Equipment
Forum Thread of the Day: “European Tour looking into an incident involving Matt Wallace and his caddie from the BMW International Open”
Today’s Forum Thread of the Day surrounds an incident involving Matt Wallace and his caddie, Dave McNeilly, which occurred on Sunday at the European Tour’s BMW International Open. After hitting a shot in the water on 18, Wallace appeared irate with his caddie, which incensed many of our members, as well as plenty of social media users.
According to bunkered.co.uk, the European Tour stated in an email to the publication that they are looking into the incident over allegations of abuse.
A limited number of clips of the incident have surfaced online.
Billy Foster doesn't look concerned. pic.twitter.com/TVbRjaADYz
— Ricky Bush (@thebushnews) June 25, 2019
I watched him play the 18th and this is the only dialogue with the caddie on my DVR pic.twitter.com/tbPXZReTmS
— Matt Sylla (@mattsylla) June 24, 2019
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- buckeyefl: “Sky Sports analyst Rich Beem: ‘I’m sorry, but I just don’t enjoy watching that. I know you’re intense but get over yourself.’”
- Steele47: “Just looked at Wallace’s twitter. He congratulates the winner Andrea Pavan and also noteworthy, makes a point to compliment Pavan’s caddie. LOL.”
- OldTomMorris: “It’s a pattern with Wallace that he goes after his caddy so often like this and golf commentators, analysts even fans have picked up on this. There has to be a base level of respect and decency; it appears that Wallace often falls short of that.”
- golfgirlrobin: “He’s getting roasted on his own Twitter account. People don’t seem that amused.”
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- Patrick Reed what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G400 (8.5 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70 Tour X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila Rogue Silver 125MSI 80 Tour X
Hybrid: Callaway Apex Pro (18 degrees)
Shaft: Aldila RIP Phenom Hybrid 100 TX
Irons: Titleist 716 TMB (2), Grindworks PR-202 (4), Grindworks PR-101A (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore (50-10 Mid), Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (56-08M @55), SM10 (60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot RX Pt Customs No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
More photos of Patrick Reed’s WITB in the forums.
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Welcome to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
In the last two PGA Championships held at Valhalla, Tiger Woods won in 2000 – when he famously pointed his golf ball into the hole during the historic duel with Bob May – and Rory McIlroy won the 2014 event, basically in the dark on the final hole.
The point is, history shows that Valhalla tends to produce top-tier champions and plenty of drama.
This week at the 2024 PGA Championship, GolfWRX got its first up-close look at what some of the LIV Tour players have in their bags in 2024. We also caught back up with a few PGA Championship legends, such as Rich Beem and John Daly, and we dove into the bags of PGA Sectional qualifiers, too.
In total, we captured 47 different photo galleries this week, including 32 individual What’s In The Bag (WITB) forum threads. Click here to see all of our photos from the event, or continue reading to see my 10 equipment highlights from Valhalla.
1) Brooks Koepka’s new putter
Koepka was previously using a Scotty Cameron T5.5 putter with a slant neck, which he used to win at the beginning of the month in Singapore on the LIV tour. This week, however, he tried a T5.5 with a plumbers neck instead of the slant neck, and it’s immediately going in the bag. According to Scotty Cameron Tour rep Drew Page, Koepka already loved the head, and now finds the plumbers neck a bit more familiar to the blade-style putters he’s used throughout most of his career.
2) The lead tape king returns, with putting goggles
Phil Mickelson has always been one of the GOATs when it comes to lead tape usage, so it was no surprise to see his 64-degree custom Callaway wedge slathered with slabs of lead tape on the back.
The big surprise was that lefty was spotted using ProAim putting training goggles on Wednesday during his warm-up session.
The ProAim goggles are helpful to find center lines and ensure proper alignment to the target.
See Phil Mickelson’s full WITB from the 2024 PGA Championship
3) Dobyns’ old-school gamer setup
Speaking of lead tape, check out Matt Dobyn’s old Titleist 718 T-MB irons, which are so loaded with lead tape that the club is nearly unrecognizable.
Respect.
The head professional at Meadow Brook Club is making his sixth start in a PGA Championship, and he’s using a throwback Callaway GBB Epic driver with MOI-boosting lead tape and adjustable weight placements.
As GolfWRX Forum user “InTheBag” pointed out in our Matt Dobyns’ WITB thread, he has the type of setup that makes you want to hide your wallet: “I don’t know Mr. Dobyns, but one look at that bag tells me he can take your money,” writes InTheBag.
Spot on.
4) John Daly’s custom Sub70 irons and wedges
We first saw John Daly using $750 direct-to-consumer Sub70 659-CB irons and TAIII wedges at the 2023 PNC Championship, and he still has them in the bag, but he’s since stepped up the customization on the Sub70 clubs.
Does Daly ever NOT keep things entertaining?
View this post on Instagram
A true showman.
5) DJ’s custom putter
Dustin Johnson has always been one to test multiple putters week-to-week, and he has a keen eye for different alignment lines and crowns. This week, he’s opting for a completely gray TaylorMade Spider Tour “T3.0” prototype with a short slant neck.
See the rest of DJ’s WITB from the week here
6) Patrick Reed still rocking GrindWorks irons
Patrick Reed knows his stuff when it comes to equipment, and he’s a prolific tester. Still, however, the GrindWorks PR-101A irons are squarely in the bag after his departure to the LIV tour.
The most notable new addition to Reed’s bag is this Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond 3-wood.
Click here to see Reed’s full WITB from this week
7) Beem’s Scratch set
Rich Beem, who won the 2002 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, came to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla with a bag full of Scratch Golf irons, which are loaded with lead tape and equipped with some of the coolest custom ferrules in professional golf.
See Rich Beem’s full WITB here
8) Jon Rahm’s 10-iron
Before going to LIV, Rahm was using a Callaway Apex TCB pitching wedge.
Now, he’s using a Callaway Apex TCB “10 iron.”
He’s also since upgraded to three Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke metalwoods, and fresh stampings on his Jaws Raw wedges. Click here to see Rahm’s full WITB from the 2024 PGA Championship.
9) “Why so serious?”
Tyrrell Hatton, another LIV player in the 2024 PGA Championship field, channels his inner Joker to ask everyone, “Why so serious?”
10) Block’s “Proto” iron, from address
As you probably know by now, Block switched out of his old TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2014 irons, and into a full set of TaylorMade’s new “Proto” irons. We’ve already seen the Proto 4-iron in the bags of Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa, but this is our first look at the higher-lofted irons in the set.
Here’s a look at the 7-iron from address:
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Proto irons in our Forums
And, with that, we say goodbye to Louisville, and the second major championship of the 2024 season. We’ll see you next week at the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas after a champion has been crowned.
Until then, don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week at the 2024 PGA Championship!
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We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much better last week, so he is hoping to continue that success and post another good score.
Here are the 14 clubs that will hopefully win him some skins!
Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops (9 degrees, neutral setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X (2024)
3-wood: Cobra Dark Speed LS Titanium (14.5 degrees, set +1)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ-7x
Fairway: Callaway Apex UW (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 8 X
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops 4h (22 degrees, Flat Setting)
Shaft: KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 85 S
Irons: TaylorMade P770 Phantom Black (5-PW)
Shaft: KBS Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (50-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (56-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Wedge: PXG Sugar Daddy II (60-13 BP)
Shaft: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 Stiff
Putter: L.A.B. Mezz.1 Max
Shaft: Accra x L.A.B. White
Ball: Titleist ProV1 Enhanced Alignment
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HDTVMAN
Jun 26, 2019 at 4:37 pm
If you wear the Ping hat, you’re expected to act with respect to the game and others.
ski_co
Jun 26, 2019 at 2:56 pm
If the caddie told him it was 180 to cover the water and it was 200 I would understand. Otherwise the final decision on the shot is the players.
Unemployed Caddy
Jun 26, 2019 at 8:10 am
Looked like an A and B conversation. Why doesn’t everyone C their way out of it. It’s basically a husband and wife type of relationship, one of them can file for divorce or maybe they can go to couples counseling?? Why are we acting like caddies are so mistreated and incapable of making mistakes?? Can we stop protecting caddies as if they are children with abusive parents…
Sahil
Jun 26, 2019 at 6:56 am
I’ve noticed the caddy issue is becoming a noticeable issue.
Jordon Spieth was another example.
I’m sure there are tons of others which just gets swept under the carpet.
There are few questions I have, if @Golfwrx has some history on this.
My questions are:
When did the caddy become such a big part of the professional’s game plan?
To my knowledge, its the pro golfer pitting his skills against the course and other players.
It should not matter who caddies for the pro golfer. His own skills and decision making will shine through.
Now I see Jason Day hiring Steve Williams, and making Steve out to be this caddy / coach / mentor / father figure person when in reality, from what I see Jason’s been distracted by other issues off the course.
“when he says something, I do it” that was Jason’s statement.
Pro golfers have this huge team, a coach for putting, a coach for iron play, a coach for driving , a mental coach, a personal trainer, a golf specific personal trainer rather.
When they hit the ball straight in the bush then they blame the caddy.
As far as I’m concerned, the pro golfers are becoming a bunch of whiney, privileged babies.
The caddies are there to carry your clubs and take care of your clubs, the golfing is up to the pro golfer. Amateurs use of a good caddy can be useful, a skilled local caddy will have course knowledge, can help speed up play. Help the amateur golfer make better decisions and learn the game.
Golf is an individual sport. One pro going against other pro’s.
Sahil
Jun 26, 2019 at 6:48 am
http://www.golfwrx.com/563240/forum-thread-of-the-day-european-tour-looking-into-an-incident-involving-matt-wallace-and-his-caddie-from-the-bmw-international-open/?fbclid=IwAR1h_JQF8YyX6uOjdI_axhuh5EYtWLcAEv42qZRRVbnW_pI7ef4M1SKx5d0
Sahil
Jun 26, 2019 at 6:46 am
I’ve noticed the caddy issue is becoming a noticeable issue.
Jordon Spieth was another example.
I’m sure there are tons of others which just gets swept under the carpet.
There are few questions I have, if @Golfwrx has some history on this.
Wiki quote
“While the modern game of golf originated in 15th-century Scotland, the game’s ancient origins are unclear and much debated. Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of paganica, in which participants used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball.”
My questions are:
When did the caddy become such a big part of the professional’s game plan?
To my knowledge, its the pro golfer pitting his skills against the course and other players.
It should not matter who caddies for the pro golfer. His own skills and decision making will shine through.
Now I see Jason Day hiring Steve Williams, and making Steve out to be this caddy / coach / mentor / father figure person when in reality, from what I see Jason’s been distracted by other issues off the course.
“when he says something, I do it” that was Jason’s statement.
Pro golfers have this huge team, a coach for putting, a coach for iron play, a coach for driving , a mental coach, a personal trainer, a golf specific personal trainer rather.
When they hit the ball straight in the bush then they blame the caddy.
As far as I’m concerned, the pro golfers are becoming a bunch of whiney, privileged babies.
The caddies are there to carry your clubs and take care of your clubs, the golfing is up to the pro golfer. Amateurs use of a good caddy can be useful, a skilled local caddy will have course knowledge, can help speed up play. Help the amateur golfer make better decisions and learn the game.
Golf is an individual sport. One pro going against other pro’s.
JThunder
Jun 25, 2019 at 10:45 pm
“If the caddie doesn’t like it, he can quit”
Ahh… the conservative answer to sweatshops, child labor and 80 hour work weeks!
ht
Jun 27, 2019 at 9:48 am
*looks for way to upvote this comment*
cg
Jun 25, 2019 at 8:44 pm
Mind our own business? He’s just emotional?. NO WAY! Quit excusing poor behavior! Wallace was a jerk. What possible thing could his caddy have done to cause him to duck hook his tee shot into the water? A caddy gives numbers and often makes suggestions but in the end, the player is responsible for every golf shot. These guys are playing for big money so the fan’s opinion absolutely do matter. Golf has always been a gentleman’s game. I saw the reaction myself Sunday and I was disgusted.
Johnny Penso
Jun 25, 2019 at 8:23 pm
“There has to be a base level of respect and decency; it appears that Wallace often falls short of that.” Get stuffed. That’s between the player and his caddie. If the caddie doesn’t like it he can quit. If the player doesn’t like it he can fire him. MYOB.
Dan
Jun 25, 2019 at 3:27 pm
The guys emotional and in the moment. It’s hard to win a tournament. If his caddy can’t handle it he can quit. People complain about players being robots but once they show negative emotions people crucify them.