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12 Revealing photos from the 2016 Players Championship

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GolfWRX was live this week from the fifth major, The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. If you missed any of our photos from this week, make sure to browse the links below:

It’s that time of the year. Once the PGA Tour heads to TPC Sawgrass for The Players, you know the season is in full swing. It’s one of the deepest fields all year, and the U.S. Open is just around the corner. Plus, there’s always fireworks on Sunday at holes 16, 17 and 18. What a time to be alive, and a golf fan.

So let’s reveal some photos before we kick back this weekend and watch the drama unfold.

Kuai Liang*

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We spotted a newer and bigger (460 cubic centimeters) version of Callaway’s recently released XR 16 Sub Zero driver, which proved to be very low spinning, yet relatively unforgiving in my review of the club. It’s not clear if Callaway will release the XR 16 Sub Zero 460, or is simply testing its Sub Zero-like features in a larger club head for a new line of drivers to be released in the future.

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See all of the new Sub Zero photos here.

*Two brothers take the name “Sub Zero” in the video game Mortal Kombat (one of the all-time classics), the elder Bi-Han and Kuai Liang. Maybe Kuai has a higher MOI and more CC’s than his brother, too.

The putter sagas of Dustin and Justin

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It’s no secret that Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose are some of the best ball strikers on the PGA Tour, but they tend to struggle on the greens. And lately, each has been linked to multiple putters.

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D. Johnson testing The Brick from Edel.

This week, Dustin tested “The Brick” from Edel, which piqued his interest after he played a round with Bryson DeChambeau, who uses one. We also photographed him testing a Ping Anser-style putter, and his familiar Scotty Cameron prototype.

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J. Rose testing an Axis1 Tour putter.

Justin Rose, on the other hand, was testing an Axis 1 putter early in the week after using TaylorMade’s Arc1 in his last start, a Japan-only TaylorMade putter. For The Players, he decided on a TaylorMade Spider mallet.

Jason Gore eyeing a new release from Callaway

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Although we weren’t able to get photos of the back of the irons, we were told there’s a new set of Callaway irons on the horizon, which Gore was eyeing on the range at The Players.

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The irons in question appeared to be musclebacks, and have either a raw or satin finish… but remember, they may still be in prototype phase.

Revealing photos gets the P. Reed “Shhh” treatment

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Last week, I pointed out that Patrick Reed’s caddy had the worst job in sports, being forced to have his hand on Patrick Reed’s backside. Reed politely responded at The Players in his patented Ryder Cup fashion. If you notice, however, his caddy is no longer participating in the drill. Coincidence?

Also, this reaction confirms that Reed is indeed a GolfWRXer. But we already knew that, based on his propensity to change lob wedges.

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He’s doing something right, though, judging by his scrambling percentage.

Moore tinkering

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Ryan Moore is a king among GolfWRXers. For years he went sponsor-less, so he was able to make equipment changes whenever he wanted. And he took every advantage of that freedom, as he changed something about his clubs nearly every week.

Now he’s under contract with PXG, which is like caging a wild tiger. But he’s still finding a way to tinker. In the last year, he’s used PXG’s 0311 irons, 0311T irons, and now with the 0311T Black irons. I suppose a tiger never changes his stripes.

iBlades

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We spotted Ping’s new iBlades at The Players for the first time, not just on the range, but already in the bag of Louis Oosthuizen. That was quick.

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Sweet-swinging Louis also has an awesome Ping prototype putter in the bag, too. Check out all of the must-see photos here. 

Kobe!

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James Hahn won last week at the Wells Fargo with a unique shaft in his PXG 0311 3-iron, an Aldila Tour 115 graphite shaft that he calls the “Black Mamba.” The shaft shares a nickname with NBA star Kobe Bryant, who announced his retirement this season.

Caddies become The Players

e3062c4586a7f6dd47a9cccb09215109All season long, caddies watch their players play golf at the premiere tracks in the world, while they trek around with their heavy staff bags. A thankless job, for the most part. At The Players, the Caddie Competition — in memory of beloved Tour caddie Bruce Edwards — gives the loopers a chance to show off their own golfing skills at No. 17, known as the island green. And the caddies take it seriously, even warming up on the range beforehand.

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It doesn’t always go well, though, as you can see from the one-armed finish in the photo below, surely taken as the golf ball went swimming.

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But others find more success. Hunter Mahan’s caddie put a Tour-like move on the ball and hit it to 5 feet.

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Congrats on a great shot and an unforgettable moment, Jon.

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The most interesting Marshal in Players Championship history

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He was at TPC Sawgrass when they dug out the island green. He was there for the first-ever Players. And he was marshaling at the island green during what’s now known as “The Best Marshaled Hole” in 2009, as you can see from the big red pin above.

He doesn’t need a “Quiet Please!” sign; he just raises his hat. He is, the most interesting Marshal in the world.

Checking in on K.J. Choi

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Yupp. Still working out.

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And trying to hide a TaylorMade M2 logo from the Revealing King with a single strip of lead tape. Will these guys ever learn?

#SB2K16 reunites

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Fowler, Spieth, Smylie and JT grouped up during a practice round at TPC Sawgrass, and as they did in the Bahamas, they updated their fans on SnapChat with fake ProTracers and announcer imitations. Anyone who sees their horseplay as bad for the game needs to remove the shoe horn from their metal-spiked golf shoes. As long as they’re not missing every cut, or distracting other players from properly preparing, why not have fun and enjoy the game with friends?

And maybe (gasp) they can even attract new, younger players to the sport while they’re at it.

What’s in Spieth’s bag this week?

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Nothing! We spotted Jordan Spieth’s bag completely empty in the Tour Van this week. No worries. He was getting his clubs re-gripped with SuperStroke’s new club grips.

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Even more notably, Spieth debuted the Momma Spieth’s, a pink version of the UA Drive One shoes in a pink colorway for Mother’s Day.

2338d59c99c37b928d433c7e71999d7bSunday at The Players will be a “pink-out,” so we’ll undoubtedly see the Momma Spieth’s again.

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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.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. mlecuni

    May 14, 2016 at 3:12 pm

    Hi Andrew, from the last witb kj choi wasn’t hidding the M2 logo + why hide it if you put the big head cover on. it may because he is not playing the matrix Ozik TP6HDe shaft anymore, so he may just ajusted the swing weight. One thing i noticed is the lack of kjchoi logo on his irons, same model but may be new set.

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Whats in the Bag

Kris Kim WITB 2024 (May)

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.

 

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Welcome to the family: TaylorMade launches PUDI and PDHY utility irons

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TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.

TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.

TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.

Can you see where this is going?

Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”

 

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TaylorMade PUDI

TaylorMade PUDI technology cutaway (via TaylorMade)

Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.

In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.

TaylorMade PDHY

TaylorMade PDHY tech cutaway (via TaylorMade).

Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.

Club Junkie’s take

Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.

For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.

PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?

TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:

  • PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
  • PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
  • Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
  • PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
  • PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family

Pricing, specs, and availability

Price: $249.99

At retail: Now

Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)

Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)

PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed

PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/3/24): Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter

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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 Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter

From the seller: (@wwcl): “Has been gamed as pics show. 33.5 includes original h/c and grip. $575 includes shipping and PP fees.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter

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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