The stories about Tiger Woods’s beloved Scotty Cameron Newport 2, with which he won 13 majors, are well documented. It’s the one putter he doesn’t let his kids play with and the one he longed for during periods when he was encouraged to use a Nike putter on Tour.
However, with his putting results this season lacking (he’s barely in the top 100 in Strokes Gained: Putting), he’s obviously looking for a bit of help. Enter TaylorMade’s TP Black Copper Ardmore 3 mallet ($220), which Woods used on the practice green on Tuesday as he prepares for the Quicken Loans National in D.C. The putter has a similar plumber neck hosel as Tiger’s normal gamer but features a mallet-style, fang-like design that’s become popular on Tour in recent years (Justin Thomas, Henrik Stenson and others use similar designs from different manufacturers).
Other features of Woods’s potentially new putter include TaylorMade’s Pure Roll polymer insert with 45-degree grooves for a smoother roll, a single sightline and adjustable sole weights. Whether or not Woods’s new flatstick stays in the bag remains to be seen, but the fact that he’s not only considering a move away from his beloved Scotty Cameron blade but that he’s open to a completely different design indicates a pretty clear lack of overall confidence on the greens.
“I’m trying something out,” Woods told reporters on Tuesday. “The way I’ve been putting, I wanted to look for a change. That’s all it is. It rolls good. You never know.”
You can see more photos of the putter below.
