News
Club Junkie Review: Callaway Paradym drivers! All 3 heads!
Callaway just started off its 2023 golf season strong with the release of the new Paradym driver line up. There are three Paradym models to fit your swing and offer cutting edge technology to enhance distance, forgiveness, and control spin. I was fortunate enough to hit all three models, only on the range so far, and came away impressed with the entire line. For a more detailed review, please take a listen to the Club Junkie below or on any podcast platform. Just search GolfWRX Radio.
Paradym Driver
The “standard” Paradym driver is the bread and butter option that should fit a wide range of golfers. From tour professionals to high handicaps will be playing this head with the amount of adjustment available. I like the look from address and think the combination of gloss blue carbon fiber goes well with the matte black front of the head. The shape also looks less stretched from face to back compared to the Rogue ST and the transition from hosel to the topline is cleaner and smoother. The sound is also improved to my ear with a much more muted and lower pitched “crack” sound at impact. The feel is also very good and you can feel the ball compress off the face on center strikes and are gently reminded that you missed the center with slightly louder sound and vibration to the hands. Ball Speed on the Paradym is excellent on center strikes, as you would expect, but the driver can keep the speeds high even when out on the toe or low heel. Ball flight was very straight with neutral with gentle draws and the ball falling to the left on well struck shots. You have the ability to use the rear sliding weight to adjust the bias of the driver, but felt very neutral to me. The launch is mid/high and low spin. I average a launch angle of 12.3 degrees and a spin rate of 3,029RPM with the Project X HZRDUS Silver shaft and range golf balls. Dispersion was tight and I felt like the Paradym wanted to go as hard left when I gave it my dreaded hook swing.
Paradym Triple Diamond
This “players” head is definitely more compact at address, shorter from face to back, but still has enough of a footprint to give you confidence that you don’t have to play on tour to hit it. The sound was a smidge louder than the Paradym and with just a little more of a metallic sound to it. I still really liked how muted the Triple Diamond sounded and the feel was solid. Center strikes were met with a soft impact where you again could feel the ball compress off the face. Shots outside of the center were again met with minimal noise and vibration increases. The shocking thing about the Triple Diamond was how forgiving it was on those mishits. Ball speed stayed up and I averaged 145.2MPH ball speed and a 1.46 smash factor through my session. The other surprising thing with the Triple Diamond was how straight poor swings went and with the heavy weight in the rear the Triple Diamond is a very playable driver. This head launched the lowest for me at 11.1 degrees and spun the least at 2,929RPM with range golf balls. I did notice that moving the heavier weight (14g) forward would reduce the spin for me around 250RPM without really effecting my launch angle too much.
Paradym X
The X is the most forgiving head in the Paradym lineup and also has the largest footprint when you set it down. But even with the larger footprint, the shape is proportional and has a much cleaner look to it than last year. It is a bit more round and less triangular at the back for a look that I really like. It did launch the highest out of the 3 drivers for me at an average of 14.6 degrees but the spin still was low for me at 2,998 RPM. Shots with the X were high with a little draw on them. The X is very easy to turn over and provided more of a gentle draw than a big hook like some would think this driver might do. I am a player who naturally hits a draw and the Paradym X didn’t make it any stronger, if anything it took the right side of the course out of play.
Overall, I am very impressed with my initial testing of the Callaway Paradym drivers. Performance was very good and the biggest thing that stood out was the consistency of the spin number on off center hits. Hitting shots high, low, toe, or heel on the face never resulted in a spin number that was wildly high or low, everything stayed within a few hundred RPM of a center strike. I didn’t notice it at first, but after the range I was looking at the numbers and it really stood out. I think it is in your best interest to add the Paradym to your list of drivers to try this year!
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Morning 9: Anthony Kim speaks | New TGL team | ANWA contenders
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.
The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.
GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ben Taylor – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Paul Barjon – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Joe Sullivan – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Wilson Furr – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Willman – SoTex PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Jimmy Stanger – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Harrison Endycott – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Kevin Chappell – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Christian Bezuidenhout – WITB (mini) – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Scott Gutschewski – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
Pullout Albums
- Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Taylor with new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Swag cover – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Greyson Sigg’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Davis Riley’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Josh Teater’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hzrdus T1100 is back – – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Mark Hubbard testing ported Titleist irons – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Tyson Alexander testing new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Cobra putters – 2024 Valero Texas Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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News
Tour Rundown: Jaeger is meister | Korda wins again
We’re getting to that time of year that all fans of golf embrace. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur begins this week, followed by the Masters at the end of the fortnight. Tours offer a full set of events, although they will take a break the week of the first men’s major of the year. The world’s tours played events this week in Texas, Singapore, Arizona, Mexico, and California. Nearly all of these competitions came down to the final stroke, on the final hole. This combination of stout play and building drama is what we weather winter for. With that season in the rearview mirror, let’s embark on another spate of Tour Rundown recollections.
PGA Tour @ Houston Open: Jåger is meister of Houston
Stephan Jåger had performed feats of magic before against the fires of competitive golf. In 2016, on the Web.Com (now Korn Ferry) Tour, he posted a first-round 58 and stayed true to that arrow to win his first tour event. On his Wikipedia page, his surname is spelled both Jåger and Jaeger. To honor his ancestry, we’ll go with the former.
This week, the stakes were higher, as he chased a first victory on the PGA Tour. Marvelous opponents sprinted with him, including former Houston Open winner Tony Finau, and the world’s top-ranked player, Scottie Scheffler. Just as eager as Jåger, were Alejandro Tosti, Thomas Detry, and Taylor Moore. Each figured in the event’s conclusion.
It’s easier to write that each of those six men posted rounds between 66 and 68 on Sunday, and that all finished within one shot of the rest, than it is to recall precisely how they did so. Finau dropped ten shots (62-72) from Friday to Saturday, or he would have added another Houston Open title to the shelf. Scheffler (the 15th), Tosti, (the 18th), and Detry (the 14th) all made a bogey over the concluding holes, or they would have joined Jåger in a playoff. As for Moore, he could have done little more than make one more birdie. His pitch to the last nearly went in, finishing inside two feet from the extension of glory.
Jåger did all his work on Sunday over the front nine. His four birdies and one bogey brought him to 12 under on the week. He proceeded to secure nine pars on the inward half, including a 20-feet save at the 13th. Only at the 17th did he putt for birdie from inside 15 feet, and that effort was too strong. Yet, he did all that he had to do, to conclude an event at the podium’s summit, and hoist a PGA Tour trophy for the first time.
CLUTCH!
Stephan Jaeger saves par to hold on to the solo lead @TCHouOpen. pic.twitter.com/FXKlaQTlXR
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 31, 2024
LPGA @ Ford Championship: Korda wins again, so watch out!
It appears that the mystery condition that derailed Nelly Korda in 2023, has run its course or been eliminated. Korda won for the second consecutive week on the LPGA circuit, and she did so in the manner that we’ve grown to know: efficiency. One week past nearly tossing a victory away, Korda was flawless on Sunday at Seville, in Gilber, Arizona. Her seven birdies and eleven pars led to a Sunday 65, and a two-shot margin of victory over England’s Hira Naveed.
Heretofore unknown at the top tier of women’s golf, Naveed posted 65-66 on the weekend to slide past a quintet of contenders, into second spot. Naveed signed for 16 birdies over the final two days, but a pair of bogeys separated her from a chance at Korda. Behind her, in third position, were Carlota Ciganda, Mi Hyang Lee, Frida Kinhult, Maja Stark, and a resurgent Lexi Thompson.
Nelly Korda began the week with birdies at four of her opening five holes. On days one and three, she posted but a single bogey over the play of the course. Friday was a bit topsy-turvey, with a trio of bogeys offset by a dramatic eagle at the fifth. When it looked as if things were slipping away, Korda closed with birdie on day two, to gain momentum at the halfway point. Her swing is efficient and consistent, and when her mental game and putting join the full move, little can stop her. The Ford Championship was her eleventh on tour, and her third of the young season.
.@NellyKorda is No. 1 for a reason ?
Nelly birdies for the solo lead with just two holes left to go ? pic.twitter.com/WimuZPK0Pf
— LPGA (@LPGA) March 31, 2024
DP World Tour @ Indian Open: Nakajima nearly romps to win
Keita Nakajima set a record of 87 consecutive weeks as the top-ranked amateur in men’s golf. He won four times on the Japan PGA tour and built a five-shot advantage over the first 54 holes of the Indian Open. When he turned in minus-three on Sunday, his advantage swelled to near-double digits. It was a coming-out party for a potential, future champion.
Things turned sour on the inward half. Don’t worry: we did not misleed with our sub-header; Nakajima won. After four solid pars to begin the trek home, the leader made a sloppy, double bogey at the 14th hole. The hole owned Nakajima all week-he played it in a combined plus-five shots to par.
The leader rebounded with birdie at the next but closed with three consecutive bogeys for an inward 40 and 73 on the day. No matter: Nakajima won by four shots over India’s Veer Ahlawat, Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg, and the USA’s Johannes Veerman. Ahlawat managed 71 on Sunday, to move up four slots. Söderberg and Veerman posted 67 to each ascend 11 spaces.
Keita Nakajima makes yet another long putt for birdie and extends his lead to six ?#HIO24 pic.twitter.com/wG1JmL6Lls
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) March 31, 20 24
PGA Tour Americas @ TotalPlay: JJR wins at home
By all accounts, the merger of the PGA Tour LA and PGA Tour CA was a positive thing. Gone are the qualifying for two tours, and the uncertainty of a season-long circuit for golfers striving to reach the Korn Ferry tier. This week, the PGA Tour Americas moved to the Atlas Country Club in Guadalajara, Mexico. Those in attendance were treated to a wondrous performance by a son of the nation, José de Jesús Rodríguez. A man with a stress mark in each of his three names is specially-written, and specially gifted, after all.
Rodríguez was marvelous over the first three rounds. Scores of 68-65-67 brought him to the pole position, heading into the event’s final lap. Sunday saw an early bogey (3) and a late one (17), and a lot of grit and determination in between. Jesús Montenegro of Argentina closed within one of the leader, but 13-deep was the farthest he could advance. Derek Hitchner and Joey Vzich of the USA matched 71s on Sunday to finish at 12-under par, in a third-place tie. The title, after a 72nd-hole par, belonged to José de Jesús Rodríguez, aka El Camarón Rojo, and all of Mexico celebrated with an olé!
This close to an eagle ?@elcamaronrdgz taps in for birdie on the par 5, 15th to take a one shot lead with 3 holes to play. pic.twitter.com/izO5EyO9sE
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) March 31, 2024
PGA Tour Champions @ Galleri Classic: Goosen gets gift and glory
It’s easy to recall Retief Goosen’s twin U.S. Open titles, in 2001 and 2004. He displayed an icy disposition under pressure as those around him wilted. It’s difficult to forget his collapse at Pinehurst in 2005, as he was on the cusp of a third U.S. Open title, and a place among the game’s greats. Although three more tour titles would come his way, he was never again the same player in major events.
The senior circuit, aka PGA Tour Champions, is a second chance at many things, for many players. For Goosen, it represents an opportunity to rebuild competitive scenarios, and rekindle the fires that burn within the competitive soul. For much of the Galleri Classic this week, Goosen and others watched as Steven Alker and Ricardo González dueled in the desert. In the end, neither player stood ahead of the field.
Both Alker and González posted late bogeys. González made three of them, from holes 14 to 17, while Alker finished bogey-bogey. Each golfer concluded his week at twelve shots under par, one agonizing shot behind Goosen. How did the two-time, U.S. Open champion reach the magic number? He avoided old man bogey. Three birdies and 15 pars on day three were enough to place the South African champion in contention, and he simply held firm, as those around him fell. The win was Goosen’s third on the senior circuit, and his first since 2022.
The Goose is loose.
Retief Goosen trails by one with three to play @GalleriClassic. pic.twitter.com/MlJsFEFNUK
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) March 31, 2024
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Hal
Oct 5, 2023 at 8:17 am
Would like to see how they play with a person who hits a slice