The post Cameron Young’s bag is constantly evolving. Dive into how he got here | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Cameron Young’s bag is constantly evolving. Dive into how he got here | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Bag Spy, a GOLF series devoted to understanding the crucial equipment choices that define a player’s bag. With the help of players and/or their expert fitters, we dig deep beyond the photos to examine setups, specs and the thinking behind them. In this installment, GOLF associate equipment editor Jack Hirsh takes you inside Cameron Young’s bag and equipment setup for 2026.

***

Cameron Young enters his fifth career Masters in a much different position than all of his previous visits. His golf bag is drastically different, too.

Young is making his first start since the biggest win of his young career at the Players Championship. A year ago, he was talked about as the best PGA Tour player without a win. Now he has two.

In that time, Young and Titleist’s Tour team have been meticulous to dial in his golf bag to match one of the fastest and highest-spin players on the PGA Tour. Many of the changes revolve around Young’s prototype Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot over the past eight months, but others have been in the works for years before it was even a thought.

He really doesn’t change technically,” Titleist Vokey rep Aaron Dill told GOLF. “His golf swing, his action, his ball flight. It’s very consistent, right? And so as a, as a club fitter and as an equipment team, you know, the little things that we do to help him manage some of the problems, the problem areas of being a stronger ball flight guy.

“Using the golf ball, putting, putting a wider sole on the wedge, J.J. putting together a driver that creates high launch, low spin, you know, there’s just this perfect symphony of all these things that give him all these freedoms and flexibilities to swing the way he wants to swing. And when you put those together, and he’s putting well — which he does all the time — you start winning championships.”

Keep reading below to dive into Young’s unique bag.

Breaking down every club in Cameron Young’s bag

Ball

Titleist Pro V1x Double Dot

The golf ball is the foundation of almost all the bags on the PGA Tour, but Young’s is especially so given his recent changes. During his breakthrough win last summer, Young became one of the first players to game Titleist’s prototype Pro V1x Double Dot golf ball.

He was previously a user of one of Titleist’s other Custom Performance Option (CPO) golf balls, the Pro V1 Left Dot, to help rein in his super-high-spin delivery conditions. But during a research session at the Titleist Performance Center at Manchester Lane, Van Wezenbeeck and the golf ball R&D teams noticed Young had an especially strong flight with one of the prototypes. This testing session was more for Fordie Pitts and the R&D team than it was for Young, but clearly, there was something worth pursuing.

“That was kind of a light bulb moment, I think, for golf ball R&D and Fordie going, ‘Okay, we have a profile here. It needs a little refinement, but it’s kind of doing some things that, um, that they’re asking to do,'” Van Wezenbeeck said.

That ball eventually became the Pro V1x Double Dot prototype that Young first played at the Wyndham Championship, where he would get his first win.

Titleist Pro V1x Golf Balls

Total Performance With Higher Flight And More Spin Pro V1x golf balls are the optimal premium performance choice for players looking for maximum distance, higher flight and more stopping power. Why Play Pro V1x? Pro V1x is recommended to players who are looking for high-trajectory flight, low long game spin with maximum short game spin, and firmer feel. Comparison to Pro V1 Due to its unique dimple pattern, Pro V1x has a higher flight than Pro V1. A high-gradient dual core produces slightly more iron and wedge spin than Pro V1.

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Driver

Specs

Titleist GT3 11.0
SureFit Hosel Setting: D1
SureFit CG Setting: N
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 60 TX

The driver Young used for the recorded longest drive ever on the 18th hole at TPC Sawgrass at the Players was one he just started using the week before.

Titleist’s fitting philosophy revolves around fitting the golf ball to the iron set and then fitting the driver and the rest of the bag to the ball.

With Young’s new Double Dot prototype resulting in such a great flight with his irons, Van Wezenbeeck began working with him to further dial in the rest of the bag over the last several months. The last part was switching to the 11-degree lofted GT3, the highest lofted driver of any winner so far this season on the PGA Tour.

The move was actually precipitated after prototype testing of the GTS lineup, where Van Wezenbeeck found that Young was performing best with the GTS3. That led them to re look at Young’s driver as he was currently in GT2.

At Bay Hill, Young put into play the new GT3, set to D1, taking the loft down 3/4 of a degree, which got his launch angle up from 9 degrees to 11 while keeping spin relatively in the same window at 2500 rpm. The goal was to increase peak height and thus carry efficiency, not increase spin.

“if we had just gone to an 11-degree GT2, we’re going to get kind of launch and spin,” Van Wezenbeeck said. “By going from a 10-degree GT2 to an 11-degree GT3, we were able to control the spin in a similar window and get launch, which really helped that ball flight.”

Titleist GT3 Custom Driver

GT3 – Speed-Tuned Distance & Control GT3 offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization. With a speed-tuned design that allows you to precisely match performance to your most frequent contact location, you can make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping. For players with a relatively consistent impact location, GT3 offers a precisely adjustable CG Track to max out distance and directional control. Seamless Thermoform Crown A reimagined ultra-lightweight design, born from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The tunable acoustic properties of this unique composite allow Titleist engineers to realize new material gains while maintaining our signature sound and feel. All wrapped in a clean look that inspires total confidence. Split Mass Construction A breakthrough in internal weighting unlocks longer drives and enhanced directional control in GT3. The Adjustable CG Track now sits closer to the face for more dynamic CG control, while additional discretionary mass is pushed to the back of the club to maintain optimal stability through impact. Advanced Aerodynamics GT3 features a new raised tail contour that represents a dramatic shift in driver aerodynamics. Previously impossible to execute due to design constraints, this advanced shaping results in a driver that swings faster while still providing optimal CG control.

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3-wood

Specs

Titleist GT1 3Tour
Loft: 14.5˚
SureFit Hosel Setting: A1
SureFit Weights: 15 g front, 7 g back
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 80 TX

Young’s fairway wood and hybrid are the same story as his driver. After the golf ball change, he was looking to increase launch without increasing spin to take advantage of the flight characteristics of his Double Dot Prototype.

After winning with the GT3 fairway wood in the bag at Wyndham, and previously using a strong lofted 13.5˚ GT2, Young moved into the GT1 3Tour in the fall to, again, deliver more launch without increasing spin.

The fairway wood has a prototype silver face to allow Young to see the 14.5 degrees of loft easier and it’s something we’ve seen on some of the GTS fairway wood prototypes spotted out on Tour in the last few weeks.

“We went … to the 14.5 with a silver face, and that face really provided that shallow head, let him see a lot of loft and allowed him to keep impacts up the face to keep launch up,” Van Wezenbeeck said.

Titleist GT1 3Tour Custom Fairway Wood

Lift your launch window with GT1 3Tour Fairway. Featuring a Tour-inspired player profile, shallow face, low CG, and a stronger “Tour Loft,” this fairway is designed to launch higher and fly farther without over-spinning. New adjustable fore/aft weights enable further optimization of ball speed, launch, and spin to achieve effortless fairway performance. Features High Launch and Exceptional Forgiveness Stronger Loft Adjustable Fore-Aft Spin Control Refined, Tour-Inspired Shaping Enhanced Sound and Feel

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Hybrid

Specs

Titleist GT1
Loft: 20˚
SureFit Hosel Setting: A1
SureFit Weights: 13 g front, 5 g back
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana PD 80 TX

The GT1 hybrid is probably the most surprising club in Young’s bag since being added at the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this season.

Unlike the GT1 3Tour fairway wood, which has a lower and more forward CG than the standard GT1 3-wood head, the GT1 hybrid is the same as the version in many weekend hackers’ bags.

The larger profile hybrid (between the size of a traditional hybrid and a 7-wood) has the unique ability to accept both fairway wood and hybrid shafts. A fairway wood shaft typically has a softer tip compared to a hybrid shaft because of the smaller tip diameter, and using the same Diamana PD 80 TX as Young’s 3-wood helped them create more launch and higher peak heights.

“We took advantage of GT1 being able to use a fairway shaft here. So we have kind of this small, you know, big-headed hybrid or kind of small-headed fairway,” Van Wezenbeeck said. “In this case, we needed a little speed, we needed a little spin, and a little launch. So when we paired it with a fairway shaft, we got a little bit of everything.”

Titleist GT1 Custom Hybrid

$329.00 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Titleist

Irons

1/3

2/3

3/3

Specs

Irons: Titleist ’23 T200 (4), ’23 T100 (5), 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: Dynamic Gold X7
Length: Standard (37″ 7-iron)
Lies: “Near standard”

Young is one of a few Titleist staffers playing their own, unique one-off set of irons. How did Van Wezenbeeck and the Tour team decide that Young would benefit from a personal set of irons?

It came out of Young’s high shaft lean delivery, which was causing issues with turf interaction, especially on his short irons. The first solution was to add some bounce to the leading edge of his 620 MBs, but then the team started to go further.

“We work through the process where I kind of interview the player on things that he likes, doesn’t like. I bring that to Marni Ines (Titleist’s director of iron development) and the irons team and say, ‘Okay, here’s kind of our 1st swing,’ Van Wezenbeeck said. “We’ll mill a piece. We’ll take that back out. 
We’ll get further feedback and refinement and kind of work through that process, until we get something we really like.”

It helped that Young loved the profile and offset of the existing 620 MBs, so they could build off that profile. To enhance the turf interaction, the irons have a progressive bounce, with more on the scoring irons to transition into his wedges. The 6- to 8-irons also have a slightly wider sole to help lower the CG and give Young a touch more launch.

For the first two prototype heads made for him, a 9-iron and a 6-iron, Young requested no changes for either of them.

There was a 631.CY 5-iron made for Young, but his existing T100 5-iron outperformed the custom-made prototype. He’s remained in his ’23 T100 5-iron and T200 4-iron because of the familiarity and trust he has in those clubs.

His larger-profile long irons are becoming somewhat of a theme out on Tour, but that’s all to help him create consistent launch and yardage gappings and pair with his low-launch and high-spin delivery.

This year, as Young was working through some swing changes, Young and Van Wezenbeeck made the lie angles on his short irons more upright to optimize his start lines.

Titleist 620 MB Custom Irons

Read more about the Titleist 620 MB Custom Irons at Golf.com Designed for low handicaps, the MB is the modern choice for those desiring a traditional forged blade look and feel. The new Titleist 620 MB is the definition of a true forged player’s blade. The muscle-back design is perfect for players that are seeking total shot-making capabilities and an incredibly soft feel. Strategically designed CG locations deliver responsive feedback, allowing you to hit any shot you desire.

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Wedges

1/4

2/4

3/4

4/4

Specs

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM11
Lofts/Grinds: 48.10F, 52.12F, 56.14F (@57), WedgeWorks 60K* (@ 62˚)
Shaft: Dynamic Gold X7 (48-57), X100 (62)

Young’s wedge set helped him as much as any part in his bag at the Players, where he led the field in Scrambling at 76 percent and made the crucial final birdie on 17 after knocking a sand wedge to 10 feet.

One of two major changes Young has made to his wedge was switching to the 56.14F (bent weak to 57˚) from an M-Grind sand wedge to optimize his carry yardage gaps and give him another option around the greens.

But the other change was moving to a unique WedgeWorks 60K* lob wedge bent to 62˚ at the PGA Championship at Valahalla in 2024. Then, Young was in a low-bounce and narrow-soled T-Grind lob wedge. That’s the most popular wedge grind on the PGA Tour, but one that was making it difficult for Young to get out of the bunkers.

“I’m just watching him from a distance, just seeing how things are going, and and every time every time he hits a shot out of the practice bunker, it’s coming out low and dead and just releasing a lot,” Dill said.
”And his body, you know, his body language just looked a little frustrated.”

Young was looking to get more and easier height out of the sand, so that led Young to give him a demo head of a 60˚ K*, with the adjustable hosel set to 62˚ to add even more bounce.

“I gave him the 60 K* at 62, and I knew there were two things he’d love — the wide sole creates effortless height, and it helps him in the sand. He’s getting height around the green and consistency through the sand,” Dill said. “He played it that week, and I asked how it went. He said, ‘I was 10 for 10 in bunker saves.’ So I’d say it worked pretty well.”

Given that Young plays such stout Dynamic Gold X7 shafts in his irons, he keeps them through his sand wedge to match the feel and consistency. At the lob wedge, he does go slightly softer, although not much, with an X100.

Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks SM11 K* Grind Custom Wedge

One of the most popular lob wedge grinds on the PGA TOUR, the K* features a low-bounce sole that originates from the .06K Grind. Instead of the full, smooth sole of the K, the K* features a steeper pre-wear on the leading edge as well as heel, toe and trailing edge relief.  The pre-wear helps resist excessive digging on square-faced shots, while the heel, toe and trailing edge relief adds greenside versatility when the face is opened. Like all K Grind variations, K* has a wide sole that excels out of the bunker.  Justin Thomas, Lottie Woad, Cameron Young and the 2024 Champion Golfer of the Year are among the many players who travel with a K* lob wedge in their bag week in and week out. 

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Putter

Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5R Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke

Young has played one of Scotty Cameron’s Phantom mallets for the entirety of his PGA Tour career, but there were multiple different options before the 9.5R Tour prototype he’s in today.

While he was on the Korn Ferry Tour, he used a face-balanced and large Phantom 11. By the time he was on the PGA Tour, he preferred a more compact Phantom 5, but with a long plumber’s neck, so it was still face balanced.

Young has had a relationship with Scotty Cameron’s Brad Cloke since his days on the Korn Ferry Tour and while he was in the long-neck Phantom 5, he told Cloke he wanted to get into a putter with more toe flow.

“Some of it’s a desire for him to play a blade,” Cloke said. “Although he, self-admittedly, says he would never put a blade in play, he’s got one that he’s always teased and tempted to put in play, but it’s kind of that same original feeling of more flow.”

In late 2024, Cloke built him some Phantom options with a high toe flow jet neck, but it wasn’t until early 2025 that Young felt he he was comfortable using one. He made the move to the 9.5R at the Cognizant Classic and hasn’t switched since. He recorded the best putting season of his career in 2025, ranking 7th in SG: Putting after being outside the top 140 the previous two seasons.

The “R” denotes more rounded edges and contours on the No. 9 shape and eventually inspired Cameron to bring the modification to retail with the 2026 Phantom lineup.

“Guys just pick up putters and sometimes they get attached to them right away,” Cloke said. “That’s what happened with the 9.5R—it just appealed to his eye and gave him what he was looking for.”

Scotty Cameron 2026 Phantom 9.2R Custom Putter

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Extras

Grips: Golf Pride MCC Plus4 Align Max

The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Cameron Young’s bag is constantly evolving. Dive into how he got here | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Si Woo Kim’s golf bag is one-of-a-kind. Just like him | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Si Woo Kim’s golf bag is one-of-a-kind. Just like him | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Bag Spy, a GOLF series devoted to understanding the crucial equipment choices that define a player’s bag. With the help of players and/or their expert fitters, we dig deep beyond the photos to examine setups, specs and the thinking behind them. In this installment, GOLF Associate Equipment Editor Jack Hirsh takes you inside Si Woo Kim’s bag and new equipment setup for 2026.

***

At first glance — and depending on what course you catch him — Si Woo Kim has a pretty old-school bag.

Driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 3-iron through pitching wedge and just two wedges, a 52˚ and a 60˚. We don’t see a lot of that set-up on the PGA Tour anymore.

But a deeper dive and conversation with Callaway Senior PGA Tour Player Development Representative Kellen Watson shows Kim actually has a unique relationship with gear. He focuses strictly on looks, and if it passes the first couple of swings, there usually won’t be much hesitancy with putting it in the bag.

“If there’s something that fits his eye very nicely, you can be damn sure that either the wedge that it might be or the set of irons or the driver or whatever, it’s going in play like right away,” Watson told GOLF. “The performance stuff, we’ll incrementally get exactly where we need to get to. But aesthetically, if it’s pleasing to his eye, there’s nothing bigger. If it goes through the ground perfectly, it’s going in the bag.”

Watson called Kim a “corporate dream” because he’ll put almost any club in his bag as long as it meets his eye test.

That’s notable because Kim held onto his Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond driver for two years before moving into the Quantum Triple Diamond this season.

But he’s not afraid to try anything, and, in fact, Watson has to prevent him from trying too much.

“He gets some ideas, and he’ll just do it behind my back,” Watson said. “That’s why I try to stay in front of him all the time so we don’t allow him to do anything like that.”

Watson also has to rely on Kim’s caddie, Manny Villegas, to help maintain Kim’s clubs. It’s usually Villegas who asks for regrips or loft/lie checks.

“Manny’s almost playing offensive coordinator and Si Woo’s just the quarterback, just taking the play calls,” Watson said.

So far that’s been working well this season, as Kim, despite a bulky putter, had four top-11 finishes in his first four starts this season, including two top-5s. He’s 9th in the FedEx Cup standings and second in Strokes Gained: Approach with Callaway’s yet-to-be-released Apex MB ’26 irons.

Kim and Villegas, the brother of five-time Tour winner Camillo Villegas, form one of professional golf’s most unlikely player-caddie duos, but they’re also perhaps the most laidback and fun.

“I still think they should make a TV show of him and Manny, almost like there’s a sequel of ‘Rob & Big.’ I would watch that. I would watch them talk to each other all day long, every day,” Watson said. “I don’t think there’s anybody there you want to be around more than Si Woo when you’re playing golf. And that just kind of goes for every day anyway. Some of it’s just because you never know what he’s going to say next.”

Kim’s golf bag embodies much of that persona.

Keep reading below to dive into the bag of one of the PGA Tour’s best characters, Si Woo Kim.

Breaking down every club in Si Woo Kim’s bag

Ball

2022 Callaway Chrome Tour Dot

As a player who plays a fade and generally plays at a spin surplus throughout the bag, Kim is one of the many users of Callaway’s Chrome Tour Dot golf ball, a Tour-only version of the Chrome Tour X.

“Just the higher spin guys — it’s just the flight’s a little bit better for him. The spin control is a lot better for him,” Watson said of the ball, which is also played by Xander Schauffele.

The Dot has an identical aero package to the Chrome Tour X, but it reaches a slightly lower peak height due to reduced spin. Otherwise, it flies similarly.

Players who play a fade generally are going to spin the ball more than players who draw it, so being able to retain control and wind performance with a touch lower spin, while keeping launch, speed and feel the same, is a good match for Kim.

Callaway 2026 Chrome Tour X Golf Balls

SPEED TECHNOLOGY Revolutionary new Tour Fast Mantle that increases distance through an optimized core/layer system. ADVANCED SEAMLESS TOUR AERO® Incredible distance and flight consistency on every shot.   PRECISION TOUR URETHANE COVER   Incredible feel and wedge control.     PRECISION TECHNOLOGY  Provides the ultimate in consistency. Every detail in the design, manufacture, and testing of the Chrome Tour X ball has been engineered to ensure maximized performance throughout your game.

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Driver

Specs
Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond 9.0
Actual Loft: 8.9˚
OptiFit Setting: N/-1
Weights: 7 g front, 9 g back heel, 1 g back toe
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 6-X
Length: 44 15/16″ EOG
Tipping: 1″
Swingweight: D3.4

Stock Carry: 290 yards

When it comes to his driver, there isn’t much unique about Si Woo Kim’s, but it is notable given he did not switch to Callaway’s Elyte driver last season.

You would think, after Kim hung onto a Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond for two seasons, that it would have been a long and arduous testing process to get him into a new Quantum Triple Diamond for this season.

But it took Watson only three swings.

“We did kind of a preliminary fitting at Sea Island,” Watson said. “I think we gave him the 8.5. I remember every interaction with him and Manny because they’re some of my most fun times on Tour. But I think he hit it twice. Little low spin. Nine-degree first shot, and it was like, ‘Can we play this this week?’”

The start line was also important for getting Kim to switch from his Ai Smoke, which is why you’ll see above in his specs he keeps the back weight on the heel side of the club to encourage a left start line.

Unfortunately, at the RSM Classic last fall, where Callaway annually does testing with their staff players for the new driver, the Quantum was not yet on the USGA conforming list.

But Kim got his driver in mid-November and he was one of the first to put it in play the first week of December at the Australian Open when it hit the conforming list.

One thing that Watson struggled with, however, was getting him to test a backup driver.

“He hates to do like a backup head, and I forced him to do like a backup head today (Tuesday at Bay Hill),” Watson said. “He’s like, ‘Nothing’s wrong with this one. This one will not fail.’ I’m just making sure, dude.”

Kim moved into the updated Fujikura Ventus Black with VeloCore+ during testing with the Elyte driver as they found the slightly softer profile had a better feel for him. It also aided his timing for a fade.

“If anything, a little less catch-up in the shaft, just being just like a touch softer is probably better for him, where the club will stay behind him at impact and he can kind of hit that fade a little bit better,” Watson said.

Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Custom Driver

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway

Mini Driver

Specs
Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver 11.5
Actual Loft: 11.2˚
Lie: 57˚
OptiFit Setting: -1/N (Flat Cog)
Weights: 14 g front, 5 g back
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black VeloCore+ 7-X
Length: 43.125″
Tipping: 2″
Swingweight: D3.1

In some ways, the mini driver has become synonymous with Kim, as he is famous for his DODs from anywhere.

Fairway, rough, other, you name it, Si Woo Kim has probably tried to hit a driver off the deck from it.

That was the impetus for Kim in sticking with his Paradym Ai-Smoke mini driver, because it was much easier for him to hit off the fairway.

Watson intends to show Kim the new Quantum Mini Driver soon, but wanted to get more insight from the club from Min Woo Lee and Max Greyserman, both of whom already have it in the bag.

Kim loves the ability to swing the Mini Driver flatter and not down on it like a 3-wood.

Fairway Woods

1/2

2/2

Specs
Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond 3-wood*
Loft: 13.2˚
Lie: 57.3˚
Shaft: Fujikura OG Ventus Black 8-X
Length: 42.875″
Tipping: 1.5″
Swingweight:

Stock Carry: 258

*The Mini Driver is primary, but the 3-wood goes in on courses where he thinks he might need it

Specs
Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond 5-wood
Loft: 16.4˚
Lie: 58˚
Shaft: Fujikura OG Ventus Black 10-X
Length: 42 1/16″ EOG
Tipping: 2″
Swingweight: D4

Stock Carry: 237

While Kim doesn’t use the 3-wood often in favor of the longer Mini Driver, when he does, he likes to be aggressive with it. It’s to the point where Watson compared his divots to Sergio Garcia, one of the best and also steepest fairway wood players of all time.

The 5-wood is a better story as Kim previously played a Rogue ST LS 5-wood since the club came out in 2022.

That club was a “complete weapon,” Watson said, and was the club he used to make the longest hole-in-one in major championship history last year at Quail Hollow’s 252-yard par-3 6th.

But in the fall, Kim wanted to shorten the club and did so while in Japan for the Baycurrent Classic. Why?

“I don’t know. I have no idea!” Watson said. Remember when Watson said he had to get between Kim and some of his “ideas?” This is why.

The club never felt the same to Kim after that. Watson built him a new 5-wood before the start of the season and the 3-wood just so he has options and doesn’t have to look for a new club in the middle of the season.

Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Custom Fairway Wood

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Irons

Specs
Callaway Apex MB ’26 3-PW
Shafts: KBS Tour V 125
Lofts: 19.3/21.4/24.9/28.5/32.3/36.6/40.5/44.5
Lies: 60/60.3/61.1/61.5/61.7/62.3/62.9/62.6
Length: 7-iron 37″ EOG
Swingweight: D3 (“Or whatever feels good sometimes” – Watson)

3-iron Stock Carry: 221
7-iron Stock Carry: 174

Kim is one of a growing number of players on Callaway’s unreleased Apex MB ’26 prototype irons. He has played blades at times throughout his career, but not since his first year with Callaway in 2018.

But when Kim first tested the new blades, like all of his other changes, the decision to switch was almost instant. Again, the swap was driven more by visuals.

Watson says the new MB has a longer blade length and a more Japanese-inspired pinched toe shape, similar to the X Forged, which was all familiar to him. Kim was one of just three staffers previously playing the Apex CB ’24, primarily due to the longer blade length.

“I think the longer the blade length for him, I think the better the results he gets,” Watson said. “For him, a longer blade length, the higher toe, the matched window of launch and spin being pretty much exactly where you need it — I think that is the determination of, is it going in play?”

In testing, Watson said the new MB “hits more of that CB kind of window” launch conditions which made the switch simple for Kim.

Looking at his specs, you’ll notice his irons are all bent 1-2 degrees strong. That’s not done for launch/spin or even turf interaction reasons. Keeping with the theme here, that’s all done to fit Kim’s eye. He’s played the stronger lofts since before he signed with Callaway in 2018.

“If there’s something that really fits his eye — he’s a lot about aesthetics — if there’s something that fits his eye very nicely, you can be damn sure that either the wedge that it might be or the set of irons or the driver or whatever, it’s going in play like right away,” Watson said.

Kim’s high-spin tendencies allow him to play the blades all the way through to the 3-iron, a rarity on the modern PGA Tour where even 4-irons are starting ot become extinct.

But the 3-iron doesn’t actually get used that often and, Watson said, sometimes he’ll even be content with rolling with just 13 clubs.

Callaway Apex MB Custom Irons

The new Apex MB Irons are developed for the absolute best in the game who are looking for a high level of performance in a modern Tour blade. With our Dynamic Sole Design, it provides more efficient turf interaction, enhanced workability, and the classic feel that elite players expect. A PURE BLADE IN A MODERN DESIGN The new Apex MB Irons are developed for the absolute best in the game who are looking for a high level of performance in a modern Tour blade. With our Dynamic Sole Design, it provides more efficient turf interaction, enhanced workability, and the classic feel that elite players expect. PURE FORGED PERFORMANCE The Apex MB body and face are forged as one-piece in a proprietary forging process from 1025 carbon steel, creating the purest feeling iron imaginable. PROGRESSIVE CG DESIGN FOR ADDED CONTROL A progressive CG throughout the set improves trajectory control. The long irons feature a lower CG that promotes towering shots that land soft into greens while the short irons utilize a higher CG for a lower trajectory with more spin for added control. DYNAMIC SOLE DESIGN FOR ENHANCED TURF INTERACTION These irons feature a dual chamfer on the leading edge to cut through the turf more efficiently. A trailing edge chamfer provides relief from the turf after contact for enhanced feel. This Dynamic Sole Design maintains speed through the turf and promotes consistent contact on all shots.

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Wedges

1/2

2/2

Specs
Callaway Opus SP RAW
Lofts/Grinds: 52/10S @ 51.5˚, 60/8C @ 59˚
Shafts: KBS Tour V 125
Lie: 60.8/63
Length: 35″ EOG/34.625″ EOG
Swingweight: D3 (“Or whatever feels good sometimes” – Watson)

52˚ Stock Carry: 114
60˚ Stock Carry: 89

Just two wedges?! Yes! just two wedges.

While the conventional wisdom for a player with strong lofted irons is to usually add more wedges, Kim plays just a couple and relies on feel to gauge the proper distance.

“I think that has more to do with the incredible set of hands that Si Woo just has,” Watson said. “I think he does more of it just with his hands. Totally feel.

“He’s more of an artist than people kind of would lead you to believe.”

Unlike most pros on the PGA Tour, Kim doesn’t use a clock system to hit distance wedge shots.

Like the rest of the bag, Kim had little issue switching into the new Opus SPs.

“I think he picked up both of them, just put them in the bag, like, ‘Okay, you take these two. I’ll play these two,” without even the waiting,” Watson said. “It’s like… ‘Yeah… Cool.'”

His stamp job, done by Callaway’s legendary Anthony Taranto, is uniquely Si Woo. If you don’t get the reference, recall this clip of Jordan Spieth from the 2017 Presidents Cup.

Callaway Opus SP Custom Wedge

SPIN POCKET™ CONSTRUCTION A re-engineered 2-piece construction head design strategically reshapes mass to optimize CG locations. The Spin Pocket redistributes weight higher, raising the CG, and promoting a lower, more penetrating launch. The result is more spin and enhanced control, especially when you need to flight shots or attack tight pins. NEW SPIN GEN 2.0 FACE™ The most advanced face in OPUS history. A new 17° groove angle with tighter pitch spacing delivers more groove edge contact for more consistent spin across a variety of lies. Combined with a deeper cross-hatch laser pattern across the face, Spin Gen 2.0 produces enhanced friction for more bite and stopping power on all types of approach shots. SHAPE 6 – TOUR-VALIDATED PROFILE Trusted by Tour players for its clean, confident look at address, Shape 6 offers precise leading edge shaping and refined sole geometry. Shape 6 is the 6th and final iteration in the Opus prototype shaping phase, validated by Tour players and major champions. OPUS SP introduces progressive shaping in gap wedges to seamlessly blend with modern iron sets—creating a more cohesive setup from top to bottom. X GRIND – VERSATILITY WITH BOUNCE Back by popular demand, the X Grind returns in OPUS SP. Designed for shotmakers who want added bounce for forgiveness, without giving up versatility, the X Grind is ideal for players who like to open the face around the greens or play in firmer turf conditions. It’s the perfect blend of playability and performance in a wide range of shots and conditions.

$199.99 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Callaway

Putter

Putter: Odyssey O-Works 3T
Loft: 2˚
Lie: 70˚
Length: 33.5″
Insert: Microhinge
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Claw 1.0

The flatstick has been a club holding Kim back this season as he ranks second in Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green this season, but is losing nearly seven-tenths of a stroke on the greens. While this year is one of his worst, Kim has never gained strokes putting since joining the PGA Tour in 2016.

This Odyssey O-Works 3T is new this season and Kim loves the look of it, but this week, he’s testing out a new Odyssey prototype TRTL mallet putter.

It’s the same putter that Min Woo Lee is using and it obviously passed the eye test for Kim to consider using it this week. The specs match his current O-Works 3T.

Putter has been a revolving door the past two seasons for Kim after he stopped using an Odyssey 2-Ball 10 Broomstick.

Watson doesn’t know exactly why the run with the broom came to an end — nobody does, he said — but he has his guesses.

“He might have been getting sick of the look and just wanted to look at something different,” Watson said. “That would be my answer… and that wouldn’t be odd as an answer to the question about Si Woo with anything.”

Will the new TRTL be the next one to have staying power? We’ll see if it even makes it to the bag at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Odyssey’s Cody Hale said it’s likely the move this week.

“He has actually been testing this new putter since Pebble,” Hale said. “He likely just needed a new look and liked the way this one setup along with the added stability of this head.”

Extras

Grips: Golf Pride MCC Blackout 58R

The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Si Woo Kim’s golf bag is one-of-a-kind. Just like him | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Tony Finau’s new putter isn’t his only equipment tweak | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Tony Finau’s new putter isn’t his only equipment tweak | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Bag Spy, a GOLF series devoted to understanding the crucial equipment choices that define a player’s bag. With the help of players and/or their expert fitters, we dig deep beyond the photos to examine setups, specs and the thinking behind them. In this installment, GOLF Associate Equipment Editor Jack Hirsh takes you inside Tony Finau’s bag and new equipment setup for 2026

***

While last week’s feature in this spot, Rickie Fowler, is a certified gear nerd, Tony Finau is the other end of the spectrum.

Ping Tour Rep Dylan Goodwin said Finau is a “man of few words” when it comes to his equipment. When it works, it works and he doesn’t need to question it too much. If it doesn’t, he tries something else.

Ping’s Kenton Oates said the Tour team built Finau a total of just five clubs one season, which was likely the fewest of any player on the Ping staff.

“It maybe puts a little more pressure on us as a staff when he does come in to get it right, because you know he doesn’t want to be testing during the year,” Oates told GOLF. “If he is testing product throughout the year, then it’s probably frustrating to him, since that’s really something he doesn’t want to do. So we just got to make sure that we get everything down at the beginning of the year.”

He prefers to do most of his club work in the offseason.

“He’ll usually come in here two or three times from like November 1 till that first event of the year, whether it be Hawaii or in the desert or wherever he starts up,” Oates said. “But once we get going in the season, he doesn’t make a lot of changes at all.”

That doesn’t stop Finau from having one of the more unique bags on the PGA Tour with his heavy swingweights, huge grips and a new Ping prototype putter. He’s also made a few more tweaks this year and he’s started to see some progress after recording just one top-10 in 2025.

One of those tweaks, switching to Ping Prototype Scottsdale Tec Ally Blue Onset putter, has paid off in a big way. Finau ranked 155th in Strokes Gained: Putting after his first two events but has rallied up to 58th. That’s after finishing 111th in the category last year. He led the field in putting at Pebble Beach during an 18th-place finish.

Keep reading below to dive into one of the more unique setups on the PGA Tour.

Breaking down every club in Tony Finau’s bag

Ball

Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot

For Finau, the golf bag starts and ends with golf ball and for much of his professional career, that golf ball has been Titleist’s Pro V1 Left Dot.

Finau is one of the most well-known Left Dot players, which is a Customized Performance Option (CPO) version of the standard Pro V1. Compared to the retail version, the Left Dot is lower flying and lower-spinning, but has the same, softer feel that Pro V1 players prefer.

For an ultra-high spin player like Finau, that’s a perfect recipe.

“I think equipment starts with the golf ball, not with the clubs, not with the woods, not with any other piece of equipment. It starts with the golf ball. I’ve always been a believer in that,” Finau told Titleist. “The Left Dot golf ball is right for me because I’ve always put a lot of spin on the golf ball … and right away, it caught my eye because of the ball flight. I think if you can control your ball flight, you can control the distance. And it’s been such a reliable ball flight for me from the first time that I hit it … I can count on the golf ball in crosswinds, into the wind, downwind. I know how far the golf ball is going to go.”

Finau did experiment with Titleist’s new Pro V1x Double Dot prototype golf ball from last summer until January, but made the switch back to the Left Dot at the American Express.

He also has an interesting tradition of marking his golf balls with his children’s and wife’s initials. He told Titleist he’ll usually start with his son, Sage, and change out depending on how the round is going.

“It’s a cool way to keep my kids involved, and they’re always with me on the golf course,” he said.

Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls

The Greatest Combination of Speed, Spin and Feel Pro V1 golf balls are the optimal premium performance choice for most players and the most played model in golf. Why Play Pro V1? Pro V1 is recommended to players who are looking for mid-trajectory flight, very low long game spin and maximum short game spin, with softer feel. Comparison to Pro V1x Due to its unique dimple pattern, Pro V1 has a lower flight than Pro V1x. A softer gradient core produces a softer feel and slightly less spin than Pro V1x.

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Driver

Specs
Ping G440 LST
Loft: 9.0˚ @ 7.75˚
Trajectory 2.0 Setting: Big Minus (—)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black Velocore+ 7-X
Length: 45.25″
Tipping: 1″
CG Shifter: 35 g, neutral
Hot Melt: 5 g, toe
Swingweight: D8+

Finau has already made a mid-season tweak, going from a 7.5˚ Ping G440 LST to 9˚ head in the Big Minus setting. Finau is a high-spin player, but with the lower-lofted head, he was seeing his misshits drop to 2200 while good strikes were around 2500.

Those are not atypical numbers on the PGA Tour, but Finau has plenty of speed in the tank, so he values control. While he typically cruises around 180 mph ball speed, Oates describes him as having one of the biggest governors on the PGA Tour.

“If you brought him to the range, in three golf swings, he could have 200 mph of ball speed,” he said.

Because of that range, Finau is more comfortable with the 9˚ head that produces a spin range around 2700 and 2400 on misses to help him stay in control.

That was also the driving factor behind a move to the Fujikura Ventus Black with VeloCore+ last season.

“He wasn’t happy with his driving, and he had started testing a few different shafts, and he ended up liking the stability of the Velo+,” Oates said. “So he went into that at Travelers last year.”

You’ll also notice Finau prefers a rather beefy D8+ swing weight for his driver and that actually carries over to his irons two, with them sitting at D6+. The reason was mainly feel-based and has to do with a change Finau made with his grips a few years ago. We’ll get into that change below, but basically, Finau made his grips lighter, which raised the swingweight.

“He liked that feeling,” Oates said. “Then we walked through kind of what that would look like downrange from a ball-flight standpoint. Obviously, the heavier the clubhead, the easier it is to fade it. It’s a little bit easier to release because you have more mass down there. So he mentally liked that as well.”

PING G440 LST Custom Driver

The G440 driver family (MAX, LST, SFT) is optimized to deliver more ball speed through multiple advancements, including PING’s deepest CG in a driver to date and a shallower, thinner face, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness expected from a PING driver. The G440 LST (Low Spin) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, providing lower spin and more control in 9° and 10.5° lofts with the three-position back weight. HIGHLY FORGIVING Lighter head weight allows for heavier back weight.  FASTER FACE  Shallow, thinner, face increases ball speed for more distance, higher launch.  SOUND DESIGN New shaping, carbon crown and internal ribs produce muted impact experience.  FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, increase forgiveness. Allows for more heel-side face flexing for consistent ball speed across face. 

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3-wood

Specs
Callaway Paradym Ai-Smoke Triple Diamond T
Loft: 14˚ @ 13˚
Lie: 59˚
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Length: 42.5″
Tipping: 2″
Swingweight: D5

Finau used more shallow-faced 3-woods for much of his career until a few years ago, when he realized he wasn’t using 3-wood off the deck much. That was when he was first drawn to Callaway Triple Diamond T fairway wood shapes and he’s used one since.

“With the height he can hit it and the distance he can hit it, he really likes a deep 3-wood, and that head is just a little bit deeper than anything we had,” Oates said.

Uniquely, the Triple Diamond T Fairway Woods are specifically designed for Jon Rahm, who also prefers a deeper-faced 3-wood, along with a beveled sole to help him get it through the turf. Both Rahm and Finau are still playing the Paradym Ai-Smoke Model that’s now two-seasons old.

Ping has started working on a deeper-faced club for that spot in the bag, their Ping Mini Proto, which debuted at the Sony Open. Finau has been testing it, but at this time, he’s got a very unrelatable problem.

I think the thing that we struggle with there is it might just go a little bit too far right right now,” Oates said. “But we’ll continue to work on that.”

Utility Iron

Specs
Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI-105 X Hybrid

Probably the most famous club in Finau’s bag and with the return of Brooks Koepka on the PGA Tour, one of just a handful of Nike clubs left in pro golf.

Finau has had this Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron since 2016, his lone year on staff with the Swoosh before they exited the hard goods business. But it actually disappeared from the bag for a few seasons before jumping back in during the 2020 season.

Ping has plenty of options to replace this club, including their current iDi driving iron, which is in the bag of Viktor Hovland, but that club, and many before, might be too forgiving for Finau, Oates said.

“The thing we run into with our crossovers and clubs in that space is they’re a little bit more forgiving and they go a little bit higher, which is great for the everyday player,” Oates said. “Unfortunately, Tony doesn’t really need the extra help with the height.”

Oates isn’t sure how many Vapor Fly Pro heads Finau has left, but he brings in four or five every year to have the specs checked. Safe to say, until he finds a better option, this club isn’t going anywhere.

Irons

Specs
Ping Blueprint T 4-PW
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 130 X
Lofts: 22.25/26/29/32.5/37/41/45
Lies: 61/61.5/62/62.5/63/63.5/64
Length: 36.88″ 7-iron
Swingweight: D6-D7+

This is actually a spot where Finau has done some tinkering.

For nearly his entire career, Finau has played the Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 TX shaft in his irons, but during his offseason at the end of last year — unbeknownst to Oates or the Ping Tour team — Finau did some testing on his own and switched to the KBS $-Taper 130 X.

That’s actually why there is loads of lead tape on his clubs now, because with the new shaft, the clubs swing-weighed lighter.

“KBS shafts in general are slightly counterbalanced compared to most every other iron shaft,” Oates said. “So whoever installed those did a great job and they got it back to swing weight — so they had to add the lead tape.”

Had Ping made the change, Oates said they simply could have changed the weight screws in the toe of the club to bring them back to D6+, but the lead tape accomplished the same thing.

Finau has almost exclusively played a full set of muscle-back irons for his whole career with the exception of 2024, when he played the Blueprint S cavity-back iron. While he finished second in Strokes Gained: Approach that season, Finau looked at specific yardages and saw he was actually better with the original Blueprints (he was fifth in Approach in 2023) and switched to the Blueprint T blades he has now.

Unlike the modern trend on the PGA Tour, Finau plays that same blade through the entire bag.

“Tony Finau’s ability to hit a properly-hit 5-iron — where he’s not hung back, he’s just down on top of it, thumping it and sending it up to the clouds — is one of the biggest gifts that he has. He can launch and spin a 4- and 5-iron like nobody in the world,” Oates said. “Not a lot of players from 230 can hit a 4-iron spinning at 5200 and have it get there. And then when it does get there, it’s going to land close to the hole and stop.”

You may notice his lie angles are fairly standard, if not slightly upright, despite his distinctive low hands address position. His irons aren’t flatter on account of both his 6’4″ height and his preference to see the club upright.

“I think a little bit of his visual, like he’s a player that’s put the club down like that and wants to see the toe where it is, which is a little upright,” Oates said, before adding that it also helps him with a left start line. “He’s always played his best golf when he starts it a little left of his target and cuts it back. So I think the upright lie angle just forces it over to the left a little bit.”

PING Blueprint T Custom Irons

For the accomplished golfer who relies on control and precision, Blueprint T delivers a single-piece, 8620 carbon steel forging that puts a premium on workability, trajectory control and superb feel. SHORTER HEEL-FACE Allows the hosel transition to blend smoothly into the top rail, creating a clean, distraction-free appearance at address. The narrow soles enable consistent turf interaction from all conditions. MOI BOOSTED Save for the slight MOI boost from tungsten toe screw and tip weights, it’s a purely forged iron, concentrating mass through the impact zone to ensure a pleasing sound and feel with the workability to take on any shot. Jockey Tip: The lofts match the Blueprint S and i230 irons to allow golfers to create blended sets within PING’s precision iron offerings.

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Wedges

Specs
Ping S259 (50/S @ 49, 56/S @ 55), Titleist Vokey SM11 (60T)
Shafts: Nippon Modus 3 Tour 125 Wedge
Lie: 65-65.5˚˚
Length: 35.75″, 35.5″, 35.25″
Swingweight: D8

Like many on the Ping staff, Finau has made a quick and easy transition into the new S259 wedges for his gap and sand wedge, but he remains using a Titleist Vokey T-Grind for his lob wedge, having recently updated to the new Vokey SM11.

“Those middle two wedges in s259, they look a little cleaner,” Oates said. “They capture the ball visually a little bit better with that cleaner transition in the hosel. They feel, if anything, probably a little softer than s159, and they just have the same great performance: low launch, high spin.”

PING s259 Custom Wedge

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Putter

Putter: Ping Scottsdale Tec Ally Blue Onsett
Loft: 3˚
Lie: 70˚
Length: 35″
Toe Hang: 5˚
Grip: SuperStroke 2.0 Pistol

For most of his career, Finau has stuck with more traditional Anser-style blade shapes, with his preferred head being a wide-body Anser 2D.

But last summer, he started experimenting with mallets and landed on a Ping PLD Milled Ally Blue Onset putter. That switch was short-lived, but it sent Finau down the rabbit hole that eventually led him to try the head shape again at the Farmers’ Insurance Open this year. This time, it was Ping’s prototype Scottsdale Tec platform.

He actually tested two models that week.

“Tony gravitated towards the Ally Blue Onset again and the Ketsch 4, which has a hosel he had used in the past on a blade putter,” Goodwin said. “After going back and forth between the putters, the Ally Blue Onset ultimately matched better to his stroke and delivered the face at impact more consistently. As a result, his start line improved, and he liked the contrast between the white finish of the head and the black sight line, which he found easier to line up with.”

Finau’s T11 at Torrey Pines was his best finish since a T5 at the 2025 Genesis, so clearly he was onto something.

Two weeks later, at Pebble Beach, he led the field in putting, gaining more than eight shots on the greens for the week, the first time in his career.

What makes the switch more interesting is that not only is this the first non-blade to get some staying power in Finau’s bag, it’s also the first putter with a non-milled face.

However, the putters sounded the same to him, so he didn’t mind the softer feel of the insert. Clearly, it’s been working thus far.

Extras

Grips: Lamkin UTX Midsize (+4 wraps + 3 RH)

As we mentioned before, Finau is one of the few pros using mid-sized grips, but he builds them up even further with an additional four wraps of tape across the hole grip and three more for the right hand.

But that tape job pales in comparison to what gripping his clubs was like 2-3 years ago when he had an aggressive build up of wraps every inch until there were maybe 10 wraps at the bottom end of the grip. This results in a grip that essentially had no taper.

Relief came for Ping’s builders when Finau decided to switch to a midsize grip and use fewer wraps. That led to heavier swing weights since Finau’s previous grip was so heavy that Ping needed to add a ton of weight to the head to keep it from feeling counterbalanced.

The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Tony Finau’s new putter isn’t his only equipment tweak | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Rickie Fowler changed nearly every club this year. He told us why | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Rickie Fowler changed nearly every club this year. He told us why | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Bag Spy, a GOLF series devoted to understanding the crucial equipment choices that define a player’s bag. With the help of players and/or their expert fitters, we dig deep beyond the photos to examine setups, specs and the thinking behind them. In this installment, GOLF Associate Equipment Editor Jack Hirsh takes you inside Rickie Fowler’s bag and new equipment setup for 2026

***

Rickie Fowler, now in his 17th season on the PGA Tour, has quietly become a certified gear geek.

This year, perhaps, more than ever.

In preparation for 2026, Fowler changed just about every club in his bag, from a new set of Cobra 3DP RF irons (custom printed) to a 14-year-old Scotty Cameron Circle T putter that replaced his L.A.B. Golf model. So far, it has resulted in three consecutive top-25 finishes to start the year after a hot finish last season that has earned him invites to 2026’s Signature Events.

Fowler’s gear switches weren’t impulsive; every move was thoroughly vetted by Fowler himself and Cobra Director of Tour Operations Ben Schomin — a process that Fowler relishes.

“I love testing and it’s not always me searching for stuff for myself,” Fowler told GOLF. “There’s plenty of that that we do do, and seeing are we in the best stuff possible? 
But I also like having a good understanding across the board, whether it be other irons, different shafts. Because I enjoy being able to get feedback to other guys.

“I’ve always been an equipment nerd, golf nerd.”

Before something ever goes into his bag, Fowler likes to understand everything about that club. It’s the reason it took him and Schomin a year to put into play the new Cobra King Tec Mini Driver that was designed specifically for Fowler.

While much of that tinkering may be super high-level and reserved for golfers who play for checks, there’s still a lot to learn from Fowler’s bag.

Take for example, how he checks his ego by playing a 3DP Cobra iron that matches the shape of many players’ distance clubs. Or how he builds his 5-wood the length of a 3-hybrid to prioritize control and versatility.

Sure, Fowler has unique needs as one of the game’s best players over the past 16 years, but there’s still lots from his bag that you can apply to your own game.

Breaking down every club in Rickie Fowler’s bag

Ball

2021 Titleist Pro V1

Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls

The Greatest Combination of Speed, Spin and Feel Pro V1 golf balls are the optimal premium performance choice for most players and the most played model in golf. Why Play Pro V1? Pro V1 is recommended to players who are looking for mid-trajectory flight, very low long game spin and maximum short game spin, with softer feel. Comparison to Pro V1x Due to its unique dimple pattern, Pro V1 has a lower flight than Pro V1x. A softer gradient core produces a softer feel and slightly less spin than Pro V1x.

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Fowler’s five-year ball-and-glove deal with TaylorMade expired at the end of 2024, which led him to go back to a Titleist ball, which he’d played his whole career before 2019.

This year, he’s once again a ball ambassador for Titleist and playing the Pro V1, which was the same model he played before his move to TaylorMade in 2019.

“For me, with the Pro V1, it matches my window a bit more,” Fowler told Titleist. “I’ve always been able to hit the ball up in the air if I need it. So Pro V1 is going to be the lower-launching, better flight into the wind. And when you start going into aerodynamics and the cover, the Pro V1 has a little less lift in it. For me, it holds its flight better, it’s not going to climb.

“I don’t want to feel like I have to, back into the wind, lean into one or try and do anything extra to keep it down too much… [and] like I said I’m able to launch the ball in the air and keep spin up if I need to when you start talking about hitting the ball downwind and different things like that. So yeah, it’s just a fun ball for me to hit.”

Ahead of this season, Fowler’s testing to dial in his spin rates actually led him to switch from the ’23 Pro V1 to the ’21 model, which is also played by Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland and several other pros.

Driver

Specs
Cobra OPTM X
Loft: 9.0˚ @ 9.7˚
FF33 Setting: B1
Shaft: UST LIN-Q Powercore White 6-TX
Length: 44.125″
Swingweight: D2

This is possibly the least surprising club in Fowler’s bag, as the shape matches the DS-Adapt FX prototype head he used for much of last season. Schomin said Fowler was a big part of the head-shaping process along with Cobra’s other staff pros.

Schomin said Fowler has been pleased with the new OPTM X head, and the numbers back that assessment: Fowler is 16th on Tour in Total Driving Efficiency this season, a combined measure of a player’s ranking in carry and distance efficiencies. Those stats take a player’s carry or total distance and divide by swing speed to determine how much distance they are getting for their swing speed.

It essentially means Fowler’s driver is one of the most optimized on the PGA Tour. (He was 94th a year ago.)

Gear

Part of that improvement is also a shaft change this season to UST Mamiya’s new LIN-Q Powercore White. Fowler played the blue profile last year.

That swap came about from a yearly process Fowler and Schomin undertake where they hit every new shaft that comes out on Tour in the past year.

“It’s like, ‘Okay, here’s the new stuff.’
And he’ll hit it,” Schomin said. “We’re finding out if it’s better. If it’s not, whatever. But it’s more just exhausting those options.”

Fowler was familiar with the LIN-Q shafts before and played the Blue prototype version of the Powercore this year, but he really took to the new White profile.

“This newest version, he really liked, the feel, the best out of any version that they did,” Schomin said. “So, it’s been good for him.”

Cobra OPTM X Custom Driver

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Cobra

Mini Driver

Specs
Cobra King Tec Mini
Loft: 13.5˚ @ 12.8˚
FF33 Setting: H1
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
Length: 43.25″
Tipping: .5″
Swingweight: D2

Fowler was the design impetus for Cobra creating this club, but for the entirety of last season, the prototype didn’t go in the bag. Fowler was keen that the mini have no right-start-line bias. That’s further evidenced by the fact that he sets his mini up in the H1 position, which is .3˚ upright and .7˚ less loft. These are minimal changes that counteract each other from a start-line perspective, which keeps things neutral, something Fowler said he prefers in all of his clubs.

Schomin and Fowler started testing the King Tec Mini prototype last January, but Fowler didn’t put it in play because he really wanted to take his time with it.

“Not having the time to really test and have an understanding of it, I had been in the TaylorMade head for a while and had reps with it,” Fowler said. “So I was basically, I was just gonna ride that out until I had time to properly spend time with our mini.”

Fowler got the final cosmetic version in August, which had a glossy crown compared to the matte finish of the prototype, which he preferred due to the contrast.

Drivers

“I could see kind of top line and kind of had better face awareness,” he said.

After the Playoffs, Fowler started to play more with the Mini to get the same level of familiarity he had with his gamer. The newbie has been in the bag for all three events he’s played this season.

Several of Cobra’s other staff players, like Gary Woodland and Lexi Thompson, put the mini in play as early as last year, but Fowler was the main target for Schomin and the team.

“Obviously, it would have been better to have it in there a little sooner. You know, like six months sooner,” Schomin joked. “That’s definitely one of the most gratifying things where you’re working on a project and you have specific goals and targets in mind and things you want it to do. And it was very good right from the start. So it was great that you put the time and effort on the front end, into planning on getting something very good in the back, and I felt that we really did.”

Cobra KING TEC Custom Mini Driver

$479.00 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Cobra

5-wood*

Specs
Cobra King Tec Rail Proto
Loft: 18˚ @ 17.7˚
FF33 Setting: B3
Shaft: LinQ PowerCore Blue 8-TX
Length: 40.25″
Tipping: 1″
Swingweight: D2

*The 5-wood was not in the bag at the time I caught Rickie’s clubs.

Fowler’s 5-wood is a club gearheads clamor for Cobra to release. He uses a Tour-only prototype King Tec Rail 5-wood that, as the name implies, features a set of rails along the bottom to help the club glide through the turf.

Those rails are somewhat of a symbol for the brand made famous by the original Cobra Baffler from the 70s.

This new King Tec model replaces an LTDx LS 5-wood from 2022, which was the last time Cobra had a railed option for a fairway wood. Perhaps the new addition is a signal that one is coming down the pike.

Fowler keeps his 5-wood short, more typical of a 3-hybrid length, to make the club more versatile and easier to get out of the rough. A shorter shaft makes for a steeper attack angle, making it easier to hoist the ball out of thick rough.

Irons

Specs
Cobra 3DP RF 4-PW
Shafts: AeroTech SteelFiber 125cw Stiff
Lofts: 23/27/31/35/39/43/48
Lies: 62/62.5/63/63/63/63/63.5
Length: -.75″ (36.5″ 7-iron)
Swingweight: D2

It wasn’t long ago that Fowler was playing some of the meanest-looking muscle backs on the PGA Tour in his RF Proto Rev33 blades.

The name of the irons came from the 33 revisions Cobra designers made to the irons to meet Fowler’s specifications, and they were also made famous by being even too knifey for Rory McIlroy.

Those irons made it just over two years in his bag before he switched to a more traditional muscle-back profile. In recent years, however, Fowler has eschewed blades, even favoring Cobra’s King Tour Player Performance line.

“I always liked a certain look,” Fowler said. “But then once I kind of opened my eyes a little bit to — not necessarily game improvement but things that were more forgiving, and I was able to get the same numbers, but sweet spot got bigger, mishits were a lot closer to stock numbers. There was no reason to make the game any harder.”

Schomin called it really bad timing because around the same time the RF Protos were ready to go, Fowler started struggling with his swing. With almost no offset in the iron, Schomin said it was difficult to hit Fowler’s flight windows.

Irons

Fowler moved into the King Tour forged cavity-backs in 2022, which are larger than the more traditional King CB irons. They also have more offset, radically different from the RF Protos. That was a big discovery for Fowler.

“I learned over time in the process with those that I actually liked offset or some,” he said.

So while it was a bummer not to play the blades that were designed for him, Fowler said it was a bit of an ego check because the performance wasn’t there.

Now with Cobra’s 3D-printing capabilities, the company has the ability to make an iron that looks like the RF Protos but performs more like the King Tours. Still, Fowler wanted to stay in the larger shape.

His new 3DP RF irons have the same shape as the King Tour, which is actually slightly larger than the retail version of the 3DP Tour. But the internal lattice structure and tungsten weighting allow them to be even more forgiving.

Where his mishits were coming up 7-8 yards short before, Fowler says now it’s only 3-4 yards. That might not seem like much, but that could mean the difference between a 9-foot putt (PGA Tour make percentage of almost 47%) versus a 24-foot putt (just 12-13%).

Irons

“Those flow right in the bag just because they’re essentially the same sole shape, same top line, same offset, mass properties,” Schomin said of Fowler’s new 3DPs. “So it was a super easy transition for him.”

Fowler also kept the same AeroTech SteelFiber 125cw Stiff shafts he started playing last year at the Travelers Championship.

Fowler has bounced between different True Temper and KBS shafts and was playing KBS Tour C-Taper 125 S+ shafts until then, but he was dealing with shoulder issues and wanted to explore something that would be easier on his body. The SteelFiber shafts, a sort of best of both graphite and steel option at the same weight he was playing, ended up being the winner.

Launch and spin didn’t change and dispersion stayed tight. He experimented with lighter options this offseason, but the 125cw Stiffs remained the best.

Cobra 3DP Tour Custom Irons

The KING 3D Printed TOUR irons utilize 3D printing technology to unlock a new realm of performance. Their one of a kind design features the most forgiving blade shape on the market, delivering the forgiveness that aspirational players need, and the sleek looks and soft feel that better players desire. 3D PRINTED STEEL CONSTRUCTION Each iron is fully 3D printed from 316 stainless steel. 3D printing provides significant advantages over traditional methods of casting and forging, unlocking more design freedom and significant performance improvements. FORGIVING PLAYERS BLADE SHAPE 3D printing has unlocked new design possibilities, enabling COBRA engineers to create a compact blade shape with the mass properties (high MOI, low CG) of a game improvement iron without sacrificing looks and soft feel that better players demand. INTERNAL LATTICE STRUCTURE COBRA took a muscle-back blade shape (similar in size and shape to the KING TOUR iron), and transformed the inside of the blade into a complex internal lattice structure to reduce the weight of the club by 33%. That discretionary weight was repositioned to optimize feel, CG position, and MOI.

$329.99 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Cobra

Wedges

1/3

2/3

3/3

Specs
Cobra SnakeBite (54V @ 52), Cobra King RAW (58D @ 56), Cleveland RTZ Tour Rack Proto (60 Low)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Lie: 64˚
Length: 35″, 34.75″, 34.5″
Swingweight: D2

Remember when Fowler said he learned that he actually liked to look at offset? That’s evidenced by his unique set of wedges.

He actually has three different models of wedges and both of the Cobra models, a SnakeBite 54V and a King RAW 58D, are both bent two degrees strong to add that offset.

His lob wedge is also a custom Cleveland RTZ Tour Rack Proto with — you guessed it — additional offset to suit his eye.

Cobra KING Custom Wedge

Crafted from 8620 steel using MIM (Metal Injection Molding), KING Wedges are one of the softest feelings in market. Choose from four new grinds (DROP, WIDELOW, VERSATILE, TOUR) for enhanced greenside creativity and optimized CG with Flight Window Technology (F.W.T) for tour inspired launch. The redesigned Cobra Speed Notch, 67% larger than before, ensures better glide and speed on open-face shots. MIM (METAL INJECTION MOLDING) Experience precision with MIM technology, offering 50% tighter tolerances than traditional casted wedges. Each head is heat-treated to nearly 1400°C, ensuring a tighter grain structure for a softer feel and enhanced longevity, resisting groove degradation for lasting performance. COBRA SPEED NOTCH Discover the newly redesigned Cobra Speed Notch, featuring softer, blended shaping that complements our new grinds. Now 67% larger, it ensures smooth glide through the ground while maintaining speed and delivering high spinning shots.

$189.00 from Fairway Jockey

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Cobra

Putter

Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo Center shaft prototype
Loft: 4˚
Lie: 70˚
Length: 35″
Grip: Scotty Cameron cord

Putter has always been a revolving door for Fowler, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had spurts of greatness with the flatstick. He led the PGA Tour in putting in 2016-17, but he also dropped as low as 161st in 2021-22.

He improved to 48th in SG: Putting the following season when he jumpstarted the Osyssey Jailbird craze by switching to a 38-inch counterbalanced Jailbird with a huge slab of lead tape on the sole. That putter led to players like Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley asking for the “Rickie Fowler build” and all of a sudden, the once forgotten about Jailbird was Odyssey’s hottest putter. All three players used the putter for marquee wins in 2023.

Fowler went searching again midway through 2024 and ended up using L.A.B. Golf’s DF3 by the end of the season and then the larger DF2.1 by last season.

But to start 2026, Fowler shocked everyone by returning to a more traditional center-shafted putter, a Scotty Cameron GoLo prototype he’s had since 2012.

He said the heavy jailbird build and the low-torque L.A.B. putters “served a purpose” because his putting stroke was not in a good place.

Putters

“Going to the jailbird, kind of that longer length, a lot heavier, helped kind of quiet and take the hands out of it a bit,” he said. “And then from there went into messing with the L.A.B.s, still helping take the hands out of it a bit, but at a lighter, kind of shorter setup to help try and bring some feel back into it.”

Now Fowler said he feels like the mission is accomplished and he could putt with any of the dozens of putters he has at home. But it was over the offseason when he was constantly rolling a Bullseye putter. The old-school blade used by the likes of Nicklaus, Palmer, Player and more at times in their legendary careers wasn’t something Fowler was considering playing, but he loved the look of the straight-in shaft.

“Just felt like I was just hitting it, starting it online and being able to kind of load and release the putter,” he said.
”And I feel like just thinking back, like whenever you go play like Putt-Putt or something, you just grab a random straight-in shaft, like you rarely started offline just because you have that straight connection through the right hand.

“So I remembered I had this GoLo head at the house, had to search for a little bit, but found it, and started to mess with it a bit.”

He explained that the L.A.B. helped him get his hands in a good spot and it worked nicely to go back into a straight-in center-shaft putter because the putter arcs and travels the same way. The feel is just different.

Through the first three events of his season, Fowler is 31st in SG: Putting with the 14-year-old wand, picking up more than .6 strokes a round on the greens.

But for a serial putter-switcher like Fowler, this is unlikely the end of the road, either.

“I’m open to anything. Whatever works,” he said. “If a putter looks good and you’re starting it online and being able to have that mental belief with it, It doesn’t matter what it looks like. So no, nothing’s out of it.”

Extras

Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Align Max

The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Rickie Fowler changed nearly every club this year. He told us why | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Why Fully Equipped Podcast co-host Jake Morrow can’t use these clubs anymore | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Why Fully Equipped Podcast co-host Jake Morrow can’t use these clubs anymore | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

A few weeks ago I played in the only weekend of golf where I truly care about what I shoot. It’s a tournament called Player’s Cup. It’s a Ryder Cup style event hosted by my buddy Bryan LaRoche from @BryanGolf in Fleming Island, Fla. I had to lock my bag down to make sure that I practiced with the proper gear. Now that Player’s Cup is over (our team dominated) and its now open season on the bag, I figured it was as good of a time as any to do a little update to the What’s in the Bag, and my first installment on the Fully Equipped platform. I promise it will be the first of many. 

To say my game is in a good spot would be a very confusing statement. I can hit my driver into a bucket, no par-5 is safe from me having an eagle putt, and inside 50 yards I’ll likely get up and down. But from 140-200 yards, it’s really anybody’s guess. On days that I hit my irons well, which I have the best shot at with this current set, I’ll score close to par. On days that I don’t, I’m struggling to keep it under 80. If nothing else, it’s quite the adventure. I managed to get by at Player’s Cup winning all 3 of my points, and my singles match on Sunday showed a very promising game, but still, from 140- 200yards it was a toss up for success. 

I have learned a few new things this year, and some of those discoveries have lead to some fantastic equipment changes. Other discoveries have sank me. For the first time in my golfing career I went through actual swing changes over the 2024-2025 winter, and starting this season my game was in shambles. The exact reason why I never wanted to get lessons was that I never wanted to have to break myself to fix myself. But there I was at the start of the season barely able to break 80 with a handicap index going up, up, up and away. 

By the start of June things started to mellow out, and some equipment discoveries were made: 

Go. Get. Fit.

One thing that I am absolutely terrible at is getting properly fit. I have a very nice access to equipment, but lots of times it’s plug and play with familiar options and when something “kinda works” it’s good enough to go in the bag. But earlier this year I did a brand agnostic irons fitting at Carl’s Golfland, and it opened my world up to a change that I desperately needed to make, and that was the turning point this year where I realized that all hope was not lost and I could probably make it work and bring the scores back down to Earth. You can watch that fitting video on my Made for the Range YouTube here. (no surprise I’m not using those irons)

Playing a fairway wood

I have a tendency to bucket myself into certain equipment that I want to play, and restrict myself from testing out other options or getting fit for things that might not “fit” what I would traditionally think to play. The top end of my bag is where that shines the most. Last year I was dead set on playing a mini-driver, and I still love all my mini drivers. But the reality is that my game was better served by sacking up and figuring out how to hit a fairway wood. Which in my head means getting fairway woods and testing them until I find the one that I feel sucks the least. There was no sense in having a mini driver that goes 260 yards off the tee if I can’t hit it into long par-5s consistently. So, you’ll actually see a fairway wood in the top of my bag. Which is a shocker for my long time followers. 

Driver set-up is phenomenally important

I currently hit my driver set-up better than anybody I know. I have no shame in being incredibly braggy about it. I got to play with Wunder for two rounds and I think I missed three fairways in total, and they were because I was trying to do some hero type nonsense. Even he told me that if I ever change away from this driver he’d disown me. So there’s that. But having a driver that I trust this much has unlocked so much more. More confidence in tight holes, more confidence in long par-4s, and no fear of having to hit my irons out of weird or penalizing lies. 

I love hitting wedges

This is the best part of my game no doubt. Hitting a good 75% 50-degree wedge is such a joy. Long bunker shots with a back-foot 56-degree? No problem. Spinners off of a tight lie? Bring ’em to me. It’s lovely. I’ve got the coolest set of wedges I’ve ever owned in my bag, and it shows. I’ve always loved my wedges. I’ve had stock, custom, lasered, stamped, you name it. Wedges are my little art piece, and I continue to learn about the best way to create my set and take advantage of the amazing wedge market we find ourselves in. 

The Wilson Staff Model X deserves more credit

My goodness do I love this golf ball. I credit this ball for saving my game. At the start of May I switched from a TP5x (lower spin ball) to the Staff Model X at the suggestion of Ed Garland from Wilson Golf, as well as the Ballnamic Fitting Tool, and BOY WAS HE RIGHT. Playing a spinnier ball allowed me to make the driver switch that I now swoon over, as well as unlocking some performance benefits with the irons that I desperately needed. The golf ball is durable, it feels great, it spins like a top, and it couldn’t care less about the wind. The perfect combination for a guy who plays his golf in Chicagoland’s tree-lined suburbia. 

The last thing I want to talk about is a quick story with my wedges. The entire process is going to be a YouTube video for all of you to watch soon, but the long story short is that I was able to sit down with Jose Miraflor of Cobra Golf who is a closet wedge guru. He trained under Bob Vokey, and doesn’t get credit for the wedge knowledge that he has in his brain. It was a phenomenal set of wedges and the day that I have to replace these, I am going to be very sad. I’ll probably end up going straight back to him, but you’ll notice below that I have a custom set of Cobra King RAW Wedges each custom ground by Jose himself. I’ll list the grinds that we started with for each and the changes we made. 

So here we go. My final hurrah WITB for BryanGolf’s Player’s Cup 2025. As of September 9th, it’s open season on the bag again. 

Golf Balls: Wilson Staff Model X

Driver: Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond Tour Draw 9.0º N/S Adapter

Shaft: Mitsubishi D-Limited 60TX Tipped 1” @ 45.5” 

Carry: 285yds

Fairway Wood: Wilson Dynapower Carbon 4W (16.5º) – Standard Loft/Lie

Shaft: UST Linq PC Blue Prototype 7TX Tipped 1” @ 42.5”

Carry: 260yds

Hybrids: Ping G440 3/5

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red HB Velo+ 9X

Carry: 235yds/215yds

PING G440 Custom Hybrid

The G440 hybrids appeal to a variety of skill levels, each engineered to deliver different ball- flight characteristics – from the slightly fade-biased 2 hybrid for off-the-tee performance to the draw-inducing 5, 6 and 7 hybrids that help optimize gapping. They all share a new, shallower and thinner face design, which improves face contact for more ball speed and higher-launching shots that hit and hold the green.  FLIES HIGH LANDS SOFT Optimized launch and spin ensure distance with stopping power.  FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, optimize launch/spin and increase forgiveness.  ROUNDED SOLE  Ensures pleasing face angle in all hosel settings  CARBONFLY WRAP  Lightweight carbon crown saves weight to increase MOI, lower CG. 

$319.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Note: Fujikura deciding to add the Red HB profile to the lineup this year was genius. There wasn’t a red profile in the previous lineup and lots of people wanted it. The Red HB profile is a little bit different than it’s woods shafts counterpart, and it’s even easier to load and launch. A wonderful addition to make hitting your hybrids feel just a little bit easier. 

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB ’24 (RAW) 5-10 [10 Wedge is GOAT]

Shafts: Nippon Modus 120 X, Standard Length 1* Flat

Carry (5-PW): 200, 187, 175, 164, 154, 142

Callaway Apex TCB 24 Custom Irons

Since Xander Schauffele put a TCB iron in play,his strokes gained in approach have significantlyincreased year over year. Now in 2024, he is top 5 inthe world in strokes gained on the field, and has wontwo major championships with the new ’24 TCB Iron. MAJOR SUCCESS Trusting the ‘24 Apex TCB iron, Xander Schauffelewent on to secure two major championships in the2024 season. TOUR FEEL Combining our best in technology, the ’24 TCB usesa 1025 tour cavity back body with a 17-4 tour tunedface for consistent spin and control up and down thebag. The feel is second to none. Just ask Xander. PRO LOOKS The beautiful raw aesthetic and overall footprint isexactly what Xander was looking for. With a compact controllable shape, and shorter blade length, TCB ’24 are players irons for discerning golfers.

$215.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Wedges: Cobra King 50 V Custom Grind, 56 W Custom Grind, 60@62 T Custom Grind 

Custom Stamping: 50 AHK (Niece), AAK (Nephew), M4TR 

Shafts: Nippon Modus 125 Wedge, BGT ZNE 130

Carry(50-62): 130, 118, 105

Note: I always do custom work on my wedges. I like the personalization of it, and it’s also nice to keep reminders of my niece and nephew in the bag. Been known to calm down a potential club toss every now and then. My niece is always on the gap wedge loft, nephew on the sand wedge loft, and some sort of nod to Made for the Range on my lob wedge. I’ve done this for the last 4 or 5 sets of wedges that I have had! 

Cobra KING Custom Wedge

Crafted from 8620 steel using MIM (Metal Injection Molding), KING Wedges are one of the softest feelings in market. Choose from four new grinds (DROP, WIDELOW, VERSATILE, TOUR) for enhanced greenside creativity and optimized CG with Flight Window Technology (F.W.T) for tour inspired launch. The redesigned Cobra Speed Notch, 67% larger than before, ensures better glide and speed on open-face shots. MIM (METAL INJECTION MOLDING) Experience precision with MIM technology, offering 50% tighter tolerances than traditional casted wedges. Each head is heat-treated to nearly 1400°C, ensuring a tighter grain structure for a softer feel and enhanced longevity, resisting groove degradation for lasting performance. COBRA SPEED NOTCH Discover the newly redesigned Cobra Speed Notch, featuring softer, blended shaping that complements our new grinds. Now 67% larger, it ensures smooth glide through the ground while maintaining speed and delivering high spinning shots.

$189.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Putter: Toulon Chicago Smallbatch Prototype (Double Bend)

Shaft: BGT Stability Carbon (Red Coupler)

Specs: 34.5” Length, 72º Lie Angle

Grip: SuperStroke 1.0P 17

Note: This is a prototype of a future small batch putter. The Chicago shape for this small batch has been modified slightly, but the core design remains. This time they’ve taken a 904L material head and topped it off with a glossy sort of piano black finish. Combined with the sight dot, it’s the best Chicago they’ve ever made. Truly a work of functional art. 

Grips: SuperStroke REVL Comfort on Woods / REVL Element on Irons and Wedges

PAYNTR Jason Day Eighty Seven SC (Men’s)

In collaboration with Jason Day our newest model has arrived, the Eighty Seven SC!  CLARINO Trivela™️ microfiber upper delivers lightweight support and flexibility Full WATERPROOF+ breathable membrane fused to lining and sealed with bottom gasket. ARIAPRENE® tongue & bootie offers supreme foot lockdown to provide maximum stability and lightweight, breathable support. TPU Outsole, with Fast Twist insert system, delivers traction in three dimension for the life of the shoe. PMXNitro+ Footbed delivers lightweight responsive cushioning for the life of the shoe. PMXNitro+ Midsole provides maximum energy return & ultimate under foot support. CARBITEX GearFlex™️ propulsion plate allows golfers to more effectively harness ground reaction forces. Almost sold out! View the Match Day SC for a comparable model.

$220.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Before we wrap up, I also need to make specific mention of my golf shoes. I have worked with the Softspikes team over the last couple of years. I’ve learned more than I ever needed to know about spiked footwear, and I’ll never return to spikeless shoes, at least not in play. I’ve been able to test tons of different shoes over the last year and my favorites without a doubt are the Payntr Jason Day Eighty Seven SC. They come stock with Softspikes Tour Flex Pro spikes which gives the most traction for players right out of the box. The shoes are insanely comfortable right out of the box, the provide a high level of stability while still being flexible enough to work with your feet when you’ve got a less than flat stance on a hill, standing on debris, or in wet conditions. Highly recommend. 

So that’s it. Or, that was it. Now it’s open season. Nothing is safe. The rules for the rest of the year are that nothing you just read is allowed to be gamed unless I have enough money on the line for it to matter, or I somehow end up in a tournament where my score affects others like it did at Player’s Cup. 

My first thought? Boy do I need to find a new set of irons. 

To start your own bag exploration with a club fitting visit your local True Spec Golf location.

The post Why Fully Equipped Podcast co-host Jake Morrow can’t use these clubs anymore | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside the bag of bomber Gordon Sargent | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside the bag of bomber Gordon Sargent | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

In the fall of 2022, Gordon Sargent walked comfortably up to the tee box on the first playoff hole of the NCAA Championships and hit a ball 380 yards. On the 520-yard par-5 18th hole he was left with just 140 yards into the green looking for a birdie to win. And with that, the world was introduced to Gordon Sargent, an unsuspecting powerhouse majoring in economics who’s 170 pounds soaking wet. 

The way he creates speed is a sight to behold, and watching him hit balls in person is something everyone should strive to witness. Even at a PGA Tour event, like the 3M Open I attended this year, the range notices when Sargent hits balls.

Sargent actually qualified for his PGA Tour card via the PGA Tour U Accelerated track in the fall of 2023 but opted to defer his status in favor of finishing out his senior year at Vanderbilt. Between his graduation and his debut on the PGA Tour he played in the Masters, was low amateur at the U.S. Open and went undefeated in the Walker Cup at the Old Course at St. Andrews. He made his debut on the PGA Tour at the RBC Canadian Open earlier this year and finished out his first professional season making 5 of 12 cuts. 

While we’re sure to hear and see more of Sargent this fall and in 2026, I got an up-close look at his clubs at the 3M Open. Let’s dive into the tools Sargent uses to turn his massive speed into effective play. 

Driver: TSR2 9.0 @ B2 | Shaft: Tensei 1k Pro Orange 60tx

Talking with reps from Titleist and Mitsubishi, Sargent finalized his fit into 1k Pro Orange after having success with 1k Pro White but wanting to stabilize start lines and ball flight. The stiffer handle section of the 1k Pro Orange proved to be the ticket as the feel that Sargent prefers, while helping to bring his start line to the right vs. the more left start line of the 1k Pro White.

Mini Driver: Titleist GT280 13 @ B2 | Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 83TX 

5 Wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Core 18 | Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 9X (which is tipped… a lot)

Driving Iron: Titleist T250 2i/3i | Shafts: (2) Mitsubishi MMT UT 105tx (3) Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 GOST X (3)

Which long game tool goes in the bag depends on the course setup for the week. With Gordon’s unique speed, he’s able to be selective on what fills the gap between his 4 iron and his GT280. At the 3M Open he was testing out options in the long game sector including new T250 2 and 3 irons.

Irons: 4-6 Titleist T100 (’24), 7-9 Titleist 620MB | Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Titleist T100 Custom Irons

Titleist 2025 T100 Custom Irons

Unmatched precision meets unrivaled feel with T100 Irons. Fully forged with more aggressive grooves in the mid/short irons, T100 offers pure player’s feel with improved consistency in variable conditions. Now with higher long-iron launch for optimal trajectory control in every club. Forged Player’s Design   Masterfully forged into a pure player’s design that offers precision control and buttery feel. Superior Flight and Stability  Split High-Density Tungsten produces optimal CG with remarkable stability for precise shotmaking. Consistent Speed & Spin  New VFT technology and progressive groove design for consistent spin and speed across the face in variable conditions. Elevated Long-Iron Launch  Lower CG and a new muscle channel help improve peak height and carry. 

$215.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Wedges: Vokey SM10 46(P), 51(G), 57(S) | Shaft: True Temper Dymamic Gold S400

Lob Wedge: Vokey SM10 Proto K* @ 61 | Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron TourType Timeless GSS tour prototype

Golf Ball: Titleist ProV1

Can you swing what Gordon swings? Get fit at True Spec today to find out.

The post Inside the bag of bomber Gordon Sargent | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Tommy Fleetwood’s clubs: Inside his Tour Championship-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

The post Tommy Fleetwood’s clubs: Inside his Tour Championship-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

Finally, after 164 PGA Tour starts, Tommy Fleetwood has his debut victory in the United States — and it was well worth the wait.

Fleetwood shot a final-round 68 to win the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup titles by three shots over Russell Henley and Patrick Cantlay.

And Fleetwood did so with one of the most unique and interesting setups on the PGA Tour.

Drivers

It starts with the fact that Fleetwood plays a mini driver instead of a 3-wood, something he’s done since TaylorMade released the BRNR Mini in 2023. That same BRNR Mini was in his bag until this summer, when he swapped it out for the updated R7 Quad Mini at the Travelers Championship.

The mini-driver switch also led to a shaft change in both his mini and regular driver, a Qi35 (DOT) head, back to the Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6-X shaft, the same shaft Fleetwood had played the last couple of seasons. He tried out the 2024 Ventus Red 6-X with VeloCore+ in both clubs to start this season, but noticed his spin was creeping up, thus necessitating the switch.

With Fleetwood staying in the Ventus family, the line has now won 61.5 percent of PGA Tour events this season.

Since the change in Hartford, where he ultimately lost to Keegan Bradley in heartbreaking fashion on the 72nd hole, Fleetwood has improved his strokes gained: off-the-tee ranking more than 20 spots from 62 to 41st on Tour. His driving accuracy also improved 10 spots to 26th on Tour.

And while he isn’t one of the Tour’s longest hitters, ranking outside the top 100 in distance this season, he has averaged more than 300 yards off the tee in all but one start since the shaft change to the stiffer profile TR Blue.

Gear

At the other end of the bag, Fleetwood has one of the more unique putters on the PGA Tour, a new Spider Tour Black he got this year with custom Sharpie lines along the top line to help him get centered over the golf ball. The lines were initially aimed at copying the micro mill marks on TaylorMade’s then-prototype Spider ZT putter.

“Initially, I had drawn some Sharpie lines on the Tour for testing to see what he wanted the Lab to make,” TaylorMade putter rep James Holley told GOLF back in May. “He ended up liking the sharpie lines and did not want to change it. The lines on the Spider Tour allowed him to not use a line on the ball and be more ‘athletic’ over the ball. The toe hang of the Tour Short Slant gave him a nice opening of the club face in the back stroke and allowed him to release the putter nicely.”

But the goodies in his bag don’t stop there. From playing Tiger Woods’ signature P7TW irons to being one of the leading pioneers of 9-wood usage on the PGA Tour, keep reading below for all of FedEx Cup Champion Tommy Fleetwood’s specs.

Tommy Fleetwood’s winning WITB at the 2025 Tour Championship

Driver: TaylorMade Qi35 (DOT) 10.5˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6-X Velocore
Actual Loft: 9.8˚
Lie: 58.5˚
FCT Sleeve: STD/UP
Weights: 15 g forward, 5 g back
Length: 45.25″ EOG
Tipping: 1″
Swingweight: D3

TaylorMade Qi35 Custom Driver

$599.99 $449.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Fujikura Ventus TR Blue Wood Shaft

NEW FOR 2022! Introducing a new profile to the lineup, VENTUS TR. Born from the continuous quest for improvement and backed by enso®–driven analytics and Tour feedback, VENTUS TR builds upon one of the most trusted and best-selling wood shafts in Fujikura history. TR is a new mid launch, low spin profile in the VENTUS line. Welcome to the next level of VENTUS performance.

$350.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Mini Driver: TaylorMade R7 Quad Mini 13.5˚ @ 13˚ (10g Toe, 15g Heel, 2x 3g back, 2˚ FCT Sleeve at 1 click lower than Upright)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6-X (Tipped 1″, 43.5″ EOG, D4)

TaylorMade R7 Quad Custom Mini Driver

PERFORMANCE FOR THE MODERN PLAYER Inspired by one of the most iconic models in TaylorMade history, the R7 Quad Mini Driver pays homage to what’s come before, while creating its own modern identity in the same breath. It’s that very modern design that incorporates proven TaylorMade technologies to give golfers versatility and playability. R7 QUAD WEIGHTING SYSTEM The new quad weighting system features four movable weights (13g x2, 4g x2) that provide the ultimate in spin management and shot shape control. Forward CG creates a penetrating flight best suited for maximizing distance whereas rear CG helps prioritize control and ease of use from the deck. Shot shape can also be fine-tuned helping create the most optimal flight. Additional weights can be purchased for a wider range of adjustability. INFINITY CARBON CROWN A new satin Infinity Carbon Crown has been added to the R7 Quad Mini Driver chassis creating a stunning look while saving weight for better mass optimization. The cosmetic package is clean, elegant, and confidence-inspiring.

$479.99 from Fairway Jockey

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5-wood: TaylorMade Qi35 bonded 18˚ @ 17.5˚
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage 80TX (Tipped 2″, 42.25″ EOG, D4)

TaylorMade Qi35 Custom Fairway Wood

$349.99 $299.99 from Fairway Jockey

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9-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 24@22.5˚
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage 80TX (Tipped 2″, 41.5″ EOG, D4)

Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 5-PW
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Lofts: 26/30/34/38/42/47
Lies: 59/59.5/60/60.5/61/61.5
Length: +.25″ (37.25″ 7-iron)
Swingweight: D4

TaylorMade P7TW Custom Irons

MILLED GRIND SOLE DEBUT Milled Grind eliminates variances in sole geometry from head to head and ensures precision in every iron set, while the CNC machined sole geometry and a precise leading edge promote consistent turf interaction. TIGER’S FINGERPRINT Each iron has been meticulously shaped to meet Tiger’s discerning eye—longer blade length, thinner topline, progressive face height, and more.  

$249.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Wedges: TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 (52-9 ATS), TaylorMade MG Proto (56-12 SB, 60-10 SB)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Lie: 61.5˚
Length: 35.5″, 35.25″, 35″ EOG
Swingweight: D4

TaylorMade Milled Grind 5 Custom Wedge

FORGED FEEL Incredible feel is a must for having a great wedge game. MG5 has been forged from soft carbon steel and designed with geometry to provide excellent feel with great feedback. MAXIMUM SPIN MG5 uses all-new, more aggressive grooves designed to maximize spin. Saw-milled grooves produce tighter tolerances allowing engineers to design steeper walls and sharper radii intended to maximize spin in both dry and damp conditions. PERFORMANCE IN ALL CONDITIONS RAW face with Spin Tread technology channels away moisture to help retain spin. The same way that tire treads help your car stay connected to the road, laser-etched channels redirect water at impact and creates more friction between the club face and golf ball to maintain spin in wet conditions. CRAFTSMANSHIP MEETS CONSISTENCY  Crafted by hand and then milled to perfection. Each wedge and sole grind are precision-milled to eliminate the natural human error that comes with hand polishing. Our grinds deliver unmatched consistency and craftsmanship that players can count on every time. CHARCOAL FINISH MG5 debuts a sleek, sophisticated charcoal finish that reduces glare and enhances its aesthetic appeal in the bag.

$199.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Putter: Spider Tour Black
Neck: Short slant
Insert: Pure Roll
Loft: 2.5˚
Lie: 69˚
Length: 34″
Swingweight: E0
Grip: SuperStroke 2.0 Mid Slim

TaylorMade 2025 Spider Tour Black Custom Putter

BLACK PVD FINISH The durable PVD coating creates a beautiful high-quality finish with sole plate, back badge and copper accents. TRUE PATH™ ALIGNMENT The patented alignment system provides visual clarity and helps golfers better envision the line to the hole. WHITE TPU PURE ROLL™ INSERTMade from a combination of Surlyn and aluminum, the white TPU Pure Roll™ insert creates a softer feel.Grooves are angled at 45° to encourage optimal forward roll as well as better sound, feel and overall roll characteristics. The white insert also creates better symmetry with the white True Path alignment. THIN WALL UNDERCUT CONSTRUCTION We’ve engineered a super stable structure by removing excess weight to create high MOI and legendary Spider performance. HYBRAR ECHO®DAMPENER HYBRAR is behind the face to dampen unwanted vibrations, delivering premium sound and feelon every putt with the best possible sensation. TSS WEIGHTING TSS weights provide balanced weighting and help optimize performance for all various putter lengths. STEEL WIREFRAME Allows engineers to better control weight distribution and CG location.

$349.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Ball: 2024 TaylorMade TP5x Pix

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet BCT 58 RD (woods and wedges), Iomic Sticky Blue 2.3 Round set at 11:30 (slightly open, irons)

Want to overhaul your bag for 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Tommy Fleetwood’s clubs: Inside his Tour Championship-winning setup appeared first on Golf.

The post Rising star Luke Clanton’s golf bag is trusted mix of new and old | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post Rising star Luke Clanton’s golf bag is trusted mix of new and old | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

As the PGA Tour season closes out at the Tour Championship, there’s one player not at East Lake this year who figures to be in the conversation at the FedEx Cup finale for years to come.

Rookie Luke Clanton didn’t make it to the playoffs this season after making eight starts upon joining the PGA Tour through its PGA Tour University Accelerated program, but he’s already shown he’s got serious game.

Clanton finished runner-up twice in 2024 and had back-to-back top-10 finishes, becoming the first amateur in over 60 years to do so, and quickly secured his Tour card for the rest of 2025 and 2026.

While there’s certainly an adjustment period after turning professional, there’s a good chance Clanton could win soon, either in the fall or when the calendar turns to 2026.

We took snapshots of Clanton’s bag at the Travelers Championship in June and consulted with his fitter, TaylorMade’s Cory Johnson, to get this inside look at the rising star’s golf bag.

Golf ball

2023 Titleist Pro V1.

Notes: Back in June, Clanton admitted to PGATour.com that he wasn’t much of a gearhead — claiming that he can’t “tell you what my loft/lie is or my degree or whatever it could be” — but he does like to stick with what works. Just like staying with the previous generation Titleist Pro V1 golf ball, you’ll note that same trend throughout the bag.

Clanton switched to the ’23 Pro V1 right when it came out, while he was in college at Florida State and he really liked the feel, spin and performance. The ball gave him the ability to hit more types of shots, be more aggressive with improved stopping power on a variety of shots around the green.

Driver

Titleist TSR2 8˚ @ 7˚ (SureFit setting: B1, Lie: 60˚)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kali White 70 TX (45.625″ EOG, Tipped 1″, D7)

Titleist GT2 Custom Driver

GT2 — Speed & Forgiveness Across The Face For players who don’t always find the center of the face and need the stability of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed. Speed & Forgiveness Across The Face Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, GT2 extracts maximum performance through forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed. Seamless Thermoform Crown A reimagined ultra-lightweight design, born from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The tunable acoustic properties of this unique composite allow Titleist engineers to realize new material gains while maintaining our signature sound and feel. All wrapped in a clean look that inspires total confidence. Split Mass Construction GT2 delivers a powerful balance of forgiveness and speed thanks to a breakthrough in internal weighting. Mass is shifted to the back of the clubhead to increase MOI for better stability, while also pushing weight low and forward to optimize speed and spin. The result is a driver that frees you to swing with confidence.

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Mini Driver

TaylorMade BRNR Mini 13.5˚ @ 14.5˚ (FCT Setting: STD, 1.5 g Front, 1.5 g Back, Lie: 57.75˚)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black Gen. 4 70TX (43.5″ EOG, Tipped 1.5″, D2)

TaylorMade R7 Quad Custom Mini Driver

PERFORMANCE FOR THE MODERN PLAYER Inspired by one of the most iconic models in TaylorMade history, the R7 Quad Mini Driver pays homage to what’s come before, while creating its own modern identity in the same breath. It’s that very modern design that incorporates proven TaylorMade technologies to give golfers versatility and playability. R7 QUAD WEIGHTING SYSTEM The new quad weighting system features four movable weights (13g x2, 4g x2) that provide the ultimate in spin management and shot shape control. Forward CG creates a penetrating flight best suited for maximizing distance whereas rear CG helps prioritize control and ease of use from the deck. Shot shape can also be fine-tuned helping create the most optimal flight. Additional weights can be purchased for a wider range of adjustability. INFINITY CARBON CROWN A new satin Infinity Carbon Crown has been added to the R7 Quad Mini Driver chassis creating a stunning look while saving weight for better mass optimization. The cosmetic package is clean, elegant, and confidence-inspiring.

$479.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Notes: Clanton is one of an ever-growing number of Tour pros who employ a mini driver instead of a 3-wood, and, according to Johnson, it’s Clanton’s favorite club in the bag.

“Luke has a lot of speed and generally sees shots with a lot of curve,” Johnson said. The Mini allowed him to fill a gap off the tee for when driver is getting into tight areas. Also, he can play a big cut with it off the ground if needed for really long par-5s.”

While Clanton’s BRNR Mini is set in the standard FCT sleeve, the head is actually 14.5˚, which helps him dial back his impressive speed (which would have been 12th on Tour last season had he qualified).

With such great speed, Clanton obviously appreciates the added forgiveness of the mini driver over the smaller-headed 3-wood.

5-wood

*Clanton has since switched from Qi10 to Qi35 in his 5-wood

TaylorMade Qi35 17.5˚ (Lie: 59˚)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Black Gen. 4 6.5 95 (41.625″ EOG, Tipped 2″, D4)

TaylorMade Qi35 Custom Fairway Wood

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Driving Irons

TaylorMade Stealth UDI 18˚ (Lie: 58˚)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10-X (39.5″ EOG, D3.5)

TaylorMade 2022 P770 3-iron (20˚, Lie 60˚)
Shaft: Nippon N.S.Pro Modus3 130 X (39″ EOG, D2)

TaylorMade P770 Custom Irons

SOLID FORGED FEEL Improved for a more solid feel like never before. The 2024 P•770 has been strategically tuned using a player’s forged construction and modal analysis to create a notable improvement and the best feeling P•770 to date. MODERN PLAYERS IRON TaylorMade’s FLTD CG™ coupled with precision milled face and grooves, deliver the launch and spin modern players demand. Designed with forgiving, high launching long irons and lower launching, high spinning scoring irons for accuracy and control. CONSISTENCY Consistent ball striking and accurate shot making from a forged iron construction designed with meticulous mass optimization and an updated tungsten weight design for more forgiving long irons. REFINED SHAPING Refined shaping for a cleaner look and improved turf interaction. The 2024 P•770 has a thinner topline visual balanced with a confidence inspiring, compact head shape. A newly modified leading edge design helps deliver consistent shot making and crisp turf interaction.

$200.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Notes: Clanton will alternate between the 5-wood, 2-iron and 3-iron depending on course setup, but it’s the P770 3-iron that gets the call most days.

“The P770 is the usual gamer unless the course set-up is dictating something different,” Johnson said. “The UDI is his go-to off-the-tee stinger club, while the 5-wood is the opposite: a high launch, max landing angle club for par-5s. The 3-iron is that middle ground where he can hit it low when he wants to and also launch it high and soft.”

That Modus 130 X shaft is the same shaft you’ll find in the rest of his irons, which should tell you something about just how much speed Clanton posesses.

Irons

1/2

2/2

TaylorMade P760 (4-6) and P7MB (7-9)
Loft Progression: 22/25/29/34/38/42
Lie Progression: 60.5/59/61/62/63.5/63.5
Length: 37″ EOG 7-iron
Swignweight: D2-D2.5
Shafts: Nippon N.S.Pro Modus3 130 X

Notes: While Clanton has the newer TaylorMade P7MBs for his short irons, his long irons are the P760, an iron that was released when Clanton was just 14 years old in late 2018. Ironically, though, Johnson first built a set for Clanton later that same year.

“I went back and looked at the first build I had for him in the P760s,” he said. “He eventually went to all blades and ended up putting the 760s back in a mixed set. He actually eBay’d some backups in the 760s earlier this year that we took apart and put back together in his specs. That iron just has a great look from the top with a lot of technology to help get the ball flight higher in the long irons.”

Even for a player with as much speed as Clanton, he still realizes the higher he can flight his long irons, the more accurate he can be, especially on firm PGA Tour greens.

Also, take note how Clanton’s lie progression is not progressive as it goes flatter from 4-iron to 5-iron, then jumps by more than a degree to 6-iron and then eventually has both the 8- and 9-iron at 63.5˚.

“He was seeing some lefts and we were just bending it until we matched up a shot shape that he expected to see,” Johnson said of the 5-iron being flatter than the 4-iron. He added that he expects it to get more upright again in the future.

This just goes to show the work Johnson and Clanton have done to ensure that every club does exactly what Clanton wants it to.

Wedges

*Clanton has since switched from MG4 to MG5 in his wedges.

TaylorMade MG5 (46.08SB, 50.09SB, 54.12SB, 58.08LB)
Length: +.25″
Lie: 64˚
Shafts: Nippon N.S.Pro Modus3 125 X
Swingweight: D4

TaylorMade Milled Grind 5 Custom Wedge

FORGED FEEL Incredible feel is a must for having a great wedge game. MG5 has been forged from soft carbon steel and designed with geometry to provide excellent feel with great feedback. MAXIMUM SPIN MG5 uses all-new, more aggressive grooves designed to maximize spin. Saw-milled grooves produce tighter tolerances allowing engineers to design steeper walls and sharper radii intended to maximize spin in both dry and damp conditions. PERFORMANCE IN ALL CONDITIONS RAW face with Spin Tread technology channels away moisture to help retain spin. The same way that tire treads help your car stay connected to the road, laser-etched channels redirect water at impact and creates more friction between the club face and golf ball to maintain spin in wet conditions. CRAFTSMANSHIP MEETS CONSISTENCY  Crafted by hand and then milled to perfection. Each wedge and sole grind are precision-milled to eliminate the natural human error that comes with hand polishing. Our grinds deliver unmatched consistency and craftsmanship that players can count on every time. CHARCOAL FINISH MG5 debuts a sleek, sophisticated charcoal finish that reduces glare and enhances its aesthetic appeal in the bag.

$199.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Notes: While Clanton has never been one to jump into new gear, that was not the case when TaylorMade showed him the new MG5 wedges.

“Luke switched into all the new MG5 product during the week of Wyndham,” Johnson said. “We had them already built and ready for him to test when he stepped on the trailer on Monday that week. Spent about 20 minutes on the range going through them and he handed me back his MG4s and said to put them in his locker. He loved the forged feel off the clubhead and felt the turf interaction was much cleaner.”

Putter

*Clanton had been partial to this Spider GT, but is now in a Spider Tour V.

TaylorMade Spider Tour V7
Sight line: Mid-length single sight line
Insert: Pure Roll
Length: 34”
Loft: 2.5˚
Lie: 69˚
Grip: Taylormade White Cap, 4 wraps

TaylorMade Spider Tour X Double Bend Custom Putter

  THIN WALL UNDERCUT CONSTRUCTION We’ve engineered a super stable structure by removing excess weight to create high MOI and legendary Spider performance. STEEL WIREFRAME Allows engineers to better control weight distribution and CG location. HYBRAR ECHO® DAMPENER HYBRAR is behind the face to dampen unwanted vibrations, delivering premium sound and feel on every putt with the best possible sensation. DIFFERENT CG LOCATION Each Spider Tour model features different CG locations for optimal putter fitting. TSS WEIGHTING TSS weights provide balanced weighting and help optimize performance for all various putter lengths. GUNMETAL PVD FINISH The durable PVD coating creates a beautiful high-quality finish. TRUE PATH™ ALIGNMENT The patented alignment system provides visual clarity and helps golfers better envision the line to the hole. WHITE TPU PURE ROLL™ INSERT Made from a combination of Surlyn and aluminum, the white TPU Pure Roll™ insert creates a softer feel. Grooves are angled at 45° to encourage optimal forward roll as well as better sound, feel and overall roll characteristics. The white insert also creates better symmetry with the white True Path alignment. REFINED HOSEL DESIGNS Spider Tour Series includes two different hosel shapes and designs. The small slant produces toe hang, and the double bend produces a face balanced design.

$349.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Notes: Clanton had been rolling the pictured Spider GT, but recently made a switch to a new TaylorMade Spider Tour V, the company’s most forward CG mallet.

“Luke has had that GT in the bag basically since his senior year in high school and has always gravitated towards a high MOI style of mallet,” Johnson said. “We set him up with four new Spider options to test out at the Scottish Open and he ended up switching to the Spider V, with a No. 7 neck.  He’s been gaming that one since coming back over to the States.”

Grips

Golf Pride Z Cord Midsize, Logo Down, 1 wrap

Notes: Clanton is one of just a handful of players on Tour who prefer softer midsize grips to standard size grips with extra wraps of tape to make them firmer.

“As the guy who regrips his clubs, I thank him for not going with like six wraps and it taking twice as long,” Johnson joked.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Rising star Luke Clanton’s golf bag is trusted mix of new and old | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post How LIV rookie Josele Luis Ballester built set for his insane speed | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post How LIV rookie Josele Luis Ballester built set for his insane speed | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

There is definitely something different about Josele Luis Ballester.

Ask anyone around the collegiate game and they’ll tell you the former Arizona State Sun Devil and 2024 U.S. Amateur champion was either the or at the very least among the top two players to come out of college this year. He’s the definition of the modern golfer: athletic, fast (195+ mph with the driver), can overpower any course on the planet — and, yes, he’s young (only 21). The youth surge is real in golf and is becoming more and more like professional tennis. These kids coming outta school are not only ready to win but also typically all have that one thing every golfer desires: speed. Even the slower elite college players possess 170+ mph ball speed. It’s a different game than it was 15 years ago, and Ballester is the prototype example of that.

Fitting someone with Ballester’s speed is no easy task, because his speed comes more from brute strength than technique. In other words, he’s a raw athlete who doesn’t play the tee-it-high-and-hit-up-on-it game; his angle of attack is down, his launch is low and the amount of attention he must pay to his spin is probably more critical than most. Why? At sub-8 degrees of launch and 195 mph+ you need every rotation of spin you can find to keep the ball in the air. Last player I can remember like this was Cameron Champ.

I had a chance to go through Ballester’s bag with Ping’s LIV rep, Spencer Rothluebber, who offered some interesting insight into Ballester’s setup.

JW: When fitting someone with Ballester’s speed and launch conditions, what do you have to stay mindful of?

SR: Iron and wedges wise, not much different than any other player. Metal woods are where it differs. Josele is either level or negative on his attack angle so where your norms on Tour of 12 launch and 2,300 spin would be perfect for most, it’s not enough juice to keep the ball in the air. He’s looking in the 7-8 launch in the 2,700-2,900 RPM range.

Another unique thing about his setup is he prefers softer feeling shafts. We do this because he doesn’t want to miss shots left and primarily only hits a fade off the tee. A higher lofted driver is also preferred so he can have the feeling of covering the ball, while still being able to launch it. Hence the MCA Diamana RF, which has a stiff handle yet softer tip profile. He plays his driver at D4+, which to some would feel like a rock at the end of a bull whip. Perfect for how he delivers the club. You’ll find a good number of Tour players want an AOA at closer to zero for control and with the proper make-up of loft, CG and shaft, you can re-create optimal launch conditions without having to “swing up” on it. That’s why getting fit is so important.

JW: What did he gain switching from the Ping Crossover driving iron to iDi? 

SR: Turf interaction was the most important thing. The iDi was significantly better through the turf, and sound/feel was also better from Crossover to iDi. Turf interaction with everything longer than a 3-wood is so important; it has influence on strike point, which in turn has a direct effect on launch, spin, etc. We always have to be mindful of that especially with someone at his speed.

JW: What’s the most difficult aspect of dialing in his bag? 

SR: Due to his speed, wedges are difficult. I have tried to promote adding another wedge to allow more stock-number shots because his speed makes it tough to control his distances. This is the plight of any real long hitter: gapping can get funky and it’s usually at the bottom of the bag. The players that prioritize short irons/wedges and really evolve in that area (a la Dustin Johnson) seem to have the greatest success. Essentially, it’s teaching a knockout puncher to also be a technician. Not simple for some — it takes a ton of work and commitment.

JW: Any of his Trackman data catch your eye? 

SR: Anytime I see a Tour pro at 200 mph [of ball speed], it’s always crazy to witness.

Here is Josele Luis Ballester’s full setup:

Driver: G430 LST 10.5 @ 9.25 (Big-)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diaman RF 70TX (Tip 1, 45.25 EOG, D4+)

Mini-Driver: TaylorMade BRNR 13.5
Shaft: MCA Kuro Kage 80TX (43.5 EOG, D4)

Utility Iron: Ping iDi #2 18
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT UT 125TX (39.75, D3)

PING iDi Custom Driving Iron

The iDi marks a big step forward in driving iron and long-iron performance, giving better golfers the flexibility of three loft choices to fit their distance number and trajectory window. Loft offerings are optimized for launch and spin in 2, 3 & 4 irons with a thinner, forged maraging steel face that flexes to increase ball speed and distance. The 2 is a traditional driving iron, delivering low launch and spin. The 3 (mid launch, mid spin) is designed as a driving iron or long-iron replacement. The 4 launches higher with more spin, making it easier to hold greens and is also recommended as a long iron replacement. The 17-4 stainless steel head is both deeper front to back and shallower, which allows for 15% higher MOI on high/low impacts, and makes room for the new inR-Air technology. inR-Air is a pocket of air in the clubhead that damps sound and improves feel. The covered cavity and i-Beam structure help reduce vibration. In addition, iDi is shorter heel-to-toe to make it easier to tun over. For control in shot making, each iDi is approximately 1/4″ shorter and 1° flatter. 

$269.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Irons: (4) Ping IBlade (5-PW) Ping Blueprint (1 flat, std length, D2+)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X7
Lofts: 23/27/30.5/34/38/42/46

Wedges: Ping Glide Pro Forged (50/10S, 54/10S, 58/10S)
Shafts: Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (Std length, D5)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X (34 inches, 2.5 loft)
Grip: Golf Pride Pro Only Cord

TaylorMade 2025 Spider Tour X Black L-Neck Custom Putter

  SPIDER TOUR X L-NECK For nearly two decades Spider putters have been delivering championship-winning stability and performance to professionals and amateurs alike. Scottie Scheffler recently joined this group by stepping into the winner’s circle for the third time in four starts with a Spider Tour X L-Neck in the bag. TRUE PATH™ ALIGNMENT Navigate the greens with clarity with the optically-engineered True Path™ Alignment system. This legacy tech from TaylorMade helps you better visualize the line to the hole while also making it easier to aim the putter towards your target. WHITE TPU PURE ROLL™ INSERT Experience a softer feel with our White TPU Pure Roll™ insert. Crafted from a blend of Surlyn and aluminum, it features grooves angled at 45° for optimal forward roll and better overall roll characteristics. PRECISION WEIGHTING AND DESIGN A thin wall undercut and steel wireframe allow for precision CG placement, creating a superstructure with enhanced stability and forgiveness.

$349.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Chord

The post How LIV rookie Josele Luis Ballester built set for his insane speed | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post What’s in our gear editor’s bag for 2025? Some choices might surprise you | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

The post What’s in our gear editor’s bag for 2025? Some choices might surprise you | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.

I’ll say this up front, my golf game is in serious decline. No sense in trying to play it up. It’s a train wreck.

The cause isn’t hard to identify: I’m 48, father of two young boys, travel 120-plus days a year and a living proof that people in my line of work — brace yourselves! — actually don’t play a lot of golf. If I get in 20 rounds a year with maybe three or four range visits, I feel like I’ve hit the lotto. Keep in mind that testing equipment and creating content around equipment is not playing golf. They are short bursts of energy that are a blast and also fundamental to educating the masses about the nuances of golf clubs, but those creation sessions are not a recipe for playing great golf.

The last six years have been grim: ball-striking, speed, you name it, all going the wrong way. Making matters worse, I have developed a ton of bad habits over the years that have led me down this path . (Also…golf is hard.) The cool thing is this, though, even despite the dumpster fire that is my game, sometimes (maybe four or fives times per year) the old Johnny magically reappears and my sticks, my ball and I become a happy family again.

My 2025 journey to building the best brand-agnostic bag for my game was an interesting one. But first an important disclosure: For those who don’t know my background, until recently I was a Callaway staffer. In my new position as GOLF’s director of gear, it’s, of course, essential that I remain impartial and unbiased, so for the purposes of this bag-building exercise I excluded Callaway from the mix (with the exception of my 3-wood; sorry, couldn’t be avoided!).

This wasn’t easy, given I’ve grown to absolutely love Callaway’s clubs, but this this year I decided to wean myself off of their gear to make room for new information. Also, please none of what you’ll read below or watch above is an endorsement for what should go in your bag; these are simply choices that worked for my game.

Here are my 4 biggest takeaways:

1. With age comes wisdom: My handicap is 0.8, but I cannot play to that day in and day out. I don’t have my fastball anymore, and that’s perfectly fine. No use pretending I’m something I’m not. I used to be a great long-iron player; I’m not anymore. That’s why you see a 4-hybrid, 5-hybrid and more forgiving driver. I used to have great hands around the greens, meaning low bounce wedges were a no brainer — not anymore. Now, bounce is my friend. You see where I’m going here?

2. Loft is good for me: I learned this from Lucas Bro, a fitter at the Titleist Performance Institute. My path to consistency demands that I lean more into control and miss mitigation than trying to hit my 7-iron 180 yards. This is why the lofts on my irons live closer to my 1998 specs than ever before.

3. I’m not as fast as I was, not even close: I was never modern fast, never a 175-mph guy, maybe never even clipping the 170 mark. But I was always in the 165+ range and cruising with killer launch conditions: 13 degrees at 2,100 RPM of spin slightly right-to-left. . .all day long. I played that way for years and could always rely on my driver as a weapon. Over the past few years, however, my swing has slowed down and occasionally gets crooked. The first piece of gear that I felt could get me back to where I was: the Titleist GT2 driver, which offers an attractive combination of a neutral CG, fast face and cleverly designed chassis. I now feel that slowly but surely this setup can get me back to a place where the driver is a stroke-gainer and not a decliner.

Gear

4. There’s a reason Pro V1X is on top: Of all my learnings, this was by far the biggest surprise. Yes, I know Titleist balls reign supreme by every metric, but I was convinced for years that the Callaway ball I was married to was the greatest thing since the John Wick franchise. I wasn’t wrong. I tested every major brand’s balls over the years, and in the air my old ball stacked up as one of the best I’ve ever played. It did everything I needed and then some. But Pro V1x 2025 was an eye-opener. It wasn’t the speed, spin, launch, etc., that caught my attention — all the top-shelf balls I tested deliver across those categories.

It was the feel that grabbed me. The feel off of a wedge with Pro V1x is unique to that ball; there is nothing like it. It’s that sensation that the ball is sticking to the face just a hair longer, providing an extra millisecond of control that other balls don’t match. The upside? Well, for me, it inspires greenside confidence and, most important, recreates that feel I had chipping balatas around Rainier G&CC in Seattle when I was a teenager: that click followed by a rip of spin that you get from that first bounce. Hard to articulate in written form but for any Pro V1x player out there, you know what I’m talking about. Typically balls that provide that kind of feeling make you sacrifice something else. This ball does not. It’s special.

The goal now is to take this new bag of goodies and start to rebuild my game. I want to play the best golf of my life in my 50s, and step 1 was accepting that I’m not a kid anymore and, yes, there will and always be limitations, be they physical or logistical. I can get there, though. My biggest priority now is raising my floor to where my worst golf is still pretty damn good. The good days will show up sometimes, but trying to guess when those days might come is a futile tactic.

I have logged 12 rounds in 2025: a 71, two 74s, a 75, a 76, three 77s, two 78s, an 81 and an 83. Truth be told, the sub-75 rounds were blind luck; I just happened to roll outta the right side of bed those mornings. There was no evidence to suggest those kind of scores were possible, considering how bad my ball-striking has been. But that’s golf.

But, what the hell…let’s give it another shot, shall we?

OK, here we go. My own personal WITB bag for 2025:

Ball: Pro V1x 2025

Pro V1x 2025

Pro V1x is recommended to players who are looking for high-trajectory flight, low long game spin with maximum short game spin, and firmer feel.

$55/dozen from Titleist

Driver: Titleist GT2 9@8.25 (D1 setting, D3)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red Velo+ 6X (Tipped 1, 45.25)

Titleist GT2 Custom Driver

GT2 — Speed & Forgiveness Across The Face For players who don’t always find the center of the face and need the stability of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed. Speed & Forgiveness Across The Face Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, GT2 extracts maximum performance through forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed. Seamless Thermoform Crown A reimagined ultra-lightweight design, born from a new Proprietary Matrix Polymer. The tunable acoustic properties of this unique composite allow Titleist engineers to realize new material gains while maintaining our signature sound and feel. All wrapped in a clean look that inspires total confidence. Split Mass Construction GT2 delivers a powerful balance of forgiveness and speed thanks to a breakthrough in internal weighting. Mass is shifted to the back of the clubhead to increase MOI for better stability, while also pushing weight low and forward to optimize speed and spin. The result is a driver that frees you to swing with confidence.

$649.00 $449.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Also available at: PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE

3-Wood: Callaway Ai-Smoke TD T 14@14.5 (D3)
Shaft: Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red Velo+ 7X (Tipped 1, 42.75)
Carry (Stock 80%): 250

Fujikura Ventus Red Wood Shaft (Previous Gen)

The Fujikura Ventus Red utilizes a Tour-inspired profile and the first to include Fujikura’s all new VeloCore Technology in an accelerated taper, ultra stiff tip profile. Maximum energy transfer from the tip section boosts the clubhead’s performance and a straight taper design enhances loading and feel. You can purchase the Fujikura Ventus Red in the following models: 6, 7, and 8.  You can buy the Fujikura Ventus Red with the adaptor sleeve of choice built to your required specifications. JOCKEY TIP: The Fujikura Ventus Red is ideal for the player looking for a mid launch, mid spin shaft that was designed to significantly tighten shot dispersion and maximize ball speed especially on off-center shots. This is the hightest launching shaft in the Ventus shaft family. 

$350.00 from Fairway Jockey

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5-Wood: TaylorMade Qi35 18 (D3)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X (Tipped 1, 41.5)
Carry (Stock 80%): 230

TaylorMade Qi35 Custom Fairway Wood

$349.99 $299.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Also available at: PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE

Hybrids: Ping G440 4H, 5H (D4)
Shafts: Graphite Design AD DI HY 95X
Lofts: 22/25
Carry (stock 80%): 4H (215) 5H (200)

PING G440 Custom Hybrid

The G440 hybrids appeal to a variety of skill levels, each engineered to deliver different ball- flight characteristics – from the slightly fade-biased 2 hybrid for off-the-tee performance to the draw-inducing 5, 6 and 7 hybrids that help optimize gapping. They all share a new, shallower and thinner face design, which improves face contact for more ball speed and higher-launching shots that hit and hold the green.  FLIES HIGH LANDS SOFT Optimized launch and spin ensure distance with stopping power.  FREE-HOSEL DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, optimize launch/spin and increase forgiveness.  ROUNDED SOLE  Ensures pleasing face angle in all hosel settings  CARBONFLY WRAP  Lightweight carbon crown saves weight to increase MOI, lower CG. 

$319.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Also available at: PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE

Irons: (6-PW) Titleist T150 (6) T100 (7-PW)
Shafts: Nippon Pro Modus3 120S (Std Lie, D4)
Lofts (Stock 80%): 29/34/39/43/47
Carry: (6-LW) 185/170/155/140/125/115/105/80

Titleist 2025 T100 Custom Irons

Unmatched precision meets unrivaled feel with T100 Irons. Fully forged with more aggressive grooves in the mid/short irons, T100 offers pure player’s feel with improved consistency in variable conditions. Now with higher long-iron launch for optimal trajectory control in every club. Forged Player’s Design   Masterfully forged into a pure player’s design that offers precision control and buttery feel. Superior Flight and Stability  Split High-Density Tungsten produces optimal CG with remarkable stability for precise shotmaking. Consistent Speed & Spin  New VFT technology and progressive groove design for consistent spin and speed across the face in variable conditions. Elevated Long-Iron Launch  Lower CG and a new muscle channel help improve peak height and carry. 

$215.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Also available at: PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE

Wedges: Vokey SM10 50/12F, 54/08M, 60A+
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (D4)

Titleist Vokey SM10 Raw Custom Wedge

For every shot, every lie, every course, there’s a grind fit for your swing. Finding the right grind to match your swing and playing conditions will give you the best turf interaction, contact and shot performance. Master Craftsman Bob Vokey has spent decades crafting, developing and improving his tour proven grinds to fit players of all levels.Anyone can manufacture a wedge, but it takes a master to turn a piece of high-performance technology into an instrument of creative control. Bob’s six tour-proven grinds are designed to offer maximum creativity, versatility and consistency, all meticulously developed through years of working with the best players in the world. PROGRESSIVE CENTER OF GRAVITY SM9 features a progressive center of gravity (CG) throughout the lofts, which optimizes ball flight, accuracy and forgiveness. Using tapered top lines and varied hosel lengths, the Vokey R&D team has raised the height of the CG in the higher lofts, which promotes a lower, more controlled flight.The CG is also forward of the face, resulting in increased MOI, exceptional feel and a club face that simply wants to square up at impact. SPIN MILLED GROOVES SM9’s patented Spin Milled grooves are meticulously engineered through a new cutting process to maximize spin and durability. The process starts by cutting the face perfectly flat with a high-speed saw. Then every groove is individually cut based on loft and finish; low lofts (46°-54°) are designed with narrower, deeper grooves, while higher lofts (56°-62°) have wider, shallower grooves.Micro-grooves are individually cut in between grooves, which maximize spin on partial shots. A proprietary heat treatment is applied to the impact area which doubles the durability of the groove without impacting feel, making it the most durable groove in golf. The process is only complete when every Vokey wedge is 100% inspected for utmost quality and performance.

$225.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Putter: Odyssey JailBird DBL (36 inches, 600G, 3 loft, 70 lie)

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align 1+1

The post What’s in our gear editor’s bag for 2025? Some choices might surprise you | Bag Spy appeared first on Golf.