Equipment

Tour Report: 9 burning gear topics from the 2022 American Express

Published

4 years ago

Jan 22, 2022

As the first mainland PGA Tour event of 2022, The American Express Championship was an especially busy week for GolfWRX. We got our first in-hand look at new products that have launched on Tour, and PGA Tour players have been testing them at length to see if they’re the right fit.

In our first Tour Report of 2022 (which will be a weekly staple going forward), we highlight all of the notable changes, WITB photos, and gear reports from inside the ropes.

Before we get into the inaugural Tour Report below, I wanted to provide a brief state of the union on what’s going on here at GolfWRX. I’m Andrew Tursky, former Editor-in-Chief of GolfWRX, and current head of Tour content. Over the past three years, since leaving GolfWRX, I’ve spent my time inside the ropes at PGA Tour events working for two different media outlets. Within that period, I’ve built and strengthened relationships with Tour reps, players, and caddies. GolfWRX has given me the opportunity to bring my inside-the-ropes reports to this website — a huge ‘thank you’ to current Editor-in-Chief, Ben Alberstadt. In other words: I’m back. Honestly, I’ve missed GolfWRX and all of the people that make the community so fun, informative, and unique.

Going forward, I’ll be reporting on PGA Tour gear for GolfWRX (alongside GolfWRX’s veteran photographer Greg Moore), talking about my insights on podcasts (TG2 with Brian Knudson is coming back), and doing a lot more exciting things I can’t wait to share with the GolfWRX audience. A sincere thank you for having me back.

OK. Let’s get into this week’s gear recap from The American Express…

Check out all of our photos from the 2022 American Express here.

1. Matthew Wolff’s thoughts on the new Stealth Plus driver

Young bomber Matthew Wolff has switched into the new Stealth Plus driver (9 degrees), and as he told me this week, “It’s the best TaylorMade driver ever made.”

Being that he’s finding significantly more forgiveness from the Stealth Plus than TaylorMade drivers in the past, Wolff says he plans on hitting more drivers this year, even on tight holes. As a reminder, Wolff ranked fourth on the PGA Tour in driving distance last year (averaging 315.9 yards per drive), so tightening his dispersion should help him capitalize even more on his length advantage.

Read the full story here on PGATour.com

2. Patrick Reed’s new wedges

In one of the most significant new deals of 2022, former free agent Patrick Reed signed a driver and hat deal with PXG. This week, we got our first look at his new setup.

He’s currently bagging a PXG 0811X Gen4 9-degree driver, which he actually started using back in October 2021. That wasn’t the only news for Reed this week, though. He also put new Grindworks “Barrett collection” wedges in the bag, which are named after his son and made completely custom for him. Reed and Grindworks have worked closely over the last two years shaping and developing the new wedges.

“We’ve been working really hard on designing the wedges through Grindworks,” Reed told GolfWRX on Tuesday. “They’ve been really good. It’s still a work in progress, trying to tweak them a hair here and there, but for me, it’s going to be a game-changer, because, let’s be honest, you have to be perfect from 130 yards-and-in nowadays on Tour, because that’s where you score every time.”

For more on Reed’s new wedges, click here.

3. A look at the 6-foot 9-incher’s gear setup

James Hart du Preez is maybe the longest-hitting player in professional golf. The 26-year-old South African stands at 6-feet 9-inches tall, and he averaged 373 yards on The Sunshine Tour last year. Making his PGA Tour debut this week, we took photos of his WITB, and I also talked to his Ping fitter Brad Millard about what it’s like working with a guy who hits the ball so far. Lucky for us, Millard also shared a Trackman screenshot from a recent driver fitting with du Preez for us to ogle.

James Hart du Preez full WITB

4. New flatsticks abound

There’s been an influx of new putter designs hitting the Tour over recent weeks, and we got our first in-hand look at them at The American Express. Scotty Cameron, TaylorMade, Odyssey and Axis 1 have all revealed new models.

In the coming weeks, we’ll keep you informed on which players are switching into the new putters, and provide more information about the new designs as they become available from the OEMs. For now, enjoy all of the photos and speculation.

5. Ping Glide 4.0 and Titleist Vokey SM9 wedges

Ping and Titleist have officially revealed their new wedges to Tour players, and they’ve been conducting extensive testing to see what bounce and grind options are right for each player. Unfortunately for us, we’re not yet being told about the tech and design philosophies. For now, we’ll just have to look at the photos of the new launches.

Here’s a look at the new Ping Glide 4.0 wedges…

And here’s a look at the Titleist Vokey SM9 wedges…

I also spoke to legendary wedge maker Bob Vokey about his design process and thoughts on the new wedges. Check out that conversation here.

6. New Cobra LTDx drivers launch

Cobra officially launched its new LTDx drivers to the public, and we dove deep into the new designs.

“The LTDx driver lineup reflects our team’s continued dedication to innovation and improved performance. With the introduction of PWR-COR and H.O.T Face technology, our engineers have, yet again, developed innovation that improves CG and MOI while making the face hotter and more forgiving.

“The resulting LTDx family of drivers are the best we have ever produced, and the three distinct driver models ensure that every golfer can achieve optimized performance for their game. We look forward to seeing the LTDx on Tour and also in the hands of amateurs and weekend warriors at courses globally.” – Tom Olsavsky, Vice President of R&D, Cobra Golf.

At the 2022 American Express, I was also able to catchup with Jason Dufner, who spoke on his experiences with the LTDx model.

“One thing I have been seeing is the strikes have been really consistent off the middle of the face,” Dufner told GolfWRX. “People don’t believe this, but sometimes the driver can droop in different ways. The last couple models I had, I felt like I had been making good swings but was catching it on the toe a little bit. So these have been really consistent off the middle. I’ve seen really good launch windows to my eye, good spin windows to my eye, but I haven’t tested it on Trackman yet.”

Dufner also weighed in on why he still plays a Titleist 915F fairway wood, which was released in 2014. Look at that wear mark!

7. Fujikura reveals new Ventus TR shaft

Fujikura’s Ventus series shafts have undoubtedly been some of the most popular metalwood shafts on the PGA Tour and in the marketplace for the past few years. This year, Fujikura has launched an all-new Ventus TR Blue version, which has a strong mid-to-butt section thanks to a new “Spread Tow” carbon weave. I went deep on the technology with Fujikura’s Spencer Reynolds, so make sure to check out that full Q&A here.

“Essentially, there’s a standard carbon weave and then there’s a Spread Tow carbon weave,” Reynolds explained to GolfWRX. “What a Spread Tow does is it takes all these individual strands of carbon and irons them flat into a tape, and then weaves those over-under, over-under almost like a checkerboard pattern. So there’s very little space for resin to accumulate, you get super low resin content, and then you also get a lot of strength in varying directions. It can take pull and load in multiple directions. Another benefit is that it’s super lightweight. You’re getting an incredible amount of strength, in an ultra-lightweight package.”

8. Mitsubishi’s new MMT putter shaft

More than ever, PGA Tour players are using graphite iron, wedge and putter shafts, taking advantage of composite materials to add consistency to their performance. In Mitsubishi’s MMT iron shafts, they use a multi-material “Metal Mesh” construction that combines graphite and steel. For its new MMT putter concept shafts, the company has developed a new “Speed Mesh,” which is 75 percent lighter.

I caught up with Preston Toulon, a Mitsubishi representative, at The American Express for more insight…

“The putter shaft uses a new application of Metal Mesh Technology called Speed Mesh, which is 75 percent lighter than traditional Metal Mesh you’d fine in iron shafts. What that allows you to do is instead of using it in a small portion of the shaft, because it’s so much thinner and so much lighter, you’re able to use it in the full length of the putter shaft. It’s a big material advancement for us.”

“It makes the shaft more stable. Through player testing, they tell us it makes milled putters feel like they’re struck with an insert. People are reporting it makes it feel softer. It’s intended to help your start line and improve stability and feel. It helps players release the putter head more fully.”

“We did a lot of testing versus steel putter shafts, mostly through GEARS motion capture system…we had face-mapping patterns, and in nearly all cases, there was tighter dispersion, tighter impact location (more center face), more consistent feel, and more speed control.”

“So, we’ve had a lot of early excitement.”

9. The world No. 1’s gear setup

Jon Rahm, the current No. 1 golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings, has some new gear in the bag, including a Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS driver and a Rogue ST prototype fairway wood. Check all the photos of his equipment here.

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS (10.5 degrees @11.2) (10GF, 4GB)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Green 75 TX (45.25 inches, tipped 1 inch, D4)

3-wood: Callaway Rogue ST LS Triple Diamond Proto (15 degrees @14.2) (14GF, 10GB)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Green 75 TX (43.25 inches, tipped 1.5 inches, D3.25)

5-wood: Callaway Epic Speed Sub Zero Triple Diamond T (@18.1 degrees) (14 GF, 12 GB)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD-DI (Black) 8 X (42 inches, tipped 2 inches, D4)

Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Forged (52-10, 56-12 @55.25), Callaway Jaws MD5 (60-08W)
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S (Micro Hinge Star insert, steel stepped shaft, 37 inches, 2.5-degrees loft, 68-degree lie, 544 grams overall weight)
Grip: Odyssey 56 pistol

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X 2022 (#10)

Grips: Golf Pride MCC (red/black)

That will do it for this week’s gear recap, and we’ll see you next week at the 2022 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Don’t miss all of our photos from the 2022 American Express.

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

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Whats in the Bag

Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)

Published

4 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.

Equipment

TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available

Published

4 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.

The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.

One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.

Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.

See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:

MySpider Tour

MySpider Tour X

Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

Published

7 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.