Equipment
10 Revealing Photos from the Crowne Plaza Invitational
We’re underway in the PGA Tour’s pseudo-Texas swing (which only lasts two tournaments) this week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club.
Most people know Colonial as Hogan’s Alley, and it’s fitting that the course puts a premium on ball striking with its tight fairways and small greens.
GolfWRX was live this week from Hogan’s old stomping grounds, and you can see all of our photo galleries here.
Now let’s see what those galleries offered us in this week’s Revealing Photos.
The Ducks’ Thomas Lim with an intriguing WITB
Iomic AND Golf Pride grips? It’s tough to pull off the mid-bag grip switch up, but the University of Oregon standout does it.
It looks as though the once Volt-colored swooshes on his irons are running out of electricity. Time to plug them back in and recharge?
Also, Lim has a 20-gram weight in the toe and a 10-gram weight in the heel of his Odyssey Tank 330M putter, which is most likely used to slow down the release of the toe of the putter.
Golfers with the case of the pulls on the greens, take note.
Ben Crane’s caddy: “Whoa! Slow down and take your time, Ben.”
Everyone else: “NOOOO!”
Train yourself to putt better for dollar-menu prices
Want to groove your putting alignment and stroke? A long string, two rods, two tees and something with a straight edge is all you need, even if you’re on the PGA Tour. This is a very comprehensive putting training station that you can have for less than $10.
Here’s another good one from Adam Scott.
Get yourself an alignment aid, draw a chalk line to the hole, and stick a tee behind your putter head to limit stroke-length, which encourages acceleration into the ball.
Another drill from Kevin Chappell. All this one takes is an alignment rod, which you probably already have laying around somewhere. This drill will encourage golfers to rock their shoulders and release their putter at impact.
Max Homa’s Kobe Bryant-inspired stampings
Kobe gave himself the nickname “Black Mamba” after watching Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and thought the snake, which was used as a code name for a deadly assassin in the movie, was a perfect description of his basketball game.
In his veteran years, the 36-year old goes by the name “Vino,” meaning “wine,” implying that his game gets better with age. “KB24” is self-explanatory (hopefully).
Nike Vapor irons just don’t look the same for lefties
Because of the design of the club, the Nike Swoosh sits backward on the lefty’s irons. That’s gotta mess with Cody Gribble’s mind just a little. At least it puts my brain in a pretzel.
John Huh’s wedge stamp has to be one of the coolest ever
John HUH?!
The simple luxuries of the PGA Tour
Testing putter grips for most people means taking grips on and off of the same putter. Testing grips for PGA Tour pros means two of the same putters with different grips. Must be nice.
Congrats to KingMade Jerky on making the Wall Of Champions at Colonial!
KingMade Jerky: The mouth-wateringly tender champion of golf snacks. A well-deserved induction.
Here’s Charles Macdonald’s bag, the 1895 U.S. Amateur Champion
He defeated Charles Sands 12 & 11 at Newport Country Club 120 years ago. It’s impressive to see him teeing it up at the Crowne Plaza at Colonial in 2015. Talk about career longevity.
Hunter Mahan’s weak cover up
We’re on to your tricks, Hunter. One layer of lead tape isn’t enough to hide from GolfWRX. We know you’re testing a Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind wedge.
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- Richy Werenski what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Houston Open.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist TSR2 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 8 X
Hybrid: Titleist TSR3 (19 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White Hybrid 90 TX
Irons: Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 105 S
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (46-10F, 50-12F), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (54-M, 58-L @60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Onyx (46-50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Onyx (54-60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash
Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Richy Werenski’s clubs in the forums.
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Equipment
Adam Scott testing green “Masters Use Only” putter + 6 interesting equipment photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Welcome to the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson event at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, which, for your geographical reference, is about 25 minutes from Dallas.
In early-week equipment news, we saw some interesting putter testing from Adam Scott, a Maxfli golf ball signing on the PGA Tour, a 16-year-old’s WITB, a PGA Tour player using another PGA Tour player’s backup putter, and Jordan Spieth weighed in on why he recently switched out just his 7-iron (and then made a hole-in-one with it).
With so much to report and so little time to waste on the intro, let’s get right into this week’s equipment rundown from the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
See all of our photo galleries from the week here
Adam Scott’s new L.A.B. putters
Before we get into a couple of the new prototypes Scott has been testing, above is a photo of the L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max prototype putter that he’s been using, and will likely continue to use this week in Texas.
That being said, following the Masters, Scott was looking to try a couple putters with a slightly lighter weight to help with his feel on fast greens.
One of the new prototypes we spotted on Tuesday was a L.A.B. Golf DF3 “Proto 2.1”, custom-built with Scott’s preferred blue colorway, and an Australia-inspired Kangaroo laser engraving…
We also spotted him with a green-colored “For Masters Use Only” Mezz.1 Max prototype…
While it’s unlikely Scott will make a switch this week, it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward, especially on courses with faster greens.
We also got a peek into Scott’s full WITB this week, which consists of a super-mixed set of Srixon irons, including a ZX Utility 3-iron, a ZX-5 MkII 4-iron, ZX-7 MkII mid-irons (5-7) and Z Forged II short irons (8-9).
See Scott’s full WITB from the CJ Cup here
An update on Daniel Berger’s Odyssey Jailbird
Last week in New Orleans, we highlighted Daniel Berger’s Ai-One Jailbird Mini putter because of its unique sightlines.
Well, we have an update.
According to Callaway Tour Manager Joe Toulon, who spoke with GolfWRX.com this week, Berger’s Jailbird Mini is actually from fellow Tour player Tom Kim’s stash. Kim is a prolific putter tester, and the exact putter Berger is currently using was actually originally made for and tested by Kim. The putter didn’t make it into Kim’s starting lineup, however, so he gave the putter back to Odyssey, and it eventually made it’s way onto Berger’s gamer roster.
Jordan Spieth’s new 7-iron
As the story goes, Jordan Spieth changed out his Titleist T100 7-iron on Wednesday before the 2024 Valero Texas Open, and then on Thursday, he used the 7-iron to make a hole-in-one from 199 yards on the 16th hole.
Good timing on that switch, Jordan.
On Tuesday at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, GoflWRX.com caught up with Spieth to get the full story on why he switched just the 7-iron.
Our full story is over on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, but here’s a snippet of what Spieth had to say:
“I hit my 7-iron a lot, especially on my own. The spin rates, relative to my 6-iron and my 8-iron, were lower, so it was going too far. I was trying to figure out why, if it was something in the makeup of the iron. I got the lies and the lofts checked, and everything was fine. So finally I was like, ‘Can I just get a new one and see if it fixes it?’
“Maybe there was one other time throughout my career where I changed just one iron, so it’s very unusual. I think it’s just because the grooves were worn down from hitting it too much.”
Ben Griffin signs with Maxfli to play the golf ball
At the beginning of the year, LPGA Tour star Lexi Thompson signed a deal with Maxfli to play the company’s golf ball, and now, Griffin has officially joined team Maxfli, as well, thus expanding the company’s Tour presence.
GolfWRX.com caught up with Griffin on Wednesday in Texas for a video interview about his new golf ball of choice, and how he marks it…
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A 16-year-old is playing on the PGA Tour this week, using a 2-iron!
Amateur golfer Kris Kim, at just 16 years of age, is making his PGA Tour debut this week after receiving a sponsors exemption into the event. In 2023, Kim won both the R&A Boys’ Amateur Championship and the European Boys’ International Championship.
On Tuesday in Texas, we got a look into Kim’s bag, which revealed that he’s currently playing a TaylorMade P-770 2-iron, and a bag full of TaylorMade clubs.
Check out Kim’s full WITB here
A smart golf ball stamping
I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be a big math guy, because I’m not. However, I do recognize David Nyfjall’s purple ball marking as a square root symbol.
While I don’t know the particular significance of the square root symbol for Nyfjall, I do know you have to be fairly intelligent to even consider using a marking like that. Pretty cool stuff from the Northwestern alum, and 2023 Byron Nelson Award winner.
And, with that, we say goodbye to Texas and TPC Craig Ranch. We’ll see you next week at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte for more insider equipment news and storylines.
For now, don’t forget to check out all of our photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
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- Wesley Bryan what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 50 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 60 X
Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus Rescue (19.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Takomo 101U (4), Takomo 101T (5), Takomo 301 CB (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 52-08F, 56-14F), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (58-A)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: L.A.B. Golf DF3
Grips: SuperStroke, Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
More photos of Wesley Bryan’s WITB in the forums.
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Richy Werenski WITB 2024 (May)
Richy Werenski what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Houston Open. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1...
Wesley Bryan WITB 2024 (May)
Wesley Bryan what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple...
Adam Scott WITB 2024 (May)
Adam Scott what’s in the bag accurate as of the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (10.5 degrees)...
Pierceson Coody WITB 2024 (April)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi 10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi 10 Tour (15 degrees)...
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19th Hole2 weeks agoJustin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
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19th Hole1 week ago‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
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19th Hole3 weeks agoTwo star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
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19th Hole2 weeks agoReport: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
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19th Hole3 weeks agoNeal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
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19th Hole2 weeks agoBrandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
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Equipment3 weeks agoWhat we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
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19th Hole6 days agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
Benny
May 24, 2015 at 11:13 am
Love this new section. Awesome stuff!
Colin
May 25, 2015 at 10:27 pm
Yes! Definitely keep this section going for future tournaments.
Chuck
May 23, 2015 at 8:33 pm
What’s the name of the green Adam Scott putting device?
Chuck
May 23, 2015 at 8:31 pm
What does Vokey call that very dark finish on Max Homa’s wedges? If they were simply unchromed, they wouldn’t have such an even finish, and they wouldn’t be so blue-gray, right?
That finish really looks nice.
AndyB
May 25, 2015 at 5:27 am
I think it is probably the raw black finish that has been tinkered with to give it that even and darker raw finish. I stripped my raw black sm5’s with CLR, and this is about the color they were after the first soak and a light rub with scotch brite pad. I continues to work on mine until they looked like a typical raw wedge, but after seeing these, I am starting to regret it. Great looking wedges.
Rich
May 22, 2015 at 9:28 pm
Hunter Mahan testing a mack daddy pm grind. That’s hilarious! He used to use an eye2 so it’s even funnier that he’s gone elsewhere for the same design! I guess Callaway did it better. Karsten will be rolling over in his grave!
Chuck
May 23, 2015 at 8:12 pm
Well that Callaway/Mickelson wedge looks the way it does precisely because Callaway was imitating an old Ping design that Mickelson longed for, right? The Ping guys ought to stamp “PING” into the lead tape.
Here’s another golfwrx thread, featuring Mickelson’s Ping wedge with logos covered up via lead tape, just like Mahan’s Callaway:
http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/955275-phil-and-a-ping-wedge/
RG
May 22, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Keep’em coming Andrew, look forward to this every week.
Agreed
May 22, 2015 at 4:25 pm
The PM grind is a Ping eye 2
RG
May 22, 2015 at 7:38 pm
Yeah, I don’t get why they are getting so much hype. I game the Eye 2 XG and the Cally is a straight clone of a wedge design that’s been around for 30+ years. Ping invented the U grind.
Well if your gonna rip-off something, that’s a good one to rip-off caus the Eye 2 is the greatest sand iron ever.
LorenRobertsFan
May 22, 2015 at 12:52 pm
You’d think that Ping would easily mill grooves out on the toe of a EYE 2 Gorge for Hunter so he wouldn’t have to test the PM grind..
Teaj
May 22, 2015 at 2:09 pm
+1
KCCO
May 22, 2015 at 6:13 pm
The height of toe looks a lot higher in person than any other oem’s wedge….may be the grooves making an optical illusion. But my comment is kinda pointless as I didn’t sit another wedge next to it to see height at top of toe if there is a significant difference