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Show stoppers: Five hot Tour strokes and the putters that fuel them

July 24, 2018

We love to check out the clubs and balls that Tour players use, and we occasionally wind up adding similar models to our own bags. Of all the gear that pros put into play, putters are the ones that weekend players can best wield without effort. Below you’ll find a list of putting-stat leaders and their flatsticks. Trend watch: All of these guys except Phil Mickelson play a mallet design, but even Lefty’s flange-blade has mallet-like characteristics. (*Stats as of the Quicken Loans National.)

Dustin Johnson / TaylorMade Spider Tour Black

The Spider Tour Black mallet putter that DJ has been gaming features a flow hosel and isn’t face-balanced, since most pros prefer a putter that releases freely. The Pure Roll Surlyn insert provides a firmer feel than that in the Red version.

Impressive Stat: 2nd in Putting Avg. (1.690)

Justin Thomas / Scotty Cameron X5 prototype

The reigning PGA champion uses a Cameron X5 fang-style mallet prototype. This custom model features a flow neck rather than a double-bend face-balanced design, which allows the putter to more easily swing on a slight arc. He also favors a SuperStroke grip, in this case the Pistol GT Tour.

Impressive Stat: 6th in Putting Avg. (1.717)

Phil Mickelson / Odyssey Versa #9 White

Phil has always favored heel-shafted putters like the old 8802, and his current Odyssey Versa putter is no exception. A heel-shafted flange blade that offers more MOI and stability than a standard blade, the Versa also features a white-black-white alignment aid, White Hot insert and SuperStroke grip.

Impressive Stat: 2nd in Strokes Gained–Putting (1.050)

Phil Mickelson's putter
Mickelson with his Odyssey Versa #9 White.

Henrik Stenson / Odyssey White Hot Pro #7

Stenson’s been a machine on the greens for the last few years. He was one of the early PGA Tour adopters of the high-MOI fang-style mallet design, and he continues to use it to his advantage. His current Odyssey White Hot Pro model also features the company’s soft-feeling White Hot insert.

Impressive Stat: 1st in Putting From 4′ (100%)

Jason Day / TaylorMade Spider Tour Red

Although a lot was made of DJ’s switch from his Scotty Cameron blade to the Spider Tour Black, Jason Day was already playing almost the exact same putter in Red. DJ evidently expressed interest, and the rest is history. Day’s model is basically identical except for a slightly softer Surlyn face insert.

Impressive Stat: 1st in Strokes Gained–Putting (1.193)

Jason Day uses the TaylorMade Spider Tour Red putter
Jason Day uses the TaylorMade Spider Tour Red, and it’s helped him to two wins this season.