Equipment

Top 10 purchases to make at the U.S. Open Merchandise Tent

Published

8 years ago

Jun 14, 2016

The Players Championship is a celebration of Mother’s Day, while the U.S. Open is a celebration of Father’s Day — since it falls on U.S. Open Sunday every year. As such, the best possible Father’s Day gifts (that aren’t on this list, of course), are in this order:

Winning the U.S. Open.
Having your father caddie for you while you play in the U.S. Open.
Attending the U.S. Open with your father.
Buying your father a gift from the U.S. Open.
Anything else.

The merchandise tent stands tall on top of the perch of the temporary U.S. Open town of pavilions.

Let’s assume you’ll be going with option No. 4 this year, and that’s where we come in. The merchandising situation can be a little overwhelming at the U.S. Open because of the sheer size of the tent, the number of choices to make and the ridiculous amount of people. Luckily, there are some standout candidates for purchase, whether they’re for your pops or not.

There are also plenty of options for women and children, which you should be sure to check out while in the tent. And if you’re NOT attending the U.S. Open, click here to browse the online store.

Necessary gadgets

What’s something you use on nearly every hole of golf you play? A ball marker. Most golfers use a quarter or a type of coin. Why not use something unique, like these markers with the awesome Oakmont-U.S. Open logo on them.

Even if your dad doesn’t hit many greens in regulation, the divot repair tool can still help him repair the ball marks in his putting line from golfers who do. The repair tool sets are available for $32.

Coasters

Dads drink beverages. Whether it’s coffee, tea, water, or something cold and frosty, they’ll want a coaster to keep from ruining their table. For only $13 dollars, these coasters are a steal, and they’ll always be put to good use.

Man cave

While the furry squirrels are cool, and so are the metallic U.S. Open at Oakmont signs, the star here is the hanging bottle opener with a bottle cap catcher. It’s well worth the $52.

Dad’s stomach is growling… for beers

These are the most awesome growlers I’ve ever seen. The U.S. Open-Oakmont logo is on the front, and U.S. Open winners from Oakmont are listed on the back. They’re available for $75, while the Steins (bottom) sell for $22 each.

Hats, hats, and more hats

There’s an entire corner of the merchandise tent dedicated to just hats. It’s a lot to handle, especially if you’re shopping for someone else. I’ve picked out my favorite, and what I believe to be the most unique, but you might be on your own trying to judge what dad will like best.

This hat is a bit outlandish, but when he shows up to that July 4th cookout rocking it, he’ll be getting all of the compliments. It’s $34.

If you’re dad is into camo, or hunting gear, this hat from Imperial is a drop-dead winner for $27.

The squirrel cartoon logo comes on a 47 Brand hat ($27), and on a flat-and-yellow brim, snapback version as well. If your dad is into snapbacks, there’s a few other options he may like, pictured in the gallery above.

The plaid white-and-green fitted hat, with the USGA logo and a clover as the back emblem, is a can’t miss for a dad who likes to be a bit eccentric with his fashion choices.

Bring dad back a taste of Pittsburgh, and its sports teams, with one of these black-and-yellow hats from Imperial. The highly recommended Tour visor is $32.

Black and yellow

There’s more than just hats that represent the colors of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins, however. Check out this entire line of clothes inspired by the heart of Steel City.

This Camo jacket has a slick logo that ties in the United States (stars), Pittsburgh (stripes), and Oakmont (squirrel) and sells for $145.

This hockey-inspired sweater (left) sells for $105, while the t-shirt (right) is $45.

Good in any weather

Waterproof pullovers make awesome gifts, because they can be used on and off the golf course and in various weather conditions. This white pullover from Sunice has a multitude of pockets for storage, a sweet American Flag type logo on the right shoulder, the U.S. Open-Oakmont logo on the left chest, and is only $139.

Casual gear

Maybe dad’s not a golfer, or you want to get him some gear for off the course. This U.S. Open hoodie is understated and comfortable, and sells for $75. The “USGA” printed on the hood is a nice touch.

The logoing on this stretch-fit, gray t-shirt from Under Armour is a little less subtle, but the shirt is so cool — and keeps you cool — that it won’t matter.

These long sleeve tees — green with the squirrel-cartoon and blue camo — each sell for $45.

Local talent

Artist David Lussier is selling replicas of his original painting of the 18th hole at Oakmont, ranging from $95-$6000, depending on your budget.

Also, Lee Wybranski shows off his original works that capture Oakmont’s iconic Church Pew Bunker, which are available in a wide price range as well.

Hand-forged church pews

As seen in the photo above, a hand-crafter representing Seamus Golf out of Oregon was providing custom engravings on bronze, copper and steel ball markers with the U.S. Open-Oakmont logo. They’re available for $32.

But the winner of the U.S. Open Merchandise tent has to the hand-forged Church Pew Bunker replica bottle opener (resting against the anvil) made from mild steel and copper, which comes with a leather satchel. Of course, the iconic Church Pews sit between hole Nos. 3 and 4 at Oakmont. The real pews will set you back costly strokes, while the bottle opener from Seamus will set you back $90.

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Whats in the Bag

Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)

Published

6 hours ago

May 10, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.

Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Tway’s clubs here.

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX

Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)

Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Tway’s clubs here.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4

More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.

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Equipment

Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?

Published

6 hours ago

May 10, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.

The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?

Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.

When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.

To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.

Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.

“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.

“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”

Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.

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Equipment

Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird

Published

9 hours ago

May 10, 2024

Andrew Tursky

With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.

On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.

Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.

See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here

GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?

Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’

So that’s why I went back.

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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?

It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.

Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.

It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.

Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.

Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.

So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?

Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.

Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?

Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.

There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.

It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.

Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.

And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?

Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’

If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’

My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’

I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”

And you’re going with it this week?

Hundred percent.

Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.

Thanks, man.

See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here

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