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Bubba being Bubba meets Oakley being Oakley

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There might not be a more interesting golfer on the PGA Tour than Bubba Watson, and it’s nothing he tries to hide.

He’s the longest driver on the PGA Tour, which comes with its own level of notoriety. Now add that the five-time tour winner is left-handed, self-taught and one of the most talented ball strikers on the PGA Tour. From the middle of the fairway, he’s known to curve his shots 30 yards this way or 30 yards that way, because that’s what seems right to him.

Adding to Watson’s fame are his media feats, which include his part alongside Ben Crane, Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler in the golfing boy band the “Golf Boys,” and his decision to trade in a traditional golf cart in favor of a hovercraft last April. 

Watson’s unique equipment needs are something out of golf folklore as well. He wields a pink driver with a pink shaft and golf grips that are more similar in size to the handle of a baseball bat than a golf club.

When Oakley signed the golfer to a contract to wear its apparel in 2013, its leadership knew that it was challenging itself with one of the most distinctive, untraditional golfers in today’s game. But by building products for him, the company knew it would be on a path to building better products for all golfers.

Bubba’s Masters Scripting

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Bright colors dominates Watson’s 2014 Masters apparel, just as the 35-year-old Bagdad, Fla., resident likes.

“He’s pretty untraditional relative to the rest of the golf community,” says Kristin Debany, Oakley’s global director of performance apparel and accessories. “He’s more vocal with his opinions and likes to stand out more. He gravitates toward the bigger, bolder prints and wants to be noticed on the course.”

Key to the bright colors that Watson sports on the course is Oakley’s printing technique called sublimation, which prints the colors and graphics on Oakley apparel when it’s still in the fiber stage. It’s a process Oakley borrowed from its production of surfing board shorts, and gives the company’s apparel a more dimensional, textural look, Debany said. 
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Of course, there are performance considerations to the process as well. In Oakley’s shirts, sublimation keeps the fabric light and breathable since it doesn’t require extra material to create patterns. And its seams are pulled forward and flatlocked to limit the friction between a golfer’s skin and clothing that is often a problem: especially for golfers like Watson, who swings his driver a PGA Tour-leading average of 124 mph.

All of the polos that Watson will wear at the 2014 Masters: The Ellis ($70), The Lyons ($75, pictured right), The Ashland ($80) and The Delta ($65) also use Oakley’s moisture-wicking “O Hydrolix” yarn and have added UV and anti-bacterial protection.

At the 2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open, Watson debuted a new piece of Oakley equipment: the company’s Carbon Pro 2.0 golf shoes. They could be the most important part of Watson’s outfit, and golfers who have seen his swing in slow motion know why. His unique swing and clubhead speed can cause both of the golfer’s feet to come off the ground as his club moves through the impact area.

Bubba Watson Oakley Carbon Pro 2.0

Above: Oakley made Watson a custom pair of Carbon Pro 2.0 shoes in green for the Waste Management Open. It also produced a University of Georgia-inspired shoe (pictured below) to wear at the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, where players highlighted their alma mater with their apparel in Round 3. 

Bubba Watson Georgia shoes

Dave Ortley, Oakley’s head of worldwide footwear, said that often times its just as hard to get professional golfers to change their footwear as it is their golf clubs because of the long periods of time they spend on their feet. That’s why when Oakley landed Watson to a shoe deal for 2014, the company went to great lengths to ensure that Watson had a proper fit, starting with a 3D digital scan that measured the length, width, volume and curvature of his feet. The information was used to build Watson a custom last, or foot form, to make sure his shoes fit like a second skin.

The selling point for Watson on the Carbon Pro 2.0 shoes ($200) he wears wasn’t just a custom fit, however, but a promise that the new shoes could actually keep him better grounded during his swing. Like the retail version of the shoes, Watson’s custom-fit model sits extremely low to the ground has real carbon fiber in the midfoot, which adds stability and reduces the overall weight of the shoes. There’s also a silicon print on the surface of the footbed that better connects a golfer’s foot to his footwear.

“Everyone of these guys is unique in what they’re looking for,” Ortley said. “The beauty with Oakley is that we’re making [combat] boots, athletic shoes and sandals … so we tend to think a little broader. The inspiration, innovation and styling comes from other product categories and adds a fresh, unique perspective and inventiveness. We’re able to load that all into a golf shoe.”

Fresh, unique and inventive? Those words describe both Watson and the Oakley brand, and that’s the beauty of their partnership.

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8 Comments

8 Comments

  1. Maf

    Apr 10, 2014 at 11:48 am

    I see nothing bold about these color schemes or patterns. Is this what we consider bold now? Those are the most yawn-worthy pants, ever. And what is that blue? Goodnight-blue, or something?

  2. patty

    Apr 10, 2014 at 8:18 am

    negative nancies in the building!!!!!

  3. Cwolf

    Apr 9, 2014 at 10:58 pm

    I hope those shoes come with a free bowl of soup.

  4. trapp120

    Apr 9, 2014 at 7:52 pm

    Wow, this is ridiculous. I’ve got an old homeless looking geezer staring at me on a background full page takeover and then an Oakley ad. WRX really sucks now.

  5. thefullsp

    Apr 9, 2014 at 3:08 pm

    Trolls. #oakley 😉

  6. paul

    Apr 9, 2014 at 2:09 pm

    I thought it was interesting, Zak.

  7. Ben

    Apr 9, 2014 at 11:16 am

    TIL that WRX gets kickbacks from Oakley

  8. igor

    Apr 9, 2014 at 10:39 am

    wow, nice PR article, how much did they pay you for it ?

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.

From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.

Specs/ Additional Details

-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)

-Original Anser Design

-PING PP58 Grip

-Putter is built to standard specs.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Inside Collin Morikawa’s recent golf ball, driver, 3-wood, and “Proto” iron changes

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As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.

The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.

On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.

Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.

At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.

“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.

Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.

“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.

“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.” 

In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.

On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.

According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.

“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.” 

See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here. 

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Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage

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Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.

It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.

When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”

“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”

 

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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.

Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:

“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.

“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.

“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.

“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.

“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”

So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.

His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.

See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here

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