Equipment

Steven Bowditch goes back to… golf clubs from last decade?

Published

7 years ago

Jan 19, 2017

For struggling golfers, a trip to your basement can often be as beneficial as a trip to your local pro shop. Case in point: Two-time PGA Tour winner Steven Bowditch.

Dating back to the Frys.com Open in October of 2015, Bowditch has played in 30 PGA Tour sanctioned events. He’s missed the cut 19 times over that span, and is currently on a streak of nine-straight MCs. His best finish was T10 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, a tournament he qualified for by winning the 2015 AT&T Byron Nelson.

By all accounts, Bowditch is in a slump. And based on his Tweets over the past year or so, he fully recognizes that fact. While some professional golfers won’t let the media or the public in on their lack of confidence, Bowditch is outspoken on the state of his game, often making jokes at his own expense. He keeps it light, and doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously.

Check out some of our favorite tweets from the past few months.

My daughter goes through nappies like I go through prov 1’s…

— stevenbowditch (@bowdo83) January 18, 2017

Hey @BeefGolf me and @booweekley challenge you and your partner to a birdie, beer and beef triathlon next year..let’s c if u da real deal ????????

— stevenbowditch (@bowdo83) December 14, 2016

Party time. 18 holes with the same ball.

— stevenbowditch (@bowdo83) November 5, 2016

Not a good sign when you have to get your ball retriever regripped

— stevenbowditch (@bowdo83) September 15, 2016

My trainer says to me “dude you need a balanced diet” I said “does a beer in each hand count?” That cost me another 25 push ups

— stevenbowditch (@bowdo83) September 6, 2016

Man I hate running!!! twice yesterday! I ran out of beer and then I had to run to the store… Knackered! ????????

— stevenbowditch (@bowdo83) August 31, 2016

WITB

With that in mind, look at the clubs we photographed in Bowditch’s bag at this week’s CareerBuilder Challenge.

dfc78ce02fb0721217998beef2eb418b 92d70a207bd6389f4f818c83f6de865e Among them are clubs that were released in the mid-2000s, including a TaylorMade R7 Quad Draw fairway wood and set Callaway Big Bertha Fusion irons. Surely Bowditch didn’t buy these off eBay, so he must have gamed these around the time of their release. He also has a Cobra AMP Cell hybrid in the bag, which was released a few years ago but looks like it has spent the last 10 years in his garage without a headcover on it.

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The point here is that for a struggling golfer, sometimes it may be best to bring back clubs from your past that give you good feelings, rather than trying the latest technology. Best of luck to Bowditch this week at the CareerBuilder Challenge, and to any golfer looking to climb out of a slump.

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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.

16 Comments

Pingback: Steven Bowditch makes radical change with decade-old clubs in bag – Australian Golf Digest
Pingback: Steven Bowditch makes radical change with decade-old clubs in bag - Australian Golf Digest
jgpl001

Jan 22, 2017 at 4:37 pm

My God, he must have found that bag in a ditch after a night out wit Robert Allenby ????

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Pingback: Steven Bowditch makes radical change with decade-old clubs in bag | Golf
Jun

Jan 20, 2017 at 1:38 am

Are those fusion irons have legal grooves ?

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Pingback: Steven Bowditch switches to decade-old clubs at CareerBuilder Challenge | GOLF URGE
Pingback: Steven Bowditch switches to decade-old clubs at CareerBuilder Challenge | Golfweek
Jason

Jan 19, 2017 at 2:36 pm

Are those fusions even legal?

Reply Report comment
- RayJD
  
  Jan 19, 2017 at 7:43 pm
  
  Not unless they were regrooved, no.
  
  Reply Report comment
Kromulous

Jan 19, 2017 at 12:41 pm

Dont get down on yourself ! It will come back, loosen up, and swing free !

Reply Report comment
Jam

Jan 19, 2017 at 10:44 am

He’s got to be the worst multiple winner on tour right now, except for Tiger.

Reply Report comment
John

Jan 19, 2017 at 9:10 am

Bowditch has become one of my favorite golfers to root for. The guy has an incredible sense of humor and realizes although it is his job, it’s just a game.

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mitch

Jan 19, 2017 at 8:48 am

The pro’s are just like us! You gotta go with w/e works! Props to Steven!

Reply Report comment
- Jay
  
  Jan 20, 2017 at 8:54 am
  
  No, no they’re not. He’s trying to keep his tour card, you’re just looking for a bargain so you can beat Jim on Saturday and avoid having to pay for the Coors Light.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mikee

Jan 19, 2017 at 8:27 am

I always have two full sets of clubs…..one full set of Titleist AP2/915 woods/Vokey wedges and my old “gamer” Ping Eye 2 BeCu to pull out to “clear my brain” when I’m striking it poorly.

Reply Report comment
- Tiger
  
  Jan 19, 2017 at 12:43 pm
  
  That’s not a full set…just saying
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Michael Block spotted with full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons at Valhalla

Published

9 hours ago

May 14, 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.

On Monday at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Block had a full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons in the bag.

Block is the first player of many on the PGA TOUR to bag a set of the mysterious “Proto” irons. Rory McIlroy first switched into a “Proto” 4-iron at the Valero Texas Open, and Collin Morikawa followed suit at the 2024 RBC Heritage. Block isn’t using just the 4-iron, though, he’s using a full set to go along with a TaylorMade Stealth UDI driving iron.

Speaking with GolfWRX.com on Monday at the PGA Championship, Block revealed the full backstory.

“I hit a couple super “Proto” irons when I was at the Kingdom (TaylorMade’s fitting facility in Southern California) a couple months ago, and it was a 9-iron that didn’t have any badges or anything on it,” Block said. “I had no idea what it was … It was very similar to what I was using back then, you know, my old MCs, and very similar from the top. I hit it and absolutely loved it. For me to even think about switching irons from the last 11-12 years is crazy.

“I got this set about two weeks ago, and I’m working my way into them. I hit them more solid; it comes off the face more solid. Much higher. I think they’re still slightly too upright for me, so they’re being bent a degree flatter, because they’re going a little too high for me and drawing a little too much. When that starts to happen, I start to drop the club under and compensate too much, so I’m getting them flattened slightly, and I’m going to test them on the range again, and hopefully have them in play on Thursday…

“They go further, and they go higher … that combination is kind of a no-brainer. If I can take a 5-iron from 204 rather than a 4-iron, it’s good on me. It’s going to help me out for sure, especially at a major with the pin locations. Having that height coming in, that descent angle is going to be huge.”

With such new irons in the bag, after using the same irons for over a decade, surely you’d think there will be a bit of a learning curve. Block, however, is finding immediate comfort with the new “Proto” irons.

Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.

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Whats in the Bag

WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2014 PGA Championship

Published

11 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Rory McIlroy outlasted Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship. It’s even harder to believe McIlroy hasn’t hoisted a major trophy since his 2014 victory at Valhalla.

After a slow start to his final round, McIlroy tallied an eagle and two birdies on the back nine and his fourth major championship. Take a look at the clubs he played a decade ago in Kentucky.

Driver: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (8.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70X

3-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X

5-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (19 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

Irons: Nike VR Pro Blade (4-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0

Wedges: Nike VR Forged (46, 52, 56, 60 degrees) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Putter: Nike Method 006 Buy here.

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Ball: Nike RZN Black

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

WITB Time Machine is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.

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