PGA Tour players are better golfers than we are. That’s the hard truth. They also have access to custom, one-off equipment that most of us retail buyers don’t necessarily have access to, or the budget to buy.
Realistically, though, most amateur golfers wouldn’t even benefit from using the same exact clubs that PGA Tour players use. They swing fast and consistently, so they often play with unforgiving club heads equipped with super stiff shafts. Some of their clubs just look so cool, though!
PGA Tour players’ clubs have always been the envy of golf equipment aficionados, but the question is, which Tour player has the most enviable setup?
That question was recently posed during a Q&A episode of GOLF’s gear-focused Fully Equipped podcast: “If you could trade golf clubs with one PGA Tour player, who would it be?”
As co-host Kris McCormack rebutted, “I’m not fast enough to play any set configuration that’s out on Tour,” which is a fair point. Most golfers would benefit from using more forgiving options with softer shaft flexes, but hey, it’s a fun hypothetical rather than a realistic offer.
The most financially sound answer, of course, would be Tiger Woods. After all, he does have a putter that’s likely worth millions of dollars, but that’s a little too obvious. The more eclectic answers below are from the Fully Equipped co-hosts.
As you read our answers, think about it for yourself. If you could switch golf bags with a Tour player, who would you pick?
Jonathan Wall’s pick: Scottie Scheffler
According to Wall, a fellow Texan, Scheffler’s bag is “a really good eclectic mix of gear, but a lot of those clubs are ones that people really want that maybe they can’t play. It’s a killer setup.”
No arguments here. Let’s breakdown what Scheffler has in the bag of late:
Driver: Ping G425 LST, (Fujikura Atmos Black 7X), 8.5 degrees
PING G425 LST Driver
$499
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Fairway: Nike VR Pro Limited, (Aldila Rogue Black 70TX), 15 degrees
Utility: Srixon Z U85 (3-iron; Nippon Pro Modus3 Hybrid shaft)
Irons: Srixon Z785 (4 iron), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (50, 56 and 60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Super Rat prototype
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Kris McCormack’s pick: Phil Mickelson
McCormack, a right-handed golfer, already admitted he can’t play with any Tour equipment setup, so he might as well pick a guy with the opposite golfing dexterity.
Here’s what McCormack had to say about his choice: “I suck no matter how I swing it so it doesn’t matter what I have in the bag… [Mickelson] has a bag full of really cool proto stuff at any given time. He just likes the bag jewelry.”
That he does. Let’s check out what Lefty had in the bag in his most recent professional outing:
Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (Fujikura Ventus Red 6TX shaft), 9 degrees with 7.4 degrees of actual loft
Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero Driver
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Mini Driver: TaylorMade “Original One” Mini (Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft), 11.5 degrees
3 Wood: Callaway Epic Speed prototype (Fujikura Ventus Red 6X shaft), 15 degrees
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (3 and 4 irons) and Callaway Apex MB (6-PW), each with KBS Tour V 125S+ shafts
Wedges: Callaway PM Grind prototype (52, 55 and 60 degrees; KBS Tour V 125 S+ shafts)
Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG PM Blade
Golf Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X Triple Track
Andrew Tursky’s pick: Matt Kuchar
I’m a sucker for pro golfers who use older equipment, and Kuchar has a bunch of clubs in the bag that are 5+ years old. He told GOLF.com recently that he doesn’t switch into new product unless it’s truly better. I can’t help but respect the heck out of that mentality.
Kuchar was my first pick, so I’m sticking with it, but I did give a special shoutout to Tiger Woods’ 1997 Masters-winning setup and Anthony Kim’s setup circa 2007 on the podcast. Hopefully switching golf clubs with AK would come with one of his belt buckles, too.
Anyway, Kuchar’s club setup is listed below. For a super deep dive into his setup, and why I like it so much, check out the link here.
Note: He carries 16 clubs, but decides between a long iron, hybrid or extra wedge to get down to 14 clubs.
Driver: Bridgestone Tour J815 (Fujikura Ventus Black 6X shaft), 9.5 degrees
3-Wood: TaylorMade SIM (Fujikura Ventus Blue 7X shaft), 15 degrees
5-Wood: Ping G425 Max (Fujikura Ventus Blue 8X shaft), 17.5 degres
Hybrids: Ping G425 (17 degrees; Fujikura Ventus HB 9TX shaft), and Ping Anser (20 degrees; Fujikura Motore Speeder HB 8.8 X-flex shaft)
Inside Matt Kuchar’s golf bag: 7 things I noticed while inspecting his clubs
Irons: Fourteen Golf (4-iron; AeroTech SteelFiber i95 shaft), Bridgestone Tour J15CB (5-PW; AeroTech SteelFiber i110 CW shafts)
Wedges: Bridgestone J40 Forged (51 degrees), Cleveland RTX ZipCore Raw (54, 58 and 64 degrees; KBS Tour 120S shafts)
Putter: Bettinardi SS28 Dass prototype (right-hand armlock, 0 degrees)
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X prototype
Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? 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 our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!