The gear crew at GOLF.com spends a lot of time at Tour events snapping photographs of the tools used by the best players in the world. Posting club images online without context sometimes works, but it doesn’t help the weekend golfer understand the why behind a pro’s setup.
In this GOLF.com series, equipment editors Jonathan Wall and Ryan Barath answer those questions by highlighting interesting clubs in players’ bags, unique weighting, loft sleeve settings and more. Welcome to “Bay Spy.”
Jackson Koivun has literally done it all this season. The freshman standout at Auburn University helped the school win its first men’s golf national title, smashed countless single-season records — he became the first player in program history to end the year with a sub-70 stroke average (69.48) — and finished outside of the top six just once in 13 starts.
As expected, the freshman scooped up every honor along the way, including the 2024 Jack Nicklaus Award. The hardware is nice, but it’s even better when it comes with a spot in the Memorial Tournament field.
Making his PGA Tour debut this week at Muirfield Village Golf Club, GOLF.com caught up with Koivun to take inventory of the gear in his bag. Below are 7 things that stood out from Koivun’s equipment setup.
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What’s in a number?
Koivun uses a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball with various play numbers during practice rounds. On Tuesday, it was the number two. But things change when the scores start to count. As he told to GOLF.om, only one number makes the cut on Thursday: numero uno.
“It’s always Pro V1’s with the number one during tournament rounds,” Koivun said. “It’s just one of those things I stick with.”
It makes sense considering Koivun finished in first plenty of times this season. There’s no reason to mess with a good thing.
Worn in feel
And you thought Jordan Spieth’s SuperStroke putter grip was worn. The handle affixed to Koivun’s Scotty Cameron mallet is starting to go in certain spots, including right at the top. Some pros face deciding whether to perform surgery on the worn grip or opting for a freshie.
In Koivun’s case, he chose the former to keep the good vibes going on the greens. To ensure the grip remains intact, Koivun added a piece of athletic tape at the top. One strip wouldn’t impress Harris English or J.B. Holmes, but it gives the putter grip some character.
Line it up
Lines remain the most common alignment aid on a putter. In Koivun’s case, he has three different lines situated on his Scotty Cameron T5.5 mallet. They can be used together or separately, depending on how the 19-year-old is rolling it.
The small black line on top is a popular option and helps simplify the aiming process, while the two white lines on either side of the flange are designed to frame the ball at address. It’s a simple alignment setup that flat-out works for Koivun.
Stock settings
Titleist’s TSR3 driver offers golfers the ability to alter shot shape with the turn of a wrench. There’s just one problem: Koivun hasn’t found a need to adjust the weight in the SureFit CG track. As you can see in the above photo, the Auburn freshman has it locked in the neutral position, giving him the freedom to work the ball in either direction.
The loft sleeve on the 9-degree has been moved up one degree to improve launch, spin and carry numbers. It’s a minor alteration that can go a long way toward dialing in the ideal launch window.
Practice, practice, practice
The BagSpy series always gives us an excuse to check out the wear pattern for some of the Tour’s best. Last week, it was Tiger Woods’ 5-wood. This week, it’s Koivun’s Ping G430 LST 3-wood. For someone who already bombs it a long way, the 15-degree club acts as a nice secondary option off the tee. (Don’t forget, G430 LST produced impressive high launch/low spin characteristics on the Golf Laboratories’ swing robot.)
As for the wear pattern, it’s exactly where you’d expect it to be for an elite amateur — right in the middle. The pattern is another reminder that impact consistency is key to lower scores.
Rarely seen
Vokey’s V Grind isn’t a unicorn in the professional ranks, but it’s fair to say you don’t see it nearly as often as the K Grind or T Grind. Koivun’s WedgeWorks 60V is basically a higher-bounce take on the popular T with increased versatility from enhanced heel, toe and trailing edge relief. For someone with Koivun’s steep angle of attack, it’s the perfect option around the green.
Something else to notice? The thick layer of rust covering the head, as well as the dings along the leading edge and toe. Pros generally swap out the lob wedge multiple times throughout the season to keep the grooves sharp. Amateurs, on the other hand, don’t have the luxury of an equipment truck feeding them new lobbers each month. The rust and wear on Koivun’s scoring tools is impressive.
Grip and rip
While not as popular as the Tour Velvet or New Decade MultiCompound, Koivun’s Z-Grip Cord still has decent usage on Tour. With the firmest feel in Golf Pride’s extensive cord lineup, the grip combines heavy cord with a “z-texture” pattern for control.
