NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY GOLF PRIDE, THE #1 GRIP ON TOUR
January is virtually a second Christmas for gearheads. New equipment deals come to light and the latest products are launched, combining for renewed enthusiasm in what goes into each player’s bag.
Patrick Reed showed up to Kapalua in a PXG hat and will be playing the brand’s driver throughout 2022. The longtime free agent is expected to maintain a mixed bag as he has in the years dating back to Nike’s departure from the hard goods business. Meanwhile, rising star Abraham Ancer and reigning U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso officially joined the Callaway stable. Ancer will play a Callaway driver and an Odyssey putter – as he had been doing last year – while Saso will use Callaway woods, irons, wedges, golf balls and an Odyssey putter.
There are also a slew of top players working with their current manufacturers to put exciting new clubs in the bag.
Bryson DeChambeau went to Hawaii with a Cobra LTDx LS prototype driver, which appears to be the “mystery” driver from recent YouTube videos in which DeChambeau manages more than 220 mph of ball speed. No, that is not a typo.
Jordan Spieth left his Titleist Vokey SM8 wedges at home, deciding to make the new SM9 line his gamers. Spieth is notorious for not changing equipment, so the short-game wizard seems incredibly confident in the SM9s.
TaylorMade staffers were seeing red with the new Stealth driver getting attention with its red, black and silver clubface. It’s not just a pretty face, however. Collin Morikawa noticed a meaningful bump in ball speed from his SIM (170-172 mph) to the Stealth (176-177 mph), and others had similar remarks. Tiger Woods used the driver during the recent PNC Championship, reaching 174-mph ball speed.
Callaway’s new Rogue ST driver has seen a response unlike any driver in their recent past. Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele, Phil Mickelson and a handful of others put the new driver in play at the Sentry Tournament of Champions as the brand reached conversion rates it typically doesn’t hit until later in January.
One story in particular had everyone talking.
“Our head of tour, Jacob Davidson, was testing with Jon Rahm at the end of last month and Rahm hit 10 balls on TrackMan with the new driver and the difference in spin between the 10 drives was less than 100 rpm,” said Callaway senior equipment director Dave Neville. “That is just insane consistency – ballstriking consistency from him but also spin-rate consistency from the new driver. At the performance center a couple of weeks ago, Rahm’s average ball speed was between 182 and 184 mph with the new driver, so he’s absolutely pounding it.”
Sean Fairholm