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NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
Sergio García won the 2017 Masters playing TaylorMade equipment, but when he makes his first 2018 start, it will be with Callaway gear. García, who was already using an Odyssey putter, will add Callaway woods, irons and wedges to his bag, and use the firm’s Chrome Soft ball, the company announced last week. He began the transition by adding a Callaway wedge to his bag on the way to winning the European Tour’s Andalucía Valderrama Masters last October.
Callaway also added Si Woo Kim, Xander Schauffele (both also leaving TaylorMade) and Hudson Swafford (shifting from Bridgestone) to its stable. Kim won the 2017 Players Championship, while the latter pair also won last year, with Schauffele grabbing PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors thanks to his Greenbrier Classic and Tour Championship triumphs. Schauffele already had been using an Odyssey putter and will switch from his TaylorMade irons, which he used during the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua last week, once he gets a proper fitting from Callaway.
Kim and Schauffele, along with Daniel Berger, Wesley Bryan, Adam Hadwin and Kevin Kisner, added a prototype Callaway wedge to their bags last week.
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Elsewhere on the Kapalua range and beyond:
Dustin Johnson won the Sentry Tournament of Champions with TaylorMade's M4 driver, having replaced the M3 after finding added length. ... Jon Rahm, who finished second to Johnson at Kapalua, has switched to TaylorMade’s M4 driver from the company’s M2. ...Titleist added Brian Harman to its professional staff. The left-hander was previously with TaylorMade. He switched to a 917 D2 driver, trading spin rate for more length, at Kapalua. ... Grayson Murray, whose 2017 Barbasol Championship victory got him to Kapalua, has signed a deal with Srixon Golf. He’ll play the Srixon Z-Star XV ball, plus use Srixon Z 945 irons up to pitching wedge, plus a trio of Cleveland RTX Custom wedges. ... Ryan Armour added a trio of Titleist Vokey Design SM7 prototype wedges – 46, 52 and 58 degrees – to his bag. … Francesco Molinari has signed with Bettinardi for 2018. He has used the BB56 mallet putter since last year’s Italian Open. ... Patrick Reed signed an apparel deal with Nike, which left the equipment business in 2016. Reed’s bag has recently been a mix of clubs from his previous deal with Callaway, plus Titleist, PXG and Bettinardi, among others.
Tim Cronin