Equipment
Miura Golf’s buyer revealed
The official Miura-related announcement you’ve been waiting for: Billionaire investor, banking magnate, and golf enthusiast Howard Milstein has acquired global rights to distribute Miura Golf equipment.
We broke the news of Miura’s sale earlier this month, and new company president Hoyt McGarity told us the company’s trademark quality and pricing will remain consistent under the new ownership.
Milstein and family have acquired a majority interest in distribution rights, according to a press release, which also officially confirms Hoyt McGarity, founder and CEO of TrueSpec will serve as company president.
“We are excited to announce this new partnership and new chapter in Miura Golf’s storied history,” Milstein said. “We believe that Miura, with its decades-old reputation as perhaps the world’s finest designer and manufacturer of forged clubs, represents an ideal partner in the golf equipment category and is a tremendous fit with our company.”
Milstein is Chairman, President and CEO of New York Private Bank & Trust — the nation’s largest privately owned, family-run bank — and its operating bank, Emigrant Bank. Also a successful real estate investor, Milstein is perhaps most interesting for our purposes as the business partner of Jack Nicklaus and the Nicklaus family since 2007.
Also interesting: It appears the two golf companies under Milstein’s charge will be working together in some capacity, a story we will continue to follow.
“We focused on strategic opportunities and aligning ourselves with likeminded partners and companies that mirror the high standards long established by Jack and his company,” Milstein said. “Miura Golf is such a company, and we are pleased and proud to announce this partnership.”
Founded in 1957, Katsuhiro Miura’s company has been making handcrafted forged irons of the highest quality for 50 years. According to the company, professional golfers have won several major championships using its clubs, specifically its forged players irons, without endorsement contracts. The company has also produced forged irons for major OEMs.
Once the undisputed leader in the ultra-premium equipment space, billionaire Bob Parsons-owned PXG has fired a shot across the company’s bow, cutting into market share over the past three years. Now, it would seem, Miura is equipped with similar firepower.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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Equipment
Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron
It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.
We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.
From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.
“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.
TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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Whats in the Bag
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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Jim
Jan 25, 2017 at 1:58 pm
It appears to be merely a distribution deal.
http://miuragolf.com/Miura-Milstein.pdf
Eric
Jan 25, 2017 at 2:46 pm
How are they gonna spell Miura incorrectly in its own press release *smh*
Jim
Jan 25, 2017 at 1:50 pm
Must agree with Mark – “Muira Golf’s buyer revealed” and “acquired global rights to distribute Miura Golf equipment” are, to me, not one and the same thing.
Will the company (Miura) that manufactures the highly sought-after irons change in any way? Or have they (Katsuhiro Miura & sons) merely sold the global distribution rights to Mr. Milstein?
ButchT
Jan 25, 2017 at 1:37 pm
Until you can finance PXG or Miura irons like a home or car, I am out of their market!
Shallowface
Jan 25, 2017 at 7:38 am
Looking forward to seeing a set of Jack Nicklaus Miurafield irons.
Mark
Jan 25, 2017 at 11:04 am
Clever.
Mark
Jan 25, 2017 at 1:49 am
“Muira Golf’s buyer revealed” and “acquired global rights to distribute Miura Golf equipment” are, to me, not one and the same thing. Please clarify. Has Milstein bought the company or has he just acquired the global distribution rights?
JThunder
Jan 25, 2017 at 1:45 am
Another smaller company bought by a billionaire. Just what the world needs.
S Hitter
Jan 24, 2017 at 9:50 pm
That would be 60 years, mate. Can you do maths?