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NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY GOLF PRIDE, THE #1 GRIP ON TOUR
A year after Francesco Molinari signed a big deal with Callaway and Justin Rose signed one with Honma, there have been virtually no high-profile contracts doled out this year. Kevin Tway signed with Wilson Golf, while Chez Reavie (PXG) and Eddie Pepperell (Ping) also signed deals, but there has been little activity elsewhere.
In what has become an annual tradition, Scotty Cameron introduced tour-prototype putters last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. The eye-catching part of the new flat sticks is that the iconic red dots that adorn the back of most Scotty putters came in an unusual pattern with different-sized dots. The milled putters are available to tour players in several Newport and mallet models.
It’s a popular time of the year to experiment with new putters, and sometimes that pays immediate dividends. Kevin Kisner switched from his Odyssey White Hot Pro 7 to the Stroke Lab Bird of Prey. The switch helped to put him in contention in Hawaii.
Figuring out the proper club setup can be a difficult job. Canadian Nick Taylor recently opted to go with four wedges in his bag, which left his 5-wood as the odd club out of the lineup.
As a replacement, the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship winner tinkered with his long irons by adding a 19-degree TaylorMade SIM Max 4-iron that is bent to 21 degrees.
“I like it, it gets me the height I want,” Taylor told PGATour.com. “And the spin – for me – I’ve always been a low spinner so it helps at 4-iron length to get a few more RPMs. Off the tee it’s great and off the fairway it has performed well also.”
The shoe count at the Sony Open was overwhelming in favor of FootJoy, which garnered 62 percent of the field. The next closest competitor came in at 15 percent.
Sean Fairholm