Having the privilege to travel around following the PGA Tour allows us insights and first looks into players’ bags throughout the season, and in 2022 there has been a lot to see. From old hybrids to new putters, and completely custom irons, it was a big year for gear, and these are the top five things we saw.
Adam Scott’s Miura Irons
This year at the Memorial, Adam Scott put a very custom set of Miura irons in the bag that had been months in the making.
Considering Adam’s track record of using older model Titleist irons, having him switch to a new set was big news, especially for gearheads trying to track down where they really came from. Thanks to some reporting from our own Jonathan Wall, we not only found out the irons came from Miura at Adam’s request, but it was fitting that of all places they debuted, it was at the Memorial hosted by Jack Nicklaus.
Full story here: How Adam Scott’s Jack Nicklaus-esque Miura irons came to life
Bernhard Langer’s old hybrids
Mr. Langer built himself a historic career in professional golf, and that was even before he became the second most decorated player in Champions Tour history.
Considering his longevity, it should be no surprise that some of the clubs he continues to use are from companies that don’t even exist in their original form — case and point the Adam’s Idea Pro hybrids that are a staple in his bag.
It just goes to show that as much as technology can play a huge role in helping golfers play better, Bernhard has proven that if it’s not broken, he’s not going to fix it.
Lydia Ko’s Proto Concept irons
I guess we could say it has been a big year for new irons in professional golf, and it’s not just PGA Tour players getting in on the action.
After having some ups and downs over the last number of seasons, Lydia Ko has once again put herself on top of the women’s world golf rankings, and as an equipment free agent, she did it with a mixed bag of clubs that included new irons from Proto Concept.
Full story behind the irons and more here: 7 things I noticed while inspecting major-winner Lydia Ko’s gear
Ping’s PLD putters
Ping has proven to be an innovation leader in and outside of the putter space over the last 55 years, and to bring the company back to its roots in 2022 it launched the PLD (Putting Lab Design) putter collection that offered everything from retail options to completely custom designs.
Since its launch, it has been a massive success on tour, in the retail space, and with a collection of one-off designs that have sold out within minutes of being released. Ping recently wrapped up the year with a gold-plated Anser in honor of its gold putter collection and over 700 worldwide wins as a single design.
Justin Thomas Titleist 621JT irons
When talking about the biggest stories of the year in equipment, how could we not talk about Justin Thomas’ from-scratch Titleist 621JT irons.
The whole project spawned from the idea of making the perfect set of irons for JT, and during the process, the tour department at Titleist left no stone unturned or iron un-made.
For the in-depth story about JT’s irons along with irons made for other Titleist staffers, you can check out the full story here: With Justin Thomas’ input, Titleist pursuing the ‘perfect’ iron design
Want to overhaul your bag for 2023? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out Fully Equipped podcast below.
