FIRST LOOK: Scotty Cameron Special Select putters take inspiration from solid milled designs

Master putter maker Scotty Cameron has been busy stretching the boundaries of his putter empire with unique mallet designs like the Phantom X, but when it comes to pinpointing the one putter in his arsenal that dominated headlines in 2019, it turns out classic designs still get the masses going. Especially when the putter in question is tied to the great golfer of the modern era.

Tiger Woods’ iconic Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS putter topped the charts for good reason. He used it to slip on his fifth green jacket at Augusta National, capping one of the wildest weeks in the history of the sport. It seems fitting as we continue to see multi-material putters populate the putter space at a breakneck clip that one of the most iconic head shapes ever created — an Anser-style — reigned supreme.

Which brings us to Scotty Cameron’s new Special Select putter line. Instead of continuing with the 303 stainless steel and 6061 aircraft grade aluminum face inlays that made up the previous Select line, Cameron is kicking it old-school this year and going back to his roots with a lineup inspired by classic, solid milled designs — the kind of thing that first put him on the map.

“I’m always inspired by the putters that result from working directly with the best players in the world,” said Cameron. “With Special Select, I wanted to get back to the pure-milled shapes and faces that I’ve been crafting for tour players for over two decades now. We’ve brought those designs into the modern era with new setups, necks, faces, grips and weights. Every aspect of every putter has been redone. When it all came together, it was pretty special.”

Milled from a block of solid 303 stainless steel — a 6061 aircraft aluminum soleplate is found in every mid-mallet to distribute weight — each putter in the line features a “sleeker” head profile with a thinner, flatter topline and redesigned neck configuration.

The Newport and Newport 2 now offer a shorter plumber’s neck for medium toe flow, along with a socket radius that was repositioned with onset to make the leading edge more visible at address. The small slant neck on the Newport 2.5 and Fastback 1.5 promotes toe flow, while the Flowback 5.5 offers a new slantback neck. Rounding out the lineup is a heel-shafted Del Mar with a flow neck for “maximum toe flow,” and a GoLo-inspired Flowback 5 with a mid-bend, shaft-over-spud configuration to limit toe flow.

The milled tri-sole design popularized by Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler can now be found on Special Select blades — a design aspect golfers have been clamoring for in the retail market. The tri-sole has been a part of the Cameron line since the late ’90s and allows the center section to be soled at address — the heel and toe sections are raised slightly — which promotes a smooth takeaway and follow through.

Customizable heel-toe sole weights make it possible for golfers to dial-in the overall feel of the putter for green speed or personal preference. The blade models come furnished with tungsten sole weights; the mid-mallets employ stainless steel weights for balance and weight distribution.

Each head is given a raw stainless steel finish utilizing a bead blast to reduce glare at address. Cameron’s iconic “cherry bombs” found in the cavity were also given a new look, with a recessed circular channel that was painted with red translucent paint. Cameron kept the center of each circle clean to accentuate the “cherry ring.”

Scotty Cameron’s Special Select putters come standard with a cement gray Pistolini Plus grip (lower hand profile was built up slightly) and retail for $400. They’ll be available January 24 in North American and March 27 worldwide.

To hear more gear insights from Jonathan Wall and True Spec’s Tim Briand, subscribe and listen each week to GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast: iTunes | SoundCloud | Spotify | Stitcher