously?!? We get stuck with Versa while they get these? I’d game that any day of the week. Maybe I need to tweet out that I’m looking for a new flat stick…

Reply Report comment
- gunmetal
  
  Jul 18, 2013 at 12:39 pm
  
  You can game this when it gets released to Japan. It will cost you $549 but that’s what they pay for it in Japan.
  
  Reply Report comment
NB

Jul 16, 2013 at 11:13 pm

Pretty cool putter picked by poulter, he should ebay the other ones he didnt select and donate it to charity though. Then he could choose new clubs constantly and make lots of donations.

Reply Report comment
J

Jul 16, 2013 at 10:16 pm

Sick!

It’s still frustrating that an American Company release product in Japan WAY before if ever at all in the United States.

Pretty serious turn-off when it comes to buying Callaway.

Reply Report comment
- Blaise
  
  Jul 16, 2013 at 11:26 pm
  
  agreed. maybe that’s why i dumped my odyssey for the american made bettinardi
  
  Reply Report comment
- john
  
  Jul 16, 2013 at 11:27 pm
  
  the market for golf clubs in japan is so much larger that it would be silly not to release things there first…they sell to a year round market of a much greater percentage of golfers/population, they can sell it for more AND they get to see what sells and what doesn’t over there before bringing it here. on a side note, most of the stuff is made in asia so its already over there anyway…its been happening for years and EVERY company does it…callaway, taylormade, and even TITLEIST…you can find all the stuff online if you’re willing to pay
  
  Reply Report comment
  - optumus
    
    Jul 17, 2013 at 12:05 am
    
    actually, scotty putters are milled in socal, not china
    
    Reply Report comment
    - AndyJ
      
      Jul 18, 2013 at 9:55 am
      
      Actually Scotty’s putters are made in Mexico
      
      Reply Report comment
  - J
    
    Jul 17, 2013 at 12:14 am
    
    At least release it here.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Philip Nielsen
    
    Jul 18, 2013 at 10:55 am
    
    Good point, I think people on here forget that these club manufacturers are companies lol.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Philip Nielsen
    
    Jul 18, 2013 at 10:55 am
    
    Good point, I think people on here forget that these club manufacturers are companies seeking profit lol.
    
    Reply Report comment

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Equipment

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

Published

4 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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