Equipment

Wedge Stamping Caviar: FedEx Cup Playoffs Edition

Published

8 months ago

Sep 7, 2023

Pop open a tin of the finest beluga, GolfWRXers… Really, it’s less jelly-like substance, more richness of intrigue than salt-cured roe at Wedge Stamping Caviar as we present to you some of the finest instances of hammer-and-stamp work on the PGA Tour spotted during the three events of this year’s FedEx Cup Playoffs.

We’re kicking off with the featured image of Xander Schauffele’s SM6 prototype, which looks a lot more like an SM5, with some pretty cool “Titleist” stamping.

Grab your mother-of-pearl spoon and dig in for the rest!

Jon Rahm’s 52-degree Jaws Raw bears his traditional “Rahmbo” stamping and an ode to his wife, Kelley. The red lips are a great touch. Chef’s kiss!

Jordan Spieth’s usual 60.5-degree proto T-grind offering here. We’re forever suckers for .5 degree indications.

No college football fan would have any doubt where Lee Hodges went to school.

Spotted at the BMW Championship, Chris Kirk’s wedge doesn’t appear to have any custom stamping, but a blue paintfill and slab o’ lead tape earn it a spot here.

“Toffee” Fleetwood

Maple leaf stamp makes sense for the man from Moose Jaw Adam, Saskatchewan. But Adam Hadwin also looks to have a nod to the country where he attended college and earns his keep with a red-white-and-blue paintfill.

Tom Kim is an emerging star on the PGA Tour for many reasons, his wedge stamping — copied from Justin Thomas — is just one of them. So much sauce here!

Since becoming a father, Max Homa’s wedges feature nods to his son, Cam, rather than his beloved Los Angeles. Whatever muse Vokey’s Aaron Dill is working with, Homa’s wedges are always among the most interesting on Tour.

Finally, how about a custom grind with a stamping indicating as much? Rory McIlroy was spotted with just that at the FedEx St. Jude.

Pop open another tin here.

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Equipment

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

Published

13 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

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

Published

15 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

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

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

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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