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NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY GOLF PRIDE, THE #1 GRIP ON TOUR
The story of the gear world this month is all about new equipment out on the PGA Tour.
Shortly after Titleist launched its new T100 iron line at the Travelers Championship, slightly bigger T200s made their debut as well. Because of the size of the T200 irons, it’s likely most pros will use them for long irons while going to a different model for mid- to short irons.
Troy Merritt went with the T200 line for his 4- and 5-iron while using the T100 for 6-iron through PW. He made the first hole-in-one of his tour career using a T200 5-iron at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, one-hopping a shot into the cup on the par-3 11th during the third round. Tournament winner Cameron Davis also saw immediate dividends by employing a T200 2-iron in his bag after seeing increased speed during testing. Garrick Higgo, the South African who won the Palmetto Championship at Congaree, also has a T200 2-iron and has been testing a Fujikura Ventus HB shaft in the club.
Callaway also is hard at work putting clubs into play. The company put new Jaws prototype wedges into the hands of six players in Detroit, including Tom Lewis who had both a 56- and 60-degree version in his bag. And then there was Phil Mickelson tweeting, “I think I found a hybrid I really love!” while indicating that he put the new club into play in Detroit and at the “Match 4” in Montana.
There have been no details about when the club will be released to the public, but it’s not the first time the club has been used by a pro. Akshay Bhatia used one during the U.S. Open. From the screenshots Mickelson posted, the weight port on the sole is close to the face, indicating it could be used for low launch purposes.
John Pak, the former Florida State University standout who won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s top college golfer, has signed on as a TaylorMade staffer. Pak has long played TaylorMade clubs and a Titleist golf ball, carrying the same setup into his professional career.
He’s not one for tinkering with his gear, so don’t expect a lot of equipment headlines from him in the future. Pak has routinely switched into the latest iteration of TaylorMade clubs, such as going from P750 irons into the cavity-back P7MC set. He’s currently using a 9-degree SIM2 Max driver. He has switched putters occasionally in the past, going from the half-mallet style into a Spider model – at the moment, he is using a Spider X Copper.
Sean Fairholm