Equipment

16 Revealing photos from the Memorial Tournament

Published

9 years ago

Jun 5, 2015

Andrew Tursky

GolfWRX was live this week from Muirfield Village Golf Club for the Memorial Tournament, hosted by Jack Nicklaus.

See all of our photos from the week here.

Like every other tournament he plays, Tiger Woods is the big story this week after not playing competitively for a month. How will he play? Has he taken too long off? Was his 2015 Masters performance a fluke?

Whatever. I’m just here to show you what some photos revealed. Let’s get to it.

What’s more frustrating…

This two-tee putting drill where the ball hits a tee if you miss the putt by a centimeter in either direction? Or…

Trying to take a photo of the two-tee drill while some guy is breathing down your neck?

Toss up.

A Brandel Chamblee sighting?

He’s probably trolling the range looking for quotes from other players on Tiger’s new release pattern.

Here’s the aftermath of speaking with Brandel Chamblee about Tiger’s swing. We feel your pain.

Release the Air Keegs!

Actually, Jordan is releasing golf shoes. They’re called Jordan Flight Runners.

They’re not the Air Keegans, but at least they’re draped in Jumpman logos, and that’s really all that matters. Jordan shoe releases tend to cause retail chaos, so stay safe out there ~~sneaker~~ cleat heads.

Looks like Skip here thinks the putting green is a curling rink

Where are the mates with brooms/sweepers to help the delivery?

[quote_box_center]”Control. Clean it… Gotta curl! Hurry! Hard! Hard!”[/quote_box_center]

Passionate curling commands are arguably the most entertaining part of the Olympics.

**Hideki Matsuyama is putting* everyone to sleep**

Everyone’s bored, Hideki. Let’s go rip some drivers, eh?

*Note: Now that’s how you use a homograph.

Amateurs, take notes

It doesn’t matter if you shank, skull or chili-dip it, cleaning the face of your wedge with the toe of your golf shoes makes you look like a pro. Jordan Spieth pulls the move off like a natural.

K.J. Choi has Miura Giken CB-1007 Forged irons in the bag

They’re premium cavity-back irons forged from S25C carbon steel, with a variable thickness muscle pad behind the sweet spot for better feel and control.

See what GolfWRX members are saying about the irons in our forums.

Patrick Rodgers using… chopsticks?

If you didn’t know, chopsticks are a utility utensil. You can eat chow mein with them for lunch, then develop a Tour-level putting stroke with them in the afternoon. Let’s see a fork do that.

Geico headcovers: 15 minutes could save you…

Well, you know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx1yiB8_ygo

San Diego Chargers-inspired wedges to get the party started

Break out the disco balls, gold chains, polyester shirts and flared pants. It’s San Diego Super Chargers fight song time!

Is this a TaylorMade forged iron prototype?

We don’t have any info on them, but our hunch is that these are new forged-iron prototypes from TaylorMade.

Thomas Aiken has a Zoo on his golf bag

It looks like his golf clubs started playing Jumanji and now their in the midst of a stampede full of rhinos and elephants.

Charl Schwartzel using a mini-golf putter with a Gumby shaft as a training aid

Haven’t heard from Gumby in a while. Nice to see him using his elasticity for a good cause.

Jordan Spieth talking to Sean Foley on the range

This is how rumors start.

In the indecisive world of driver-testing…

Charles Howell III is testing a driver (shocker), a new screw-ladden Parsons model. Last week, we spotted him testing a Mizuno prototype driver.

Also, Kevin Streelman tested Wilson’s new F5 Fg Tour driver this week.

See what GolfWRX members are saying about Wilson’s driver testing in the forums.

Jason Kokrak: “Yea, I’m eating bacon. So what?”

“You want beef?”

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

15 Comments

Daniel

Jun 10, 2015 at 11:50 am

Jordan Spieth talking to Sean Foley on the range
Run Jordan run!!!!!

Reply Report comment
RG

Jun 7, 2015 at 12:20 pm

Yes Sir!

Reply Report comment
BigBoy

Jun 7, 2015 at 9:10 am

i lick my club face clean of mud after a shot, you gotta look tough.

Reply Report comment
killerbgolfer

Jun 7, 2015 at 8:09 am

That chamblee stuff is funny. thanks for the posts.

Reply Report comment
Lane

Jun 6, 2015 at 2:13 pm

I agree, the proto TM irons are the old x-300 FCI. If you compare that photo to the photos that GolfWrx posted of the new TM proto iron, they look nothing alike. The new proto iron has some type of plastic in the cavity.

I will stick with my R9 B irons!

Reply Report comment
Chuck

Jun 5, 2015 at 2:49 pm

Those forged TaylorMade irons (note the old logo) look to me like resurrected forgings from about 12 or 15 years ago. The legendary X-300 FCI Forged. There were about a half-dozen iterations of the design, with varying offset/onset and sole grinds. Looks like somebody had some old blanks that they probably milled conforming grooves into.

Here’s an old picture:
http://www.golfreview.com/Channels/GolfReview/images/products/product_76498.jpg

As you can see, it is the same club right down to the logo-stamping.

That design (in its varying models) was probably the most popular tour iron ever released by TaylorMade.

Reply Report comment
- Chuck
  
  Jun 5, 2015 at 3:22 pm
  
  D’oh! My apologies to the guys who posted essentially the same thing earlier. My bad for not reading down through all the comments.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chuck

Jun 5, 2015 at 2:38 pm

Foley is nuts. He was on the range on Wednesday, practically getting in other players’ way to look at “his” guys’ swings from just the right angle he wanted. I don’t know if it was a real argument or not, but I overheard him yelling at one player, “Hey I’ve been doing this for seven years!”

If somebody could make a really cogent, solid case for why Sean Foley is a great and valuable golf instructor, I’d honestly be interested in hearing it, because I otherwise don’t get it.

Reply Report comment
greg

Jun 5, 2015 at 2:29 pm

Nice job once again, AT!!

Reply Report comment
Bobtrumpet

Jun 5, 2015 at 12:45 pm

“Jordan Spieth talking to Sean Foley on the range
“This is how rumors start.”

I’m glad I wasn’t drinking coffee when I read this. One of the more insightful comments on this site. 🙂

Reply Report comment
Drew

Jun 5, 2015 at 12:20 pm

Great post once again. It also further enhances my theory that when in doubt, Vijay is on a range somewhere.

Reply Report comment
- JR
  
  Jun 8, 2015 at 12:52 pm
  
  I heard that when Chuck Norris hits balls at the range… He turns into Vijay Singh…
  
  Reply Report comment
Mark

Jun 5, 2015 at 11:38 am

The proto TM irons are actually old tour proto TM firesole/x300 miura forged irons from around the year 2000.
Who’s rocking those retro gamers?

Reply Report comment
Tim

Jun 5, 2015 at 11:35 am

The Taylormade Irons look like these old X-300 FCI , not new. http://valueguide.pga.com/detail-exec/brand/2784/product_type/205/model/44968/shaft_type/2

Reply Report comment
Agreed

Jun 5, 2015 at 11:27 am

KJ – The biggest “HO” on tour

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

14 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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