Equipment

Tony Finau’s old Nike driving iron sells for ABSURD money on eBay

Published

2 years ago

Jun 24, 2022

While on-site at the 2022 Travelers Championship, I took photos of Tony Finau’s full WITB setup. My biggest takeaway was that he plays ridiculously large grips (Lamkin mid-size, with loads of wraps underneath; check them out here).

I also noticed he had two different putters in the bag; both are PLD Anser 2D models. According to Ping putter rep Dylan Goodwin, one of the models has about 5 grams of lead tape on the sole to help Finau with face awareness, and the other is his gamer, which features sharpie lines on the hosel section to help him with alignment and setup.

But those weren’t the most interesting points of note in Finau’s bag, or the reason I’m writing this story.

While going through Finau’s clubs, I noticed he’s still using an old Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron, equipped with a Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 105x Hybrid shaft and loads of lead tape on the back cavity.

The Vapor Fly Pro irons first hit the market in 2016, but PGA Tour players such as Finau and Brooks Koepka continue to use the long irons as a driving iron years later.

Speaking to Finau on Tuesday at the 2022 Travelers Championship, he said that he got 6 years of use out of the original head he put in the bag in 2016 before it finally caved. The driving iron he has in the bag now is a replacement, and he says he has only one backup now.

“I got about 6 years of use out of the first one, and I’m hoping to get about 6-7 years out of this one,” Finau told GolfWRX at the Travelers. “I only have one backup, but I’m hoping I’ll get 6-7 years out of that one, too.”

Obviously, Finau has no plans of using a driving iron that’s not a Nike Vapor Fly Pro anytime in the near future. And if he acquires another backup, he’ll probably be able to play one until he’s 50 years old.

While discussing the old Nike driving iron on our latest Two Guys Talking Golf podcast episode, my co-host Brian Knudson was curious about how much they’re selling for on eBay.

That’s when we realized how ridiculously expensive (and sneaky hard to find) the Nike Vapor Fly Pro long irons are.

Check out how much they’re currently listed for on eBay!

OK, so those are listed prices, but what are they actually selling for? Here’s a look at a few recently sold versions:

Those are new driver type prices! Wow.

I guess when you consider that the iron is still being played on Tour six years after they released, and given the fact that Nike doesn’t make golf clubs anymore, and there’s a limited supply, it does make sense. Still, though, $400+ for a driving iron is a tough pill to swallow.

That being said, I absolutely need to get my hands on one to test and see what the hype is all about. Maybe I’ll start a GoFundMe page so I have some extra cash to make a competitive eBay bid.

(Check out the video version of our latest podcast below!)

Check out Finau’s full WITB from the Travelers here.

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TOUR REPORT: Jordan Spieth switches to Titleist TSR driver, Kevin Kisner on his new putter/wedge

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Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (6/24/22): Odyssey 5K Tri-Hot Triple wide

Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

5 Comments

Nike Staffer 2012

Jun 25, 2022 at 12:55 pm

95% of the clubs and balls Nike made were garbage. But… the 5% that weren’t were fantastic and the long irons from this set were a part of the 5%. It’s no wonder that Rory struggled so much during his Nike days and it’s pretty well known that Tiger’s stuff was a FAR cry from anything sold retail. The RZN balls might as well have been rebranded top flites.

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- Nike good
  
  Jun 25, 2022 at 2:31 pm
  
  This is such a bs take.
  
  Ps. Rory has more majors in his 3 years with Nike than his 5 years with Taylormade.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Edward
  
  Jun 25, 2022 at 2:46 pm
  
  I’ve drained many long putts with my Method 001 putter. It feels better than a Scotty Cameron.
  
  Reply Report comment
Edward

Jun 25, 2022 at 8:19 am

Covert Forged 2.0 irons are also beastly.

Reply Report comment
- Rooney
  
  Jun 25, 2022 at 7:41 pm
  
  Edward speaks the truth
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

2 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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