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WRX Insider: #TigerTuesday – Building the ultimate Tiger bag

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The title says it all. I’ve done this with my buddies more than once; sit around and piece together the ultimate 14-club Tiger Woods set based on personal affinities, iconic shots he has hit, and tournaments he has won.

I think you will find some obvious choices in here but some may shock you.

(And yes, we are going club for club)

Driver: Nike Ignite 8.5 w/ Original Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 73 X5Ct X flex 

I know, I know…”What about the Titleist 975D?” Truth is, what Tiger did with the 975D will never be touched. In 2000, he was second in driving distance at 298 and hit 71.2 percent of the fairways. So concern and outrage dually noted. HOWEVER, 2005 and his integration of the 45-inch, graphite-shafted, 460CC “modern head” propelled his distance game to a new level, and once again he out hit the “Tiger Proofed” golf courses like Augusta. It’s also the driver that ultimately encouraged him to retire “old trusty” (bel0w) in order to shorten the gap between his driver and 3-wood. 

3-wood: Titleist 970 15 degrees w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 

Obvious for so many reasons but ill give you the top 3 reasons that are indisputable:

1) It was the coolest 3-wood ever made 2) His drive on #13 in 2001, out hitting Phil’s driver by 20. 3) His majestic missile at #14 at St. Andrews in 2000 on Day 3. That’s enough.

5-wood: Nike T40 Tour 19 degrees w/ Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 103X 2006

Tiger finally swapped out his 970 for the Nike T60 (15 degrees) in early 2005. This was still a time when his 2-iron continued to be a consistent weapon. However, due to the overall distance the new driver and 3-wood were going, he now needed a club that he could fly a bit further than a 2-iron but also one he could hit way up, way down, and everything else. That’s where the T40 came into the conversation and it has been a weapon ever since.

2-iron: Mizuno MP-29 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

The original sting machine. Go back and watch his 1995 U.S Amateur victory at Newport CC. He relies on the choked down version of that shot the whole week. Obviously, it evolved from there, but his 2-iron prowess went from power to precision with this club. 

3-iron: Nike Forged (Red Logo Model) w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

With this club, he picked apart Southern Hills CC at the 2007 PGA Championship. It was so good in fact that Tiger limited himself to only a few drivers the entire week.

4-iron: Nike Forged w/  True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

2006 Open Championship at Hoylake, second day #14…you’re welcome

5-iron: TaylorMade P7TW w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

(4:15:00)

In my opinion, it was the key shot of his 2019 triumph. Some may argue it was the tee shot on 12, the lag on 9, the tee shot on 16. His five-iron from 227 not only applied the first foot on the neck of his chasers, but it also illustrated that on that course, in that situation, he’s unbeatable.

6-iron: Mizuno MP-14 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

“Hello, world.” Who does that? Makes the most notable pro debut in history and goes off and holes one out in the final round. Granted, he finished miles back from the winner but that particular shot showed the field just how scary it could get. That tee shot was getting 4 and 5-irons into it all day, this kid comes in with a flighted 6-iron that not only went in but would have stopped on a dime right next to the hole if it didn’t. VERY few in the field were capable of having a shot in their bag that even sniffed that.

7-iron: Titleist 681T w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

3 Dec 2000: Tiger Woods looks on during the Williams World Challenge at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California.Mandatory Credit: Donald Miralle /Allsport

2000 U.S. Open, Pebble Beach, 6th hole Day 2, 205 out of the right rough.

“It’s just not a fair fight” -Roger Maltbie NBC

It never was.

8-iron: TaylorMade P7TW w/  True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Tiger hit nine 8-iron approach shots on Sunday at Augusta, two of which represented the beginning of his chase (8-iron into the seventh for a birdie) and the door-slammer (8-iron into the 16th). 

9-iron: Mizuno MP-14 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

(4:12) 16th Hole at TPC Scottsdale, 1997 Phoenix Open…WHO DOES THAT? It was the total “what if” scenario. That guy, on that day (party Saturday) on that hole. Oh. My. Word. 

PW: Titleist 681T w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100


(4:43)

2000 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM, Tiger chases a nervous Matt Gogel and to add terror to fear, he hits this little 2 finger PW from 97 yards that finds itself in the cup for an eagle and an eventual TW victory.

56 degree: Titleist Vokey 258.08 bent to 56 w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold X100/S400

This one took some consideration, but ultimately I chose this one because it gave me the first visible clue as to how dialed TW got with his clubs, bending a 58 strong to reduce the bounce and arrive on a leading edge that was just right. I remember studying that wedge in detail.

60 degree: Nike FastBack 60 degrees w/ True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

“In your LIFE!” #16 at Augusta, 16th hole…you know the rest. The most Tiger shot of all time.

Putter: (1999-now) Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2 (AKA The Elder Wand)

Arguably the most talked-about putter in the history of the game. It’s a history stick and should be at the top of every “best” list ever.

 

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14 Comments

14 Comments

  1. Jbone

    Jul 22, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    Cool article. Not sure what the naysayers expect from this site

  2. joro

    Jul 22, 2020 at 11:37 am

    When Tiger was in his prime he could win with a set of Knights from Walmart. Today he is searching. Face it, he IS done and will soon give it up. The worst thing is when you start searching for clubs that hit themselves and that never happens, although we wish it could. At some point one has to realize it is not there. He is just a idol at this point, and he draws people to see him.

    • Frank

      Jul 22, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      So where were you when he won the Masters last year?

  3. Ben

    Jul 21, 2020 at 9:47 pm

    I like the effort here. I liked his Sasquatch driver which was nothing like the retail head. He played 8.5 low spinners while other guys were chasing high launch, low spin. He won the US open in 2008 with that Sasquatch and maybe also the PGA in 2007. I still remember he hit like a 380 yard drive on15 or 16 coming down the stretch in 2007 that was unbelievably straight as well.

  4. Terry

    Jul 21, 2020 at 1:27 pm

    This is just, weird.

  5. bill

    Jul 21, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    Who sits around with their buddies and discusses Tigers clubs?

    • DJ

      Jul 21, 2020 at 4:57 pm

      Exactly! Ok, where do you want to start with Phil’s bag – two drivers at Augusta?

    • John Wunder

      Jul 21, 2020 at 5:29 pm

      I do.

      • DJ

        Jul 23, 2020 at 4:28 pm

        Driver: 2 FT-3’s at Augusta in ’06
        3W: Phrankenwood at ’13 Masters – not a great finish, but what a name for a club
        6i: ’10 Masters, 13th hole from the pine straw. Phil being Phil.
        Wedge: Not sure what wedge he used, but ’14 at Ridgewood – Northern Trust – rounds 2 and 3 from the hospitality area.

        You can fill in the rest

  6. delbert

    Jul 21, 2020 at 12:40 pm

    Thanks for the great article. Its a good break.

  7. Gunter Eisenberg

    Jul 21, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    Stupid. Tiger’s clubs that he used during his Tiger Slam is the ultimate Tiger bag, not a mish mash of clubs from different years.

    • John Wunder

      Jul 21, 2020 at 5:29 pm

      That wasn’t the point of the article.

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Equipment

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

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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

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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

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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Whats in the Bag

Tiger Woods WITB 2024 (May)

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (10.5 degrees @9.75)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 X

5-wood: TaylorMade M3 (19 degrees @18.25)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

Irons: 2023 TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7TW (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 Raw (56-12TW, 60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS prototype
Grip: Ping PP58 Blackout

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X (2024)

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 58R

More Tiger Woods WITBs

 

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