NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
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It’s rare for a top player to sign a multiyear equipment deal well after the year starts, but world No. 5 Scottie Scheffler saw no reason to delay his new partnership with TaylorMade.
Scheffler, fresh off two wins in his past three starts on the PGA Tour, agreed to terms with the company on Wednesday. A long-time equipment free agent who has utilized a mixed bag with a significant TaylorMade presence, Scheffler will continue to play the brand’s Stealth Plus driver and P7TW irons. He also will add at least one Stealth fairway wood to his new TaylorMade staff bag.
“TaylorMade equipment has been integral in my career for many years, and I couldn’t be more excited to formally be a part of their roster of elite golfers,” Scheffler said in a release. “I’ve worked with TaylorMade’s team on tour for multiple seasons and their commitment to getting the right equipment in my bag was a driving force in joining Team TaylorMade.”
Last fall, Scheffler’s bag included a Ping G400 LST driver, a Nike VR Pro fairway wood, a Srixon Z U85 3-iron, a Srixon ZX7 4-iron, P7TW irons from 5-PW, Titleist Vokey Design SM8 wedges and a Scotty Cameron Super Rat putter. The top and bottom of that bag has since changed.
Scheffler began using an 8-degree Stealth Plus driver at the beginning of the year because he saw meaningful ball-speed increases. He ranked No. 36 in driving distance last season and sat at No. 21 entering the Players Championship, having added about 5 yards to his average drive. His 13.5-degree Nike VR Pro, which is now in the process of being replaced by a Stealth fairway wood, is a club he has held onto since his days at Highland Park High School in Dallas. The former Texas Longhorn also has changed putters since last year, moving into a Scotty Cameron Special Select Timeless Tour GSS Prototype.
However, outside of the new fairway wood, Scheffler’s bag likely will remain the same as it was during his recent victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
He has played the P7TW irons since the 2021 American Express, and he used TaylorMade P730 irons prior to that. His Titleist wedges replaced Callaway and Artisan wedges in 2021, but his Srixon long irons have been a well-worn standby.
Elsewhere at TPC Sawgrass, Jon Rahm switched back to his familiar Odyssey Rossie S putter after a brief flirtation with the Odyssey White Hot OG #7. Rahm initially switched to the White Hot during the final round of the Genesis Invitational, where he gained 2.44 strokes over the field on the greens. However, he lost four strokes to the field on the baked-out greens at Bay Hill and clearly had seen enough.
Sean Fairholm