Equipment

33 Revealing Photos from The Players Championship

Published

9 years ago

May 7, 2015

Last week, GolfWRX was live from the LPGA North Texas Shootout, but we’re back on the PGA Tour this week for The Players Championship at the world-renowned TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course — where golf balls go to swim. All the big guns are in the tournament, including 50 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings.

If you haven’t checked out our photos from this week, you can see them here. They’re awesome. But for now, let’s see what the photos showed us in this week’s edition of Revealing Photos.

Slippery grips? Rub ’em with a brick

Actually, it’s a manicure buffer. Keep the nails smooth and the grips tacky… tough to argue with practicality.

Furyk going super casual on the putting green

No hat, showing off the full scalp, wearing flip-flops and using what looks to be a Stimp meter as a training aid? I know you live nearby, but jeez Jimmy, you’re in public!

And what’s the word with your toe nails, man?

Jimmy Bones does know how to roll the rock with the Odyssey Versa #1 Wide (WBW), however, as seen during his win at the 2015 RBC Heritage where he made multiple clutch putts to claim his first victory in five years.

Show ’em the fist pump!

Here it is; this is what all the hype is about

Tiger and swing coach Chris Como appear to be working on his infamous release pattern. Maybe their working on “traj” and “release pattern” simultaneously?

This is GolfWRX, not National Geographic, but…

Is this Osprey flying around with half of a fish in his claws? Amazing (and gruesome) photo.

Fowler on the range cracking jokes

He even got his teacher Butch Harmon to laugh.

The star of this photo is the guy on the left, who truly epitomizes #BucketHatLife — hands in the pockets, pink shirt with the collar popped, casually laughing at a Rickie Fowler joke on the range of a PGA Tour event. Just living the Bucket Hat dream.

Odyssey’s new “Big T” putters spotted at The Players

And why they’re called “Big T,” I have no idea. That’s sarcasm, by the way.

See more photos of Odyssey’s new Big T putters in our forums.

Jason Day messing around hitting some shots lefty

Weight shift looks like it needs some work. Keep working on it.

OK. Getting to your right side a little better here. Something’s still off, so maybe you should switch back to righty for now?

Looks like you made decent contact based on the divot, and the release looks more balanced. You should switch back to righty now, though.

No? Still working on your lefty swing, huh? If we’re being honest, the move is getting there — a nice full finish. Well done. Seriously, can you go back to right-handed now? The Players Championship is this week. You’ve gotta tournament to prepare for.

NSFW (this photo gallery will end all work productivity)

Impeccable craftsmanship from T.P. Mills.

Bernhard Langer’s bag: like a true GolfWRXer

A collection of different clubs from different OEM’s, and just about all the wedges and irons are dripping in lead tape.

Luke Donald was testing new Mizuno Prototype drivers, fairway woods and irons

It looks as though Donald does have the new driver in play this week, but we have yet to confirm the fairway woods or irons. Regardless, Mizuno fanatics are surely licking their collective chops over these photos for the time being.

Justin Rose is testing a Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind wedge

Then again, Rosey has probably tested every wedge on Tour by now. That’s commitment.

Mickelson is carrying three PM grind wedges (56-13, 60-10, 64-10)

And it looks as though he’s switched into Callaway’s new Apex MB irons from the Callaway X Forged ’13 irons this week — while still holding onto the 4-iron from his old set — he’s had in the bag in recent years.

Geoff Ogilvy’s putter has a nice patina

And by nice patina, I mean it’s probably been laying outside for last decade, has weathered hundreds of rain storms, and has never seen the inside of a head cover. Impressive.

A bag full of bent golf clubs?

Or Henrik Stenson’s bag of irons and wedges after a typical 18-hole round?

The DST Compressor training aids have been popping up everywhere in Tour bags of late. The slight bend helps players get the feeling of compressing the ball at impact.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hK_gcEfSW4

Stenson, on the other hand, has a tendency to compress the actual golf club itself.

Luckily this isn’t a minimum height for the actual tournament

Rory and Rickie may not have qualified.

#ReleaseTheKeegans

Please?

Keegs already took down Jimenez, now he’s going after Phil?

Calm it down, dude. You’re on a golf course.

Keegan and Phil are good friends, so this is obviously just an ill-timed photograph. Keegan recently addressed his scuffle, and admitted Jimenez “schooled” him.

Is this kid giving Spieth the cold shoulder?

He must be a Rory fan. I hear they’re rivals now.

The PGA Tour guys are so pampered

Us miserable hacks have to choose from white or yellow limited-flight range balls. That’s probably the only reason we’re not all out on Tour, too.

Looks like we’re not in Augusta anymore.

At The Masters, you can get Augusta National’s famous Pimento Cheese sandwich for the same price as a coffee at The Players. I mean, $12.50 for the Skinny Turkey Sandwich?

Charley Hoffman’s Titleist MB irons suffer from road rash

I’m not sure what the real explanation here is, but it looks like Hoffman’s iron got ran over by a car. Maybe he’s giving himself an excuse to put the new Titleist MB prototypes in the bag?

A good look at Spieth’s half interlock grip.

Just goes to show that there’s more than one way to skin a cat.

This is Robert Streb’s wedge.

I don’t even need to fact check this one. A Step Brothers quote in red writing on a Titleist SM5 wedge? He’s the king of the Step Brothers quote. Morgan Hoffmann has been dethroned.

Rickie Fowler’s Cobra Tour Trusty wedges are toe heavy

His wedges, much like his irons, have tungsten plugs in their toe to push the center of gravity away from the heel and add back some of the swing weight he loses by playing his clubs 0.25 inches shorter than Cobra’s standard.

I’d make a comment about this photo…

But I can’t figure out who’s bag it is. Oh well.

“Calls may be placed or received only in areas away from play”

…or during a crucial bunker shot on the 73rd hole in a three-way playoff. Either one.

Note: That’s a Jordan Spieth/Shell Houston Open joke for those that don’t keep up with Tour events.

Jordan Spieth starring as Daniel-son at The Players

The 21-year old 2015 Masters Champion is the Karate Kid of the PGA Tour. Get it?

Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth had “Non Splash Brothers” matching stampings in their bags on Wednesday

The Splash Brothers are the NBA’s Golden State Warriors duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson — known for making it rain, or “splash” from beyond the arc.

Making it “splash” in golf usually takes on a different meaning, like dunking a golf ball in the water. Nothing to celebrate there.

Upon clarification, the matching wedges were in the bags of Spieth and Thomas for their caddies to use in the caddie contest held at No. 17 (The Island Green). Obviously, neither caddie would want to splash the ball on that particular hole.

G-Mac is using a Cleveland prototype putter

Is that felt from a tennis ball on the face (surely it’s not, but that would be pretty cool, no?). Looks like McDowell may have finally ditched the Odyssey White Hot Mallet #7 prototype he’s had in the bag for years.

We’d show you some photos of K.J. Choi when he’s not working out on the range

But he’s never not working out on the range.

Webb Simpson on the range with a throwback hickory-shafted iron

“Hey, what’s this wooden thing?”

“It’s a putter right? You set up like this?”

Jerry Kelly’s Cleveland wedges are printed with $100 bills

Here’s a fun fact: With only three PGA Tour wins, Kelly has made over $26 million in career earnings.

Show me the money, Jerry.

PGA Tour caddies have a serious gripe with their treatment at Tour events

But with a caddie’s own reserved parking spot at The Players, maybe this isn’t the best week to hold a protest.

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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

Published

10 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Gianni Magliocco

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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Equipment

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

Published

11 hours ago

Apr 18, 2024

Andrew Tursky

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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Equipment

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

Published

1 day ago

Apr 17, 2024

Andrew Tursky

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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