Equipment
Photos from the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
GolfWRX is live this week from the Monterey Peninsula in Pebble Beach, Calif., for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the most scenic and celebrity-filled event on the PGA Tour. Pebble Beach Golf Links sits atop cliffs that overlook Carmel Bay, producing both breathtaking views and an imposing threat. The multi-course event is also played on Spyglass Hill Golf Course and Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course.
Phil Mickelson looks to capture his fifth win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but has been battling lower back issues. He withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines due to injury, and had a lack luster performance in his title defense at last week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, aside from throwing footballs into the grandstands.
Brandt Snedeker, this week’s defending champion, and two-time champion Dustin Johnson are also headliners for the tournament, which features seven of the top-21 players in the world rankings. Snedeker broke the tournament scoring record last year en route to victory, and also captured the pro-am division title alongside fellow Vanderbilt alum Toby Wilt. Johnson will team up again this year with NHL Hall-of-Famer and future father-in-law Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky, or better known in the Instagram/Twitter world as Paulina Gretzky’s dad.
Other notable celebrities are NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady, Alex Smith, and Aaron Rodgers, NFL Coach Bill Belichick, musicians Kid Rock, Kenny G and Darius Rucker, surfer Kelly Slater, tennis star Andy Roddick, actor Don Cheadle, and of course, the rumblin’ stumblin’ sports reporter Chris Berman.
Check out our photos from this week’s event at Pebble Beach.
Monday
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Mon. Part 1
Tuesday
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Tues. Part 1
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Tues. Part 2
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Tues. Part 3
Wednesday
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Wed. Part 1
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Wed. Part 2
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Wed. Part 3
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Wed. Part 4
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Wed. Part 5
Thursday
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Thurs. Part 1
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Thurs. Part 2
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Thurs. Part 3
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Thurs. Part 4
Friday
2014 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Fri. Part 1
Special Galleries
Coach Bill Belichick WITB
Wayne Gretzky
Kid Rock
Jim Renner WITB
K.J. Choi WITB
Jason Bohn WITB
Dustin Johnson WITB
Brendon Todd WITB
Daniel Summerhays WITB
Jim Herman WITB
Steven Bowditch WITB
Geoff Oglivy WITB
Jason Kokrak WITB
Ryan Palmer WITB
Graeme McDowell WITB
D.A. Points WITB
Cameron Tringale WITB
Bud Cauley WITB
Kevin Stadler WITB
Click here to see what GolfWRX members are saying in the discussion thread.
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Whats in the Bag
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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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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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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the dude
Feb 7, 2014 at 4:37 pm
can’t wait to see boomer dig some ditches……
Tony
Feb 7, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Who’s sporting the LH Ping Ansers?
Greg
Feb 7, 2014 at 3:12 pm
could be Edward Loar’s bag
Ryan williams
Feb 7, 2014 at 5:53 am
Kelly Slater WITB?
Greg
Feb 7, 2014 at 10:54 am
Once play has started won’t bother the players to get WITB. Kelly didn’t get in until late Wednesday night /early Thursday morning. Flying in after winning a surfing competition in Hawaii.
Will
Feb 6, 2014 at 6:29 pm
Anyone have a Peyton Manning WITB photos yet? Curious as to what he plays.
Tyler
Feb 6, 2014 at 12:51 pm
Few things- What happened to Daly? Why’d he put the lbs back on? I’m kinda suprised Peyton showed up after that EMBARRASSING performance a few days ago. And, lastly who is that hot “ethnic” chick?
takeherdeep
Feb 6, 2014 at 2:51 pm
I was wondering the same thing. She be good looking….
JCorona
Feb 7, 2014 at 11:20 am
why wouldn’t Peyton show up?? If anything it proves he is a gentleman and not some whiny pro athlete/sore loser who runs and hides after a poor performance. Or, was it an OUTSTANDING defensive job by the Seahawks??
Daly probably ate more calories than what he burned off… that is how one “puts the lbs back on”… I am sure he is sorry that he disappointed you….
And I am sure the “hot ethnic chick” would jump at the chance to introduce herself you seeing how nicely you treat everyone else.
Tyler
Feb 9, 2014 at 4:58 pm
It really doesn’t prove he is a gentleman. Not sure where you got that from. It proves it didn’t bother him that much to be humiliated by Seattle’s defense. Yes, Seattle embarrassed him.
I was wondering WHY not HOW Daly put the weight back on.
You’re right. I think she would rather introduce herself to someone boring like you with no opinions whatsoever and a
llamont
Feb 7, 2014 at 6:05 pm
“Hot ETHNIC Chick”… Really??? SM”D@mn”H. Reference “Dead Solid Perfect.”
Dummy
Feb 6, 2014 at 12:44 pm
Who’s the dude with the long hair, glasses, and puma clothes?
Greg
Feb 6, 2014 at 1:44 pm
Jake Owen (country singer)
llamont
Feb 6, 2014 at 12:12 am
Life appears to be catching up with “Long” John Daly. I hope he pulls it together.
Marcus
Feb 5, 2014 at 11:06 pm
What course are the Wednesday photos from?
Marcus
Feb 5, 2014 at 11:05 pm
What course is that at? MPCC?
Greg
Feb 5, 2014 at 11:14 pm
All photos were from the new range at Pebble Beach or the 1st tee at Pebble.
Marcus
Feb 6, 2014 at 12:51 pm
Ah, thanks, Greg. Been a while since I have been there.
Buck
Feb 5, 2014 at 8:53 pm
Who’s the hottie with John Peterson
Tom
Feb 4, 2014 at 7:59 pm
Who’s sportin the XTD irons?
Greg
Feb 4, 2014 at 11:42 pm
Jake Owen (country singer)
Double Mocha Man
Feb 4, 2014 at 11:48 am
What?! No Super Bowl Seahawk’s QB’s in the field??? You’re never too short for golf.
Richard Sherman would be a hoot in this tournament. But alas, he’s on crutches.
Alex
Feb 3, 2014 at 11:30 pm
Im gonna need a cash money putter cover! haha