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NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY GOLF PRIDE, THE #1 GRIP ON TOUR
When a former elite player drifts away from the top 30 in the world, it’s typical to see significant changes across the board. Jason Day is doing so and then some.
Day, who spent a total of 51 weeks as the top player in the world in 2015 and 2016, has fallen to No. 43 as of last week and hasn’t won since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. In an attempt to recapture past form, he split with longtime coach and caddie, Colin Swatton, and replaced him with Chris Como, the trendy teacher known for his partnership with Bryson DeChambeau. The two are working on adding hip rotation while moving Day’s swing path more inside so he can get depth on the backswing without putting his back in a compromising position.
While he grinds on the swing change, Day is going from a bag with one brand to a bag with six brands, if you include his ball. Since he left TaylorMade last month after a 14-year run with the company, Day is free to choose whatever gear he would like. That includes a Ping G425 driver, TaylorMade SIM Max 3-wood, Mizuno JPX921 Tour irons, Artisan Prototype wedges, an Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter and a Bridgestone Tour B XS ball. He also switched his driver shaft, going from a Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70 X to a TPT 14 LO 5.
On the topic of unusual equipment, a photo of DeChambeau’s Cobra RadSpeed driver appeared on social media last week with a sticker indicating an “actual loft” of 4.2 degrees, a number more associated with a putter’s loft than that of a driver. The club is built at 7.5 degrees of loft but comes with the ability to adjust through the loft sleeve. As DeChambeau has continued to add speed, he’s moved the setting lower and lower to reduce spin.
PXG was among the more active brands in the offseason, signing a handful of players to new contracts. Hudson Swafford, Sung Kang, Jim Herman, Kyle Stanley, Luke List, Danny Lee and Adam Schenk joined their crew. Titleist transitioned Troy Merritt, Joseph Bramlett and Fabián Gómez from playing just the company’s golf ball to a full bag. Among those joining Day as an equipment free agent are Ryan Moore, Chris Kirk and Lucas Glover.
Jon Rahm officially made all 14 clubs in his bag Callaway with the addition of the Odyssey 2-Ball Ten Prototype putter. He had been using a TaylorMade Spider X Chalk.
Also in the putter world, Cobra and SIK announced a long-term partnership to work together on future putter projects starting this summer. DeChambeau plays Cobra irons and woods while using a SIK Tour Pro putter with an Ozik graphite shaft; he undoubtedly will have input on new designs between the two brands.
Sean Fairholm