Equipment
Mickelson brings 8-year-old Callaway prototype hybrid to Memphis
Update (June 9): Mickelson did not use the prototype hybrid in Round 1 of the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
We spotted Phil Mickelson with a prototype Callaway hybrid in the bag at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. How do we know it’s a prototype? Well, that’s what it says on the sole.
The hybrid is one of the most nondescript clubs we’ve seen on the PGA Tour from Callaway this year, at least in terms of graphics and features. The logos are old-school and so are the colors: black and silver. There’s also no adjustable hosel, moveable weights, and no carbon fiber as there is in Callaway’s new Epic hybrids.
According to a Callaway representative, there’s a reason for that. The hybrid is a prototype that “played a part in helping (Callaway) develop the shape of (its) current Steelhead XR Hybrid.”
Maybe the most interesting feature of the club is its extremely rounded sole, which is also reminiscent of Callaway’s X Hot Pro hybrid that was released in 2012 garnered a cult-like following. Its added offset and curvaceous sole made it an incredible performer from the rough for many golfers.
Callaway told GolfWRX in 2012 was that the shape of the X Hot Pro was inspired by a hybrid Mickelson helped design for the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black to combat the deep rough. Based on the graphics on this hybrid, it appears this is that hybrid.
The loft (22 degrees) is also significantly higher than the loft Mickelson generally uses in a hybrid (he’s often in the 17-19 degree range).
Related: See what GolfWRX Members are saying about Mickelson’s new hybrid.
In other Mickelson news, the golfer announced earlier this week that he plans to skip the U.S. Open to attend his daughter’s high school graduation, where his daughter, the class president, is scheduled to speak. Golf fans have reacted with a petition to have the high school move its graduation day so Mickelson can play in the only major championship he’s yet to win.
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- Maverick McNealy WITB accurate as of the 3M Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 “Dot” (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD XC 6 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
7-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 8 X
Irons: TaylorMade “Proto” (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 50-08F, 54-08M), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-L @59)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Toulon Design Prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of McNealy’s clubs here.
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- Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the 3M Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (15 degrees @16)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black 75 TX
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB ’24 (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 56-14F @55, 60-08M)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue (56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One #7SB
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour X
Check out more in-hand photos of Sam Burns’ WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from an article our Andrew Tursky filed for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over to PGATour.com to read the full piece.
It’s been well-documented that Bryan uses two 4-irons in his golf bag – including a Takomo 101U Driving Iron, and a Titleist T200 – but that’s not the only notable oddity throughout his bag.
As Bryan revealed on Wednesday, he actually played in last week’s Barracuda Championship with two drivers: a Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max, which has been his gamer throughout 2024, and a new Titleist GT2 driver. According to Bryan, the dual-driver setup allowed him to work the ball both ways off the tee more easily.
“One was a little more friendly to draw, and one was a little more friendly to fade,” Bryan said.
This week at the 3M Open, however, Bryan says he’s sticking with just one driver: the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max, which he enjoys for its forgiveness, especially on shots that he misses on the toe of the face.
“The reason I like this driver so much is… a lot of guys hit the ball in the middle of the club face; and, yes, that’s probably the way you’re supposed to hit driver. I try to utilize a lot of the face,” Bryan said jokingly. “You see…my tee marks go anywhere from (the center of the face) all the way to over here (on the toe of the face). So I like to utilize about an inch and a half of the club face here. The forgiveness on the toe of this driver is second to none, and again, I hit it pretty poor, as you guys know, off the tee most of the time, although it’s getting a lot better. This driver offers a lot of forgiveness.”
In addition to the driver movement at the top end of his setup, Bryan has also introduced a new Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max 3-wood into his lineup to match up with his driver.
“I had a (TaylorMade) Stealth 3-wood in there for a while, but I enjoyed the Ai Smoke driver so much that I got Johnny Thompson (a Callaway Tour rep) out here to build up a 3-wood as similar as possible,” Bryan explained. “This club was used just yesterday in a round to take some money off of Tom Whitney and Zach Johnson on the final hole. I drove it in the hazard, which is obviously not uncommon. Dropped it on a side hill in the rough from 265 yards, hit it to 10 feet… and made birdie the hard way. So this club, I’ve really been enjoying it; it’s been in the bag for about three weeks now.”
Bryan also uses a TaylorMade Stealth 2 hybrid, which interestingly ended up in his bag by accident last year.
“[My hybrid] was built just as a backup while I was waiting for my clubs to arrive [at the John Deere Classic last year], and I needed stuff I could go play the pro-am with, so this was just kind of an ‘oopsie’ hybrid… it turns out I love it. It’s been in the bag ever since.”
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Head over to PGATour.com to read the full piece.
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tadlehmann
Jun 7, 2017 at 9:48 pm
is it just a weird angle, or is this club as hooded as it appears? The address pic makes me feel like you’d have to lay that wide open just to hit it straight
Blake
Jun 7, 2017 at 5:20 pm
Better looking club than most they have put out in the last 4-5 yrs
rebfan73
Jun 8, 2017 at 7:31 am
I agree….
Xav
Jun 7, 2017 at 11:32 am
If it works bag it! We should all aspire to put family ahead of golf. Way to go Phil!
Ty Webb
Jun 7, 2017 at 8:47 am
That club is old he put it in play at the 2009 us open at bethpage.
It’s a us open only club funny he is using it in Memphis if he is not playing in the us open??
My guess he is and is waiting for an early tee time so he can fly back for the graduation.
xjohnx
Jun 7, 2017 at 9:20 am
Everything about it definitely fits in that era. Callaway has not used their logo without “golf” for many years.
xjohnx
Jun 7, 2017 at 9:21 am
I guess I should have said without “golf” or without the chevron below it.
ooffa
Jun 7, 2017 at 8:19 am
Phil at a golf tournament. Interesting. He didn’t have to be at movie night with the Family?
Charlie
Jun 7, 2017 at 9:47 am
This is one of the dumbest comments I have ever seen on GolfWRX
Ckplus1
Jun 7, 2017 at 10:01 am
Yes , cause being a family man, supporting, proud father is so uncool?!? Ooffa, a little jealous??
V
Jun 7, 2017 at 11:44 am
No, ooffa just dumb
ooffa
Jun 7, 2017 at 2:46 pm
I thought you guys would be smart enough to recognize sarcasm. I was wrong, you’re not!
Mike
Jun 8, 2017 at 5:15 pm
There needs to be a sarcasm font that is universally accepted on this website