News

Phil Mickelson at The Open: No driver, driving iron, new putter?

Published

9 years ago

Jul 18, 2017

“My math is different from anyone else,” Phil Mickelson told reporters ahead of the British Open at Royal Birkdale.

It seems, much like his math was different in 2013 when he unleashed the Phrankenwood, Mickelson’s Open calculations have again returned a different result.

Lefty looks to be scrapping the driver in favor of a Callaway Epic 3-iron bent to 16 degrees, per a Golf Channel report. He will also carry a 3-wood this week; it’s a 13.5-degree Callaway GBB Epic Sub Zero with a Mitsubishi Fubuki K 70X shaft.

Mickelson has carried an Apex UT 3-iron this year, which he’ll reportedly keep in the bag in addition to the driving iron.

Interestingly, we also spotted Mickelson testing an insert-less putter, deviating from his Odyssey Versa #9 White with a Microhinge Insert.

While he looked to be going back and forth between the milled-faced putter on the putting green, it looks like he continued testing the non-insert putter during his practice round, judging from on-course images like the featured image on the story.

Stories of Mickelson’s equipment tinkering are legendary on the PGA Tour. But if this switch up works the same way as his last major pre-Open shakeup, he’ll be holding the Claret Jug.

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

28 Comments

Nigel Kent

Jul 24, 2017 at 2:28 am

Now we know he missed the cut without a driver, maybe it’s time he admitted he needs lessons . Can’t keep it on the fairway with any driver Callaway can make him ‘ must be the club, right ?

Reply Report comment
Mike Hunt

Jul 20, 2017 at 10:29 am

Let’s tell the real story- Phil had to pawn his driver so he could front the millions he has bet on him self, so when he wins the Open he can swim in money.

Reply Report comment
Matt

Jul 20, 2017 at 4:12 am

Go lefty. Easy to drive it OB judging by the wet windy first round so far. Won’t be surprised if a lot of drivers are banished this week and everyone is at the practice tee perfecting worm burners.

Reply Report comment
Dave

Jul 19, 2017 at 9:08 pm

Wonder what it is about having a keyboard in front of them that makes some guys feel the need to try to act like a tough guy when in reality they probably live in their parents basement and still get tucked in by their mommies.

Reply Report comment
Lloyd

Jul 19, 2017 at 6:23 pm

I feel your pain. Ignorance hurts.

Reply Report comment
Dave R

Jul 19, 2017 at 3:54 pm

More of the same old same old re Phil. leave his family out of this please. It’s his decision to do what he feels is right. And when it comes to his family that’s his business .

Reply Report comment
Roger in NZ

Jul 19, 2017 at 2:29 pm

Go Phil !! Wish you the Best in a Winning Result.

Reply Report comment
Jack

Jul 19, 2017 at 1:01 pm

Please don’t post anymore.

Reply Report comment
Dave

Jul 19, 2017 at 11:55 am

Maybe that is why he still has a family!!

Reply Report comment
Ryan

Jul 19, 2017 at 11:14 am

He has used that putter on and off since 2011. It’s an odyssey 9 black series with a different face mill than retail. For some reason, come July he tends to test that putter at the Scottish and The Open. Nearly won in 2011 using it at St George’s.

Reply Report comment
ND Hickman

Jul 19, 2017 at 10:20 am

Maybe he’s putting the XHot 3Deep back in his bag.

Reply Report comment
Gordy

Jul 19, 2017 at 9:58 am

After reading every comment, you guys are awfully cynical towards this article. You do realize that this is a golf website and in reality nothing it reports is very important and this is what this site reports correct?? The driving iron is way overrated but I will tell you I own a Callaway XHOT Deep 13.5 and it does keep the ball lower with less spin which makes it run out. With roll, I hit is as far as my driver. However, it is a draw bias an has a mean hook when it is swung improperly.

Reply Report comment
- John the Merlin
  
  Jul 19, 2017 at 5:07 pm
  
  Not important? What??? NOOOO!!!!!!!
  
  Reply Report comment
Teaj

Jul 19, 2017 at 9:56 am

I am just throwing it out there but could he be trying a milled face putter due to the speed of the greens being slower?

Reply Report comment
JOEL GOODMAN

Jul 19, 2017 at 9:24 am

IT AINT THE ARROW -IT’S THE INDIAN…SOMEBODY TELL PHIL………………………..

Reply Report comment
Aaron

Jul 19, 2017 at 9:02 am

Phil said he has the same phrankenwood in the bag this week as he had in 2013, not the Epic Sub zero

Reply Report comment
I bogey alot

Jul 19, 2017 at 8:18 am

ya darn his family right? The people that mean more to him and love him no matter what , he should just part ways with them like he did bones huh!

Reply Report comment
John Grossi

Jul 19, 2017 at 7:57 am

Who’s his caddie?

Reply Report comment
- Travis
  
  Jul 19, 2017 at 9:25 am
  
  His brother
  
  Reply Report comment
Jacked_Loft

Jul 19, 2017 at 7:51 am

As he’s been missing so many fairways recently with the driver, this may work out good for him.

Reply Report comment
chris

Jul 19, 2017 at 6:01 am

Don’t think this is his first rodeo, pretty sure he knows (Cog)

Reply Report comment
SLDR stinger

Jul 19, 2017 at 1:55 am

I mash it real good with the lowest spinning driver set up

Reply Report comment
BJB

Jul 18, 2017 at 10:31 pm

what arthritis meds and statins is he bringing with him?

Reply Report comment
- sam
  
  Jul 19, 2017 at 1:48 am
  
  That is really weak. What a pathetic life you must live …
  
  Reply Report comment
- John Krug
  
  Jul 19, 2017 at 7:51 am
  
  Pathetic comment.
  
  Reply Report comment
3 metal stinger

Jul 18, 2017 at 6:39 pm

I am now dumber after reading this

Reply Report comment
- John Krug
  
  Jul 19, 2017 at 8:01 am
  
  Most?
  
  Reply Report comment
- Matt
  
  Jul 20, 2017 at 4:24 am
  
  Good thinking. Might have to bag the old Hogan 1i and persimmon for a practice alongside the Epic and see if it helps my crap swing.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

2 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

2 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.

Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.

Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!

Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.

Kaneko’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping Max G440
Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro

Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.

The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.

Niemann’s Suitcase