News

Matteson bags two TaylorMade SLDR Minis at Texas Open

Published

12 years ago

Mar 27, 2014

Troy Matteson carded a respectable even-par 72 in the opening-round of the Valero Texas Open today. The score positioned him in a tie for 31st at the time he finished. Of more interest to equipment junkies, however, is this bit of trivia: the Georgia Tech alum played the opening round with two TaylorMade SLDR MiniDrivers in his bag.

Of further interest: Matteson is using one of the two Minis (the 12-degree version) from the fairway. He has been using the other SLDR Mini, a 10.5-degree model, from the tee.

Certainly, it’s a curiosity when a PGA Tour professional elects to go with the dual driver setup, as Phil Mickelson did at the 2006 Masters. However, it’s perhaps more interesting when a player decides to use what is technically a driver as his fairway wood.

Reportedly Matteson feels the 10.5-degree driver affords him as much distance as his previous gamer. Today at least, that wasn’t the case. Matteson averaged just 282.5 yards off the tee, whereas he has been averaging around 295 for the season. However, he was significantly more accurate off the tee in his opening round than he has been thus far this season. Matteson found 64 percent of fairways today. His average hit percentage entering this tournament is just 52 percent. Further, he hit just 55 percent for the 2013 season.

Obviously, there is the danger of a small sample size here and comparing driving distances from week to week doesn’t tell the whole story. Further, given the wet conditions today, Matteson’s shorter driving distance isn’t surprising. It’s unlikely, too, that the lack of roll out is the sole cause of a 12 percent uptick in driving accuracy.

Thus, we’ll have to see what Matteson does for the rest of the week.

Regarding the 12 degree: The Rockledge, Florida native feels the club gets airborne as well as a traditional fairway wood. Presumably, it carries farther as well.

Given this fact, it will be interesting to see if more TaylorMade employ the services of the MiniDriver from the fairway.

Related Topics:TaylorMade

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

13 Comments

stacker

Mar 31, 2014 at 1:45 pm

I was on the range on Saturday. Its not a 430. That pic isnt right. Its the size of a true fairway

Reply Report comment
Jonathan

Mar 28, 2014 at 9:22 pm

Why has nobody pointed out the obvious here? Comparing the two heads in the picture, it’s clear that the 10.5 is much larger head than the 12 degree. The 10.5 is not a “mini-SLDR”. It’s believed to be the next series of drivers from TaylorMade called SLDR S-class. You can easily see it’s anywhere from 430 – 460cc. Let’s get more pics of that 10.5!!! That’s the real story here with this picture!

Reply Report comment
- Bob Gomavitz
  
  Mar 29, 2014 at 2:55 pm
  
  I think you pretty much nailed it….10.5 head has the sliding weight for sure and is bigger. The 12 seems smaller and not sure about the sliding weight. Notice how the horses were not shown….glue in I bet for both and I bet the SLDR-S series is grey with a glue in shafts
  
  Reply Report comment
- Chris
  
  Mar 29, 2014 at 3:42 pm
  
  His caddy is one of my best friends. I talked to him about this the night after this article was posted. The 10.5 is 275cc. He said that Troy was probably going to have the van build him one that’s between 8 and 9 degrees rather than stick with the 10.5.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jon
  
  Mar 29, 2014 at 5:50 pm
  
  Not even close to 430-460cc. If you would take the time to look at some of the post on the SLDR mini you will see the 10.5* Mini (Version 3) is Tour Only version with a longer hosel made for bending and they are all 260cc’s regardless of the loft This is straight from Brian Bazzel. You can also get the same info off USGA.ORG under the conforming club list.
  
  Reply Report comment
- takeherdeep
  
  Mar 30, 2014 at 3:04 pm
  
  Surprised that no one has mentioned the fact that the way the picture is taken the 10.5* is a lot closer to the camera then the 12* so it will naturally look bigger…
  
  Reply Report comment
ND Hickman

Mar 28, 2014 at 8:25 am

It’ll be interesting to see if this leads to a reduction in driver head size across the industry.

Reply Report comment
Nick

Mar 28, 2014 at 1:47 am

I was skeptical of the SLDR Mini Driver concept until seeing it in person yesterday. If it performs half as good as it looks, the Mini will be a staple in my bag for years to come.

Reply Report comment
RG

Mar 27, 2014 at 10:23 pm

It’s not a 2 wood its a “Mini-Driver”, and these aren’t the droids you’re looking for. Like my buddy with a 30 degree 7 iron.

Reply Report comment
totebagger

Mar 27, 2014 at 6:12 pm

#takeitdeep

Reply Report comment
- Bogie
  
  Mar 27, 2014 at 7:51 pm
  
  That’s what she said.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Dave
    
    Mar 27, 2014 at 8:39 pm
    
    Well played
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Scooter McGavin
    
    Mar 27, 2014 at 9:42 pm
    
    That’s what *he said.
    
    Reply Report comment

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GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

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Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

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From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.