The opening round of the 2020 Masters is less than 24 hours away, which means players are in the process of finalizing their bag setups for the final major of the year. And with Augusta shifting the tournament from April to November due to a global pandemic, it’s shouldn’t come as a surprise that several players in the field are making changes to account for the new course conditions (and the potential for rain).
Here’s a look at three equipment storylines we’re tracking ahead of Round 1.
More bounce
Outside of the years where rain has soaked the course, the prudent play with the scoring clubs at Augusta has always been less bounce to account for the firm, tight turf around the greens. Reducing the bounce on a wedge makes it easier to get the leading edge underneath the ball for clean contact.
But with the tournament moving to November, players have started to pick up on changes to the grass that could require a complete 180 from the usual game plan.
“We’ve never played a Masters like this,” said Tiger Woods. “So it’s going to be very different for all of us, and some of the shots around the greens are going to be a lot more challenging than they have been in the past.
“They are trying to figure it out. Especially with the forecast we have coming in, it’s going to be a little bit more fuzzy around the greens, and some of the shots, some of the guys have switched wedges this week and gone to more bounce to try and figure this out. It’s going to be challenging for all of us.”
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Woods already plays a 56- and 60-degree with 12 and 11 degrees of bounce, which falls on the higher end of the spectrum. For those who don’t play something in the same bounce range, the grass changes have required tweaks to the wedge setup.
According to Aaron Dill, Vokey’s Tour rep, many players are adding anywhere from 4-6 degrees of bounce, on average, to their wedges.
“This time of year, there are a couple different grasses that are popping up,” said Dill. “The guys are saying it feels a little softer and the ground gives a little more. I think that’s a big reason why we’re seeing a lot of players shift to using slightly more bounce right now. Guys are just trying to get that wedge to feel like it wants to pop out.”
To keep the wedge from digging, Dill has softened the leading edge and even put some players in different grinds, including Vokey’s S, D and K. He’s also weakened the loft on lob wedges by 1-degree to build in extra bounce.
Whatever it takes to get the best players in the world Masters-ready.
Going longer
Unless something changes between now and Thursday, Bryson DeChambeau won’t be using a 48-inch Cobra King SpeedZone driver at the Masters. To be clear: DeChambeau has never used the driver in competition, but the mere hint that he could employ it at Augusta caused his Tour colleagues to start doing their own testing to see if a longer driver had merit.
A few players have already beaten DeChambeau to the punch, including Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott. Despite his struggles in two events with a 47.5-inch driver, Mickelson still plans to stick with the longer driver and 2-wood at Augusta.
Adam Scott had a far more positive experience breaking in a 46-inch Titleist TSi4 driver (8 degrees; Fujikura Ventus Red 6X shaft) at the Houston Open, where he led the field in driving distance and produced the longest drive of the week. Working his way into Titleist’s new Pro V1x, Scott chose to test new drivers with a longer shaft to see if anything stood out. One particular build wound up checking all of the boxes.
“We stayed with the TSi4 head, but decreased the loft to 8 degrees and lengthened the shaft to a Ventus Red 6X at 46 inches,” said J.J. VanWezenbeeck, Titleist Director of Player Promotion. “Adam saw an immediate increase in ball speed of 4-5 MPH with a great launch and spin combination, as well increased distance and excellent control. Following range testing with the launch monitor, Adam headed to the golf course and reported that he felt like he was in complete control of his new driver and golf ball combination and secured the increased distance he was seeking.”
With rain in the forecast at Augusta, GOLF.com received confirmation from a number of Tour reps that players are entertaining the idea of going with a longer driver shaft in an effort to increase carry distance on a course that could play especially long this week.
The list of players includes former major champion Vijay Singh, who tested a 46.5-inch Callaway driver early in the week.
“It’s interesting how many players are testing long drivers,” a Tour rep told GOLF.com. “The course is playing long — for some at least.”
Old(ish) gear
Brooks Koepka made a driver change midway through the Houston Open. But only a handful of gearheads managed to pick up on the swap.
The four-time major winner wasn’t obligated to mention the change during his pre-tournament Masters presser but did so anyway. Koepka has never been afraid to admit when something isn’t working, which is exactly why he swapped TaylorMade’s SIM driver for an M5 that played a role in his win at the 2019 PGA Championship.
“A lot of my equipment’s a couple years ago,” Koepka said. “My driver is a model or two old. I’ve had it for two years. Wedges, hitting an older model wedge. Just stick with what I know. I’ve never tinkered with things, and stick with what you know. The beginning of the year, I was getting fitted for it and my body wasn’t right, so I couldn’t do the things I wanted to do. I was like, ‘Hey, I’m playing well, see where it goes, numbers look good. But it’s a different game when you’re hitting on the range versus when you get out on the course and what you see.”
In other words: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Koepka has rotated between a few different drivers this season, but nothing has seemed to stick. He’ll be hoping the M5 still has some major championship ju-ju left.