Equipment
Lynx Golf introducing 2020 Prowler Forged irons, VT Stinger utility to North America
Lynx Golf is coming back to North America with the introduction of the premium Prowler Forged irons and VT Stinger Utility irons for 2020.
“Our Prowler lines have been embraced by players around the world because they perform incredibly well and have a beautiful aesthetic that speaks to avid golfers,” says Steve Elford, CEO and co-owner of Lynx Golf.
“These additions to the collection fill two spaces our customers have been asking for, a driving iron with outstanding performance and without the standard bulky look of modern hybrids, and a cavity-back forged iron that looks and feels as good as our blades, but offers added forgiveness.”
We first saw the Lynx Prowler Forged irons and VT Stinger at the 2019 PGA Show in Orlando, but that was to introduce them to the world, and at that time they were not actually available to the North American golfer through traditional channels.
The launch of the Prowler line of clubs coincides with the launch of www.lynxgolfusa.com, which now makes the popular UK brand more accessible to the North American market. The Prowler Forged irons and VT Stinger will be joining a variety of other popular designs from Lynx that are now available in the U.S. including the Prowler VT irons, Black Cat, and Tigress lines of clubs.
Lynx Prowler VT Stinger Utility Driving Iron
For Lynx, the entire Prowler line represents the peak of the company’s engineering and manufacturing processes, and the VT Stinger is no exception.
The VT Stinger utility features a variable thickness (VT) face that helps redistributes mass around the perimeter of the clubhead to increase MOI (moment of inertia). This increase in MOI has improved accuracy and distance on mishits by 36 percent, according to Lynx Golf. The classic muscleback design boasts a sole that is wider than a traditional blade style long iron while still maintaining the classic aesthetics.
Specs and Availability
The VT Stinger utility comes in lofts of 12.5 degrees and 16 degrees, and is stock with either a KBS Tour steel shaft for $129, or UST Mamiya Recoil graphite shaft $149. Considering other options currently in the market place from other OEMs, the VT Stringer is a great value.
Lynx Golf Prowler Forged Irons
2020 Lynx Prowler VT Forged iron: 7-iron
The Prowler Forged irons are forged from soft 1020 carbon steel, then CNC milled for precise center of gravity placement and quality control. They feature a polished chrome finish and progressive offset design to appeal to golfers of all handicap ranges looking for a classically styled iron packed with modern technologies.
On top of being CNC milled, each head is equipped with five fixed tungsten screws, which allowed Lynx engineers to precisely position mass, to create a lower center of gravity and increased clubhead MOI. This lower CG improves launch and spin, which for the golfer translates to higher flying shots that are easier to stop.
The other key design feature of the Prowler Forged versus the previous forged iron from Lynx is a 20 percent longer blade length to provide greater playability and performance while still offering a better player preferred shape from address.
Specs and Availability
The Prowler Forged iron set comes stock 5-PW and are available with either KBS Tour 90 Steel shafts for $999 or UST Mamiya’s graphite Recoil shaft for $1,169. Both 3-iron and 4-iron are available to purchase separately.
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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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Jack Nash
Nov 6, 2019 at 4:59 pm
Wonder if Freddy will get back on the train.
Dave r
Nov 6, 2019 at 4:14 pm
What market are these headed for ? Do they replace the hybrid irons ? Will they be easier to hit ? Next year looking to get fitted into proper shafts for hybrids or should one try these instead ?
peter
Nov 6, 2019 at 6:51 am
I have the VT forged irons and they are sensational.
Rich Douglas
Nov 5, 2019 at 10:28 pm
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Hi, we’re the very flattered lawyers from PXG….”
What I love best is the single-length version of these. I can’t wait to….huh? No? Okay. Never mind.
Brandon
Nov 5, 2019 at 10:14 pm
1000 bucks for a set of 5-pw from a defunct brand trying to make a comeback? I don’t think so, Tim.
juannybravo
Nov 6, 2019 at 9:51 am
Lynx has been a major company in Europe and the UK since they disappeared into the Golfsmith abyss like 15-20 years ago.
John
Nov 6, 2019 at 1:40 pm
Dont knock it until you try it
Rolling Stone
Nov 5, 2019 at 10:11 pm
That cavity looks like a pretty good design of a baseball diamond! I’m guessing the drilled out holes are a nod to PXG!
Caroline
Nov 5, 2019 at 6:28 pm
Am I wrong but wasn’t there an article a year or two ago about how the Lynx name was brought back using clubs being made in china using designs being offered by those same Chinese factories….how much R&D is Lynx doing verses buying models already developed by second parties? Just as so many boutique golf ball companies use balls made for them with second party R&D.
Brandon
Nov 5, 2019 at 10:22 pm
I definitely remember reading something along those lines.
bob
Nov 6, 2019 at 6:41 pm
you would be surprised how many companies use heads developed by second parties.
Gurn
Nov 5, 2019 at 5:21 pm
If Ernie kept playing Lynx’s he woulda won 12 majors…
Sad
Bryce
Nov 5, 2019 at 1:03 pm
Their Quality control is terrible. I have a set of the Prowler VT in gunmetal, but when put on loft and lie machine was all over the place. And only get them in KBS90 shafts? Those things were ballooning a mile in the air. Trashed the shafts and put recoils in them and million times better. Anyone considering them, play similar to Titleist TMB’s, true hollow body, no foam or filler. Very hot and little too long for my liking.
Pauli
Nov 5, 2019 at 1:00 pm
These are not pretty. And how much ?! That seems a lot for an ugly iron from what is generally perceived as a non premium brand
Scott McLane
Nov 5, 2019 at 11:20 am
PXG should be flattered, apparently some Companies do not beleive in their own R&D, just take someone else’s.
JP
Nov 5, 2019 at 9:20 am
There’s something screwy about those irons!?!
Dyson Bochambeau
Nov 5, 2019 at 10:36 am
yes the shafts should all be the same length
Jack
Nov 5, 2019 at 9:06 pm
Shutup and go use your same length vacuum
Rich Douglas
Nov 6, 2019 at 11:09 am
Nice manners!