NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
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Despite a disappointing final round at Torrey Pines, Jon Rahm clearly is in better form than any other golfer on the planet.
His sublime performance off the tee is a main reason why.
Rahm, who has won two of three starts in 2023, is playing the new Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond driver and 3-wood. That gives the Paradym three PGA Tour victories this year. Si Woo Kim also gamed the same driver and 3-wood in his Sony Open victory earlier this month. Xander Schauffele, who had a T3 at The American Express and a T13 in the Farmers Insurance Open, also has made the switch to the Paradym.
It was nearly impossible for Rahm to improve his driver play, given that he ranked No. 1 in strokes gained off-the-tee a season ago using a Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS. However, his strokes gained number is even better in the early going of this young season as he ranks No. 1 once again. Rahm’s driving accuracy ranked No. 56 on tour last season and is up to No. 31 so far this season.
Combined with his prodigious length, the Arizona State product is a force.
“I've loved every single driver I've had from Callaway,” Rahm said before the American Express. “It's the strongest part of my game. So if anything can make it better, I'm going to try to make it better … I can't help myself but to talk about how good it feels at impact. I don't get caught up on the sound or other things, assuming the performance is good. The impact through the ball, even when I mis-hit it, is such a good feeling, and I don't know why.
“But besides being an aesthetically really beautiful driver, I don't know what it is with the impact. I don't know what the hell they have done, but it feels amazing.”
Rahm quietly had the worst chipping and pitching year of his career in 2021-22, ranking an abysmal No. 143 in strokes gained around the green. He is now in slightly different wedges from what he used in 2022, and his rank has improved to No. 26 in that category.
Last year, Rahm used three Callaway Jaws Forged wedges with his initials “JR” stamped onto the clubhead. This year, he is using Callaway Jaws Raw wedges with stampings that include “Kelley” (referring to his wife, Kelley Cahill).
What is the difference? A little bit more spin, typically. Raw wedges don’t have a finish or coating, so there is more friction between the ball and clubhead.
Speaking of wedges, Rory McIlroy nearly broke golf equipment Twitter by playing two Titleist Vokey wedges during the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. This will be something to watch. McIlroy had been using TaylorMade MG3 wedges, and his wedge play significantly improved throughout last season.
Titleist had another important note. Max Homa won in his first week using the new 2023 Pro V1, leading the field in strokes gained tee-to-green. He made the switch after having a session at the Titleist Performance Institute a few days before the tournament.
“With ’23 Pro V1, we saw Max’s ball speed jump a little bit off the driver with lower spin,” Titleist rep J.J. Van Wezenbeeck said. “It was flying great. He was even more consistent with his irons, and the short-game performance was as good as ever. It was a no-brainer.”
Sean Fairholm