NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
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It would take a dedicated writer to keep up with everything Collin Morikawa has changed or argued about in 2025. Knowing where in the world he is regarding caddies or putters or interviews is a full-time job.
But considering where in the world he actually is – on the British Isles – is a good clue for what was in his bag for the Scottish and British opens.
The 2021 Open champion at Royal St. George’s has a system for links golf courses. He prefers more bounce, so he switches out his usual blade 7-iron through pitching wedge for cavity-back TaylorMade P-7CB models to handle the style of turf found on links.
“I just do it bounce-wise, coming through this turf – the ball just sits down because it’s so firm and tight out here, and dry in a way that, with my blades sometimes I just catch it thin all the time and it obviously worked a few years ago and we’ve kind of done it every year,” Morikawa told GolfWRX in Scotland.
While Morikawa had finally seemed to find a putter he liked with the TaylorMade Spider Tour mallet he broke out in Detroit earlier this month, he switched pack to a TaylorMade TP Soto in a missed-cut effort at the Open. “I did this in college; I used to show up to every event with three putters and change mid-tournament,” he told GolfWRX.
Another option Morikawa had at the ready in case winds kicked up higher than 20 mph was a TaylorMade prototype driving iron to replace his 5-wood if necessary. “I like a driving iron that comes off really hot, and kind of jumps off the face. It’s something you’re going to use when it’s really windy,” he told GolfWRX.
Ultimately, however, he planned to go with a Qi35 hybrid, according to TaylorMade, to provide more spin and height yet the option to hit it low into the wind.
Manufacturers said driving irons, 7-woods, hybrids and mini drivers were all getting looks from players trying to figure out how to navigate Royal Portrush, where wind, wet rough and well-placed bunkering required deft placement off tees.
Titleist built a draw-biased GT280 for Cam Smith, while Cameron Young considered a hybrid and Ben Griffin tested 7-woods. Aldrich Potgieter is one of several players who lowered loft on his Titleist GT2 driver from 9 to 8 degrees to reduce flight and spin. Other players are trying different options.
“We have some players that are just putting a different long iron in,” said JJ Van Wezenbeeck, Titleist tour rep. “Sungjae [Im], a frequent hybrid user, is going to a standard build T250 2-iron with an X100 shaft. It’s something a little bit more penetrating off the tee. Jordan Spieth, another hybrid user, is moving to T250 in a utility build with a hybrid shaft in it. Other players, like Ludvig Åberg, are going to play a T350 3-iron to help create more launch.”
Callaway and Ping both noted an uptick in driving iron usage from the likes of Max Greyserman and Viktor Hovland, who kept using the Ping iDi driving iron he deployed at the U.S. Open. TaylorMade said its mini driver was a popular choice during the links swing, with Scottish Open winner Chris Gotterup working out a mini driver as well as P770 3-iron, neither of which was in his bag at the Renaissance Club.
Regarding Bryson DeChambeau, his quest for the perfect equipment setup continues. He’s not there yet. “I just can't find something right now that’s a big enough difference for me to put it in play,” he said. “I tried some golf balls, tried a 3-wood. There’s not really much.”
He did go back to his Avoda irons for the LIV Golf event at Valderrama and for the Open.
“I had built the L.A. Golf irons, and we just made the wall thickness a little different. Just for some reason – well, I know why – they were just coming off a little hotter,” he said. “So we’re working on building the new set to where it’s the same wall thickness, and I’ll put those other irons right back in play.
“They’re doing great. Everything else was flying straighter, doing everything I wanted, from the sole interaction, you name it. It was flying over the greens at Oakmont, and that ultimately cost me making the cut, which was disappointing for me.”
DeChambeau expects “100 percent” to have everything dialed in before the Ryder Cup in September. “I’ll most likely, very good chance I’ll have a different driver and new irons in the bag for sure,” he said.
Like Morikawa, the idea of a driving iron on a windy links appeals to him.
“If anything, I could put in a driving iron, but I don’t know. I’m not sure yet. I’ve got to go play the course and see what fits,” he said. “There’s some times where I could hit a super high 5-wood downwind and stop it soft on the green. That would be quite useful. But into the wind it’s not, so it’s kind of a give and take. I haven’t really changed much this week yet.”
Scott Michaux