Equipment
GolfWRX Insider: Europe’s next star Sam Horsfield (WITB)
Sam Horsfield has risen to the top of every class he has played in. From a young standout in the UK system to a dominant player at the University of Florida, and now, after being on tour since 2017, finally catching fire on the European Tour with two wins over that last three weeks.
Yes, there are many young players in the game who have serious potential, but I believe this situation to be different.
Horsfield is not a big kid by any stretch, standing only 5’10” and weighing 170 pounds. As far as physical stature goes, he’s more Rory than Rahm or Bryson. However, he (like Rory) has ridiculous speed naturally and has a swagger about him much like a lot of the Euro players we see at the top today (namely Rory, Rahm, and Tommy Fleetwood).
The funny thing is, he’s actually two or three years behind schedule, which is odd to say. When he turned pro, Horsfield was a Nike athlete—and immediately they went out of the club business. He was full-bag Nike for his entire career, so he had to find his feet equipment-wise on day one of turning pro. That’s a huge challenge to add to an already stressful and massively difficult time for a young player.
His birdie and eagle counts on the European Tour are off the charts. Being a UK player raised in the U.S., he is already used to playing the bigger ballparks you see in the States—so that the adjustment period will be short.
To me, it’s a foregone conclusion that Sam gets into the top 10 in the OWGR sooner rather than later (currently No. 80). He has that presence about him. My needle these days is the tour reps. Every once in a while they will tell me about a player who just has it, and according to my sources, what Sam has is very special. This kid is the real deal.
Sam Horsfield WITB
Driver: TaylorMade SIM (8 degrees @8.75, 1-degree sleeve)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
- Sam has mega speed. He cruises in tournament play at around 184-185 mph, but in testing, it will get to 190 with little effort.
3-wood: TaylorMade M6 (15 degrees @15.5)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VR 8 X (42.75 inches, D2, tipped 1.5 inches)
5-wood: TaylorMade M6 (18 degrees @18.5)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VR 8 X (42.25 inches, D3, tipped 2 inches)
- As you can see in the metal woods, Sam likes adding loft to the woods to the desired face angle. Like Collin Morikawa, he prefers a look less open then the tour norm.
Irons: TaylorMade P750 (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS C Taper 130X (Std length, 3.5 degrees flat, D4.5 swing weight)
- Sam’s irons are VERY flat vs standard 57.5 degrees in the 5-iron. In regards to the P7TW, like Tommy Fleetwood, they have a similar look and feel to the Nike blades both played coming up and the spin and ball flight with those irons were spot on. Sam also prefers draw-biased clubs (lofted up metal woods) and with the long blade length of the P7TW, he feels the optics help him see that shot.
Wedges: TaylorMade MG Raw (52-9, 56-12 @55-11, 60-9 @59-8)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx S400
Putter: Bettinardi Dass BBZero (@33.75 inches)
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
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Whats in the Bag
Kris Kim WITB 2024 (May)
- Kris Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees @13.5)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (2, 4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-09SB, 56-12SB, 60-11TW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 WV 125
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Check out more in-hand photos of Kris Kim’s equipment here.
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Equipment
Welcome to the family: TaylorMade launches PUDI and PDHY utility irons
TaylorMade is continuing its UDI/DHY series with the successor to the Stealth UDI and DHY utility irons: PUDI and PDHY (which the company styles as P·UDI and P·DHY). TaylorMade is folding the designs in with its P Series of irons.
TaylorMade outlined the process of developing its new utilities this way. The company started with the data on utility iron usage. Not surprisingly, better players — i.e. those who generate more clubhead speed and strike the ball more precisely — were found to gravitate toward the UDI model. DHY usage, however, covered a wider swath than the company might have expected with six-to-18 handicappers found to be bagging the club.
TaylorMade also found that the majority of golfers playing UDI or DHY utilities were playing P Series irons at the top of their iron configurations.
Can you see where this is going?
Matt Bovee, Director of Product Creation, Iron and Wedge at TaylorMade: “As we look to the future, beyond the tech and the design language, we are excited about repositioning our utility irons into the P·Series family. P·UDI is an easy pair for players that currently play P·Series product and P·DHY is an extremely forgiving option for players of all skill levels. It is a natural fit to give these players the performance in this category that they are looking for.”
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TaylorMade PUDI
Crafted with tour player input, TaylorMade sought to develop a confidence-inspiring utility iron that blends with the rest of the P Series irons. Also of note: Interestingly, the PUDI has a more compact head than the P790.
In comparison to past UDI products, the PUDI has a more traditional iron shape, slimmer toplines, and less offset with a little of the backbar visible at address.
TaylorMade PDHY
Larger in profile than the PUDI, the PDHY seeks to position center of gravity (CG) lower in the club for ease of launch. The toe height is larger and the profile is larger at address — roughly five millimeters longer than PUDI — the sole of the club is wider for improved forgiveness.
Club Junkie’s take
Golfers who feel like they are missing something at the top of the bag could find the PUDI or PDHY a great option. The look of the PUDI should fit the most discerning eye with a more compact look, less offset, and a thinner topline. If you want a little more confidence looking down the P-DHY will be slightly larger while still being a good-looking utility iron.
For being small packages both models pack a pretty good punch with fast ball speeds, even off-center. The feel is soft and you get a solid feel of the ball compressing off the face when you strike it well. Your ears are greeted with a nice heavy thud as the ball and club come together. The PDHY will launch a little higher for players who need it while the PUDI offers a more penetrating ball flight. Both utility irons could be the cure for an open spot in the top end of the bag.
PUDI, PDHY, or Rescue?
TaylorMade offers the following notes to assist golfers in filling out their bags:
- PUDI has mid-CG right behind the center face to create a more penetrating mid-to-low ball flight
- PDHY has a lower center of gravity to produce an easier-to-launch mid-to-high ball flight.
- Both PUDI and PDHY are lower-flying than the company’s hybrid/Rescue clubs.
- PUDI is more forgiving than P790.
- PDHY is the most forgiving iron in the entire TaylorMade iron family
Pricing, specs, and availability
Price: $249.99
At retail: Now
Stock shafts: UST Mamiya’s Recoil DART (105 X, 90 S and 75 R – only in PDHY)
Stock grip: Golf Pride’s ZGrip (black/grey)
PUDI lofts: 2-17°, 3-20°, 4-22° in both left and right-handed
PDHY lofts: 2-18°, 3-20° and 4-22° in both left and right-handed
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (5/3/24): Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
From the seller: (@wwcl): “Has been gamed as pics show. 33.5 includes original h/c and grip. $575 includes shipping and PP fees.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Scotty Cameron Champions Choice 2.5+ putter
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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190cc forever
Oct 9, 2020 at 6:20 am
The detail you provide Johnny is just what everyone wants on this site. The more detail the better. Its really interesting to know the specifics, not just the make and model, which seems all too common these days.
Adam
Aug 23, 2020 at 12:38 am
The analysis on different sections of his bag was great. Enjoyable read!