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Wilson Staff FG-59 Iron Review
By: Brett Bowser GolfWRX.com writer
The classic look of this Wilson FG-59 blade is awesome. To most golfers the heads probably seem smaller than the ball they are addressing, but to a ball shaper, they look much like finely tuned symphony instruments. The weight distribution from head to hand appears to be better that the FG-17 generation iron, thus I was able to strike the iron from the rough with the similar authority as a perfect fairway lie. The ability to hit shots from poor lies was the number one reason why those old Pings were in my bag for so long. Now, with the way the weight reacts with my club head speed I am not only able to strike solid irons from a poorer lie, but the distance control is becoming uncanny. Being a “cold state player” (Michigan) I worried in the early 2009 months that cold temperatures, and my winter playing rust, would not allow me to evaluate the FG-59’s fairly. Certainly the ball flew shorter in colder weather, but now that our temperatures have warmed considerably I feel this is the best time to assess the remaining characteristics of these irons.
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Tour Rundown: Pendrith, Otaegui, Longbella, and Dunlap soar
Take it from a fellow who coaches high school golf in metro Toronto: there’s plenty of great golf played in the land of the maple leaf. All the greats have designed courses over the USA border: Colt, Whitman, Ross, Coore, Mackenzie, Doak, as well as the greatest of the land, Stanley Thompson. I’m partial to him, because he wore my middle name with grandeur. Enough about the architecture, because this week’s Tour Rundown begins with a newly-minted, Canadian champion on the PGA Tour. Something else that the great white north is known for, is weather. It impacted play on three of the world’s tours, forcing final-round cancellations on two of them.
It was an odd week in the golf world. The LPGA and the Korn Ferry were on a break, and only 13/15 of the rounds slated, were played. In the end, we have four champions to recognize, so let’s not delay any longer with minutiae about the game that we love. Let’s run it all down with this week’s Tour Rundown.
PGA Tour: TP takes TS at Byron’s place
The 1980s was a decade when a Canadian emergence was anticipated on the PGA Tour. It failed to materialize, but a path was carved for the next generation. Mike Weir captured the Masters in 2003, but no other countrymen joined him in his quest for PGA Tour conquest. 2024 may herald the long-awaited arrival of a Canadian squad of tour winners. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Nick Taylor break the fifty-plus year dearth of homebred champions at the Canadian Open, and players like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Adam Svennson, and Mackenzie Hughes have etched their names into the PGA Tour’s annals of winners.
This week, Taylor Pendrith joined his mates with a one-shot win at TPC Craig Ranch, the home of the Byron Nelson Classic. Pendrith took a lead into the final round and, while the USA’s Jake Knapp faltered, held on for the slimmest of victories. Sweden’s Alex Noren posted six-under 65 on Sunday to move into third position, at 21-under par. Ben Kohles, a Texan, looked to break through for his first win in his home state. He took the lead from Pendrith at the 71st hole, on the strength of a second-consecutive birdie.
With victory in site, Kohles found a way to make bogey at the last, without submerging in the fronting water. His second shot was greenside, but he could not move his third to the putting surface. His fourth was five feet from par and a playoff, but his fifth failed to drop. Meanwhile, Pendrith was on the froghair in two, and calmly took two putts from 40 feet, for birdie. When Kohles missed for par, Pendrith had, at last, a PGA Tour title.
360° and in!
A nervy par save by @TaylorPendrith to remain one back as he seeks his first PGA TOUR victory @CJByronNelson. pic.twitter.com/LVFXUSidSg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 5, 2024
DP World Tour: China Open in Otaegui’s hands after canceled day four
It wasn’t the fourth round that was canceled in Shenzhen, but the third. Rains came on Saturday to Hidden Grace Golf Club, ensuring that momentum would cease. Sunday would instead be akin to a motorsports restart, with no sense of who might claim victory. Sebastian Soderberg, the hottest golfer on the Asian Swing, held the lead, but he would slip to a 72 on Sunday, and tie for third with Paul Waring and Joel Girrbach. Italy’s Guido Migliozzi completed play in 67 strokes on day three, moving one shot past the triumvirate, to 17-under par.
It was Spain’s Adrian Otaegui who persevered the best and played the purest. Otaegui was clean on the day, with seven birdies for 65. Even when Migliozzi ceased the lead at the 10th, Otaegui remained calm. With everything on the line, Migliozzi made bogey at the par-five 17th, as his principal competitor finished in birdie. To the Italian’s credit, he bounced back with birdie at the last, to claim solo second. The victory was Otaegui’s fifth on the DP World Tour, and first since October of 2022.
.@adrianotaegui birdies the 16th to tie the lead at -17 ?#VolvoChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/p4tfE5DRJa
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 5, 2024
PGA Tour Americas: Quito’s rains gift title to Longbella
Across the world, superintendents and their staffs will do anything to prepare a course for play. Even after fierce, nightime rains, the Quito TG Club greeted the first four groups on Sunday. The rains worsened after 7 am, however, and the tour was forced to abort the final round of play. With scores reverting to Saturday’s numbers, Thomas Longbella’s one-shot advantage over Gunn Yang turned into a Tour Americas victory.
64 held the opening-day lead, and Longbella was not far off, with 66. Yang jumped to the top on day two, following a67 with 66. He posted 68 on day three, and anticipated a fierce, final-round duel for the title. As for Longbella, he fought off a ninth-hole bogey on Saturday with six birdies and a 17th-hole eagle. That rare bird proved to be the winning stroke, allowing Longbella to edge past Yang, and secure ultimate victory.
.@TBalla21 eagles 17, shoots 65 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KIA Open. pic.twitter.com/TTOL2LxSdh
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) May 4, 2024
PGA Tour Champions: Dunlap survives Saturday stumble for win
Scott Dunlap did not finish Saturday as well as he might have liked. After beginning play near Houston with 65, Dunlap made two bogeys in his final found holes on day two, to finish at nine-under par. Hot on his heels was Joe Durant, owner of a March 2024 win on PGA Tour Champions. Just behind Durant was Stuart Appleby, perhaps vibing from his Sunday 59 at Greenbrier on this day in 2010. Neither would have a chance to track Dunlap down.
The rains that have forced emergency responders into action, to save hundreds of lives in the metro Houston area, ended hopes for a third day of play at The Woodlands. Dunlap had won once previously on Tour Champions, in 2014 in Washington state. Ten years later, Dunlap was the fortunate recipient of a canceled final round, and his two days of play were enough to earn him TC victory number two.
Off the green? No worries for @ScottDu12500063
8-under solo leader @InsperityInvtnl pic.twitter.com/hoj5OujL5C
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) May 4, 2024
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Maw
Sep 29, 2009 at 5:41 am
Just bought myself a almost perfect set of FG-17s. Every golfer should try these wonderfull irons out. They are just soo nice and soft. Feling is just suberb. I used to play the Fi5s and before that The Staff Progressive.
The FG-17s are just the best set I havew ever had. If the FG-59s is just half what my olf FG-17 is ….. Well I better try the 59s out 😀
//Maw
Robert Bernard
Aug 20, 2009 at 12:26 pm
As a Mizuno MP14, Snake Eyes Tour Blades, Wilson Bullet Bullet Back, Ben Hogan Medalion, Max Fli Australian Blade, player I thought these clubs were not only “sexy as hell” but felt incredible. In a world where buying a game has become expected, I am proud Wilson has represented the “Player” so well. These will be in my bag. Thank you Wilson!
Craig A. W
Jul 31, 2009 at 9:04 pm
I have played with the Fg-17’s for over twenty years, but not on a regular basis. When I have used oversized heads and cavity backed irons I have never played well. I want to purchase the Fg-59’s since i am so use to them. Good choice for a 18 hadicapper?
J.Jarwurst
Jul 24, 2009 at 2:36 am
Hi
I have a set of those clubs also. WS fg 59 is my first set Blades. I made the decision to buy them after trying them once on the driving range. I wonder why people say that blades are too hard to hit and nowadays none should play with such oldish and nonforgiving clubs. Maby that is because they have never tried these clubs. After all jet the most of tour players still plays with blades.
blafayette
Jul 22, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Those are so nice. I have been looking forward to a review on these irons for quite a while now.
Yoshiod9
Jul 22, 2009 at 12:55 am
those are gorgeous!