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TOUR REPORT: Jason Day’s new Scotty Cameron, celebrity Ben Baller’s WITB, and Xander’s new 3-wood

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The West Coast swing continued this week on the cliffs of San Diego at Torrey Pines for the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open, and we caught up with some of the top players (and celebrities) in attendance to see what clubs are in their bag, and what changes they’re making.

As GolfWRX uncovered, Xander Schauffele, Jason Day and Justin Rose made equipment changes ahead of the event. We also caught up with famous celebrities Ben Baller and Gareth Bale to get glimpse at their equipment setups; both players competed in the Pro-Am on Wednesday. We also spotted some new equipment that players were testing, and we caught up with Gary Woodland to check out his new Cobra setup.

Let’s waste no more time and get right into this week’s Tour Report from the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Check out all of our photos from Torrey Pines here

Day switches to a new blacked-out Scotty Cameron…and a 7-wood

Back at the 2022 Shriners Open in October, I caught up with Jason Day to learn why he switched into a Scotty Cameron putter for the first time in his career, and what he liked about his new rounded mallet putter. He said the previous putters he used in the last few years – TaylorMade’s Spider Tour, and Odyssey’s Toulon Daytona – sat a bit too square, and looked as if they were pointing left of the target. The rounder Scotty Cameron mallet looked to point a bit more to the right, helping him to start the ball on a better line.

Here’s a look at his original Scotty Cameron build:

Last week at The 2023 American Express, however, Day switched into a nearly identical head, except this time it was made with a “Tour Black” finish. He ended up finishing 2nd in Strokes Gained: Putting on the week, and we caught with him on Tuesday at the 2023 Farmers Insurance this week to get a look at the new putter for ourselves:

Could this be the putter that helps Day get his magic back on the greens?

I went into way more depth into the putter switch over on PGATOUR.com, so click the link if you’re interested. We also have more photos and discussion of the putter in our GolfWRX Forums.

For this week, due to the particularly heavy rough and firm greens at Torrey Pines, Day also put in a TaylorMade Stealth 7-wood, equipped with a Mitsubishi Kuro Kage 80X shaft. His caddie says he flies it about 245-250 yards and lands softly.

Check out more photos and discussion of Day’s switches here

Schauffele finally changes up his 3-wood

While Schauffele upgraded into a new Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions, he kept his old Epic Speed Triple Diamond 3-wood in the bag that week. As we covered in our full story on PGATOUR.com, he struggles with 3-woods that spin too low when he hits a right-to-left shot; he doesn’t want the ball coming in too hot and not being able to hold the green.

Since then, however, he found a new Paradym Triple Diamond 3-wood setup that minimizes that concern. His new 16.5-degree HL fairway wood, which is actually bent down to 15.3 degrees, has helped Schauffele tighten spin variation due to the spin consistency across the face.

He put the new 3-wood into play on Wednesday at Torrey Pines.

Xander Schauffele’s full WITB at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open

Woodland’s new Cobra setup

Gary Woodland officially signed an equipment deal with Cobra at the beginning of 2023, and we finally got a first look at his full WITB setup as a full-time Cobra staffer at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open. Most notably, Woodland switched into a new set of Cobra King MB irons, which he said are “literally off the rack.”

Check out the rest of his 2023 WITB here

Hideki tests an all-new Graphite Design putter shaft

According to Graphite Design rep Erik Boysen, there have been only two prototypes made of a new Graphite Design putter shaft, and Matsuyama tested one of them this week at Torrey Pines. The shaft is designed to provide increased stiffness and stability throughout the stroke. While Matsuyama isn’t putting it in play just yet, we’ll certainly keep an eye on his putter shaft going forward, and keep an eye on Graphite Design to see how this product may progress.

Join the discussion about the new shaft prototype here

Ben is a Baller

Ben Baller is a famous actor/jeweler/designer/entrepreneur/avid golfer/TaylorMade staffer, and he was also on the winning Pro-Am team this week.

Ahead of his victorious round at Torrey Pines, we got a look at all the clubs in Baller’s bag.

We expected nothing less than an eye-popping custom Scotty Cameron Masterful putter, engraved with his name and paint-filled with Lakers yellow. Uniquely, though, Baller went with a driver-less setup to help avoid the rough at Torrey Pines, so he went with a top-end setup full of TaylorMade Stealth2 and Stealth fairway woods and hybrids.

He fills out his bag with TaylorMade Stealth irons, TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges and custom TaylorMade golf balls with his logo on them.

Check out Ben Baller’s full WITB here

Kickin’ it with Gareth Bale

 

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Gareth Bale – a newly retired Welsh soccer player (or footballer, if you prefer) – also teed it up alongside Ben Baller on the winning Pro-Am team. While we didn’t get a chance to capture photos of every club in Bale’s bag, we managed to capture a few photos of his setup.

He doesn’t have a bad golf swing, either, especially for being a former world-class member of Real Madrid and Tottenham.

 

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Justin Rose switches drivers

The last time we caught up with Rose at the 2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open, the equipment free agent had an old TaylorMade M2 2016 driver in the bag. He’s been conducting extensive driver testing recently, though.

This week, he ended up switching to a new Callaway Paradym 8.5-degree head, equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 6X shaft.

Justin Rose full 2023 WITB at Torrey Pines

Ben Martin’s new EvnRoll putter

Martin was previously using an old Guerin Rife mallet putter, but he switched into a new EvnRoll EV5.2 mallet putter at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open.

James Hahn shows up with a mixed bag

Former PXG staffer James Hahn has apparently gone the free agent route in 2023, since he showed up at Torrey Pines this week with a mixed-brand setup, which includes a Titleist driver, TaylorMade fairway wood, PXG hybrid, Callaway irons, Titleist Vokey wedges, and a Scotty Cameron putter.

See what GolfWRX members are saying about Hahn’s new free agency and golf clubs

TaylorMade’s San Diego head covers

TaylorMade’s Carlsbad HQ is just down the road from Torrey Pines, so the company typically designs some San Diego-inspired headcover heat when the PGA Tour comes into town. The 2023 Farmers Insurance sunset versions certainly did not disappoint.

Unfortunately, the sun is also setting on this week’s Tour Report from Torrey Pines. We’ll see you next week as the Tour travels up the West Coast to Pebble Beach.

Check out all of our photos from Torrey Pines here

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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.

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Equipment

Best hybrids 2024: Expert fitters recommend the hybrids for your game

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At GolfWRX, we believe the best hybrid for your game is going to be the one that gives you the greatest opportunity to both score and save shots during your round of golf.

In 2024, we have seen a continued expansion of hybrid options from every manufacturer with models designed to fit golfers of all skill levels and clubhead speeds. Some manufacturers offer models all the way down to 8-iron-replacement lofts.

That being said, ultimately the best way to find the best hybrid or hybrids for you is to work with a professional fitter using a launch monitor and gap them accordingly. The difficult part is a lot of people don’t have easy access to fitters, launch monitors, and club builders — so at GolfWRX, we have done a lot of the work for you.

We want to give you the tools and information to go out and find what works best for you, and we’re offering recommendations based on exactly what you need from your hybrids.

We have again broken our 2024 best hybrid list into two categories.

  • Best hybrid for golfers seeking forgiveness
  • Best hybrid for golfers seeking versatility

We reached out to our trusted fitters to discuss how they sort through the hybrid club options available to golfers. Forgiveness and versatility were the highest-ranked choices.

Most versatile hybrids of 2024

Titleist TSR2

“Forgiving speed and performance,” is the branding for the TSR2. TSR2 hybrids remain slightly longer with a classical shape. Center of gravity is lower and deeper in the TSR2 for higher launch and maximum forgiveness.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Ping G430

In all of the G430 fairway woods and hybrids, Ping developed Carbonfly Wrap in a bid to deliver more distance by positioning the CG closer to the face line in design to maximize ball speed, resulting in higher, longer carries. The lightweight composite crown wraps into the heel and toe sections of the skirt, creating weight savings of 10 grams, which are reallocated to achieve a lower CG and increase ball speed.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke

Leveraging the company’s new Ai Smart Face, Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke hybrid has been reshaped and features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

TaylorMade Qi10 Rescue

The Qi10 Rescue is designed with an all-new Carbon Crown that helps free up weight for improved weight distribution in the heads. The club has split internal weighting to achieve more distance and a higher launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

TaylorMade Qi10 Tour Rescue

The Qi10 Tour Rescue model features a C300 face with a more compact look and a higher-toe design. It’s designed for better players who seek to combine distance and control with iron-like turf interaction, workability, and precision.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Most forgiving hybrids of 2024

TaylorMade Qi10 Max Rescue

Qi10 Max Rescue clubs are designed with all-new Carbon Crowns that help free up weight for improved weight distribution in the heads. The Qi10 Max has an ultra-low CG (center of gravity) and a shallow face height for even higher launch and greater forgiveness.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke HL

Designed for players with moderate to average swing speeds who are looking to hit the ball higher to maximize carry distance, the Paradym Ai Smoke HL leverages the company’s new Ai Smart Face. It features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Ping G430

In all of the G430 fairway woods and hybrids, Ping developed Carbonfly Wrap in a bid to deliver more distance by positioning the CG closer to the face line in design to maximize ball speed, resulting in higher, longer carries. The lightweight composite crown wraps into the heel and toe sections of the skirt, creating weight savings of 10 grams, which are reallocated to achieve a lower CG and increase ball speed.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast

The Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max Fast is designed for moderate-swing-speed players. In addition to Ai Smart Face, Max Fast features a larger profile for greater forgiveness and a refined sole camber for better turf interaction. The Tungsten Speed Cartridge is positioned in the front of the club for lower spin and ease of launch.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Titleist TSR1

Titleist’s new TSR1 hybrids are built with a larger, “wood-like” size to help golfers find more speed and forgiveness. They’re also built 0.5 inches longer than standard to provide additional assistance in creating speed.

For more information, check out our launch piece.

Best hybrid of 2024: Meet the fitters

Conclusion

The fitters consulted for this piece have accumulated data from thousands of fittings with golfers just like you. From beginners to tour players, their feedback and information can’t be undervalued.

Join the discussion about the best hybrids of 2024 in the forums.

 

 

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Whats in the Bag

Nelly Korda WITB 2024 (March)

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  • Nelly Korda’s WITB accurate as of her win at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship.

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 Max (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana GT 60 S

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7 S

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 S

Hybrid: Ping G425 (26 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue HB 7 S

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (5), TaylorMade P7MC (6-PW)
Shafts: AeroTech SteelFiber i80 cw

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 54-SB), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-T)
Shafts: AeroTech SteelFiber i95 cw

Putter: Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: TaylorMade TP5x

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Equipment

From the Forums: Should I play a 3-wood or 5-wood?

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In our forums, our members have been discussing 3-woods, 5-woods and bag setups. WRXer ‘Cole Fleming’ is currently unsure of his setup, and reached out to fellow members, saying:

“Thoughts on people playing 3 vs 5-wood? I have a high SS 118 with driver 280s + carry. I really never use my 3-wood now as my course doesn’t really have the need unless I move to the back tees. I usually carry it about 260+. I’m ultimately looking for something easier to hit and maybe start trying to use it off the tee some to keep me out of trouble.

I also play a 7-wood. Love it so don’t want them to be to0 close. Ive never even considered or looked at a 5-wood. I have a fitting today so I’m sure I could test them, but wanted somewhat of an idea going into it to tell the fitter so I’m not swinging so many clubs.”

And our members have been sharing their thoughts on the matter, as well as mentioning what has worked best for their game.

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.

  • pu_golf88: “I’m dropping the 3 wood this year for a 5 wood. I hit my drivers a similar distance as you and find that my 3 wood isn’t a fairway finder, I really only use it if there’s a dogleg where a driver would go thru where I want to land the ball. I think a 5 wood goes far enough to use it as a fairway finder off the tee when I want more distance than hitting my 3 driving iron.”
  • T626G: “I myself have decided to try a 5-wood. Never really had much luck or need with a 3-wood. Should be easier to hit. I’m going to cut it down a 1/2″ just to help control it and swing easier.”
  • jedc: “Adjustable 5-wood turned down to 4-wood loft (and open looking face is nice). I had a fitting last month and really liked the PXG Black Ops 5-wood.”

Entire Thread: “From the Forums: Should I play a 3-wood or 5-wood?”

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