Late birdie run saves Rory McIlroy’s day, week at PGA Championship

Jordan Spieth’s Scotty Cameron 009 putter was once again the difference-maker in a major championship. Spieth fell out of the lead at The Open Championship for the first time in two days with a bogey on the 13th that dropped him one shot behind Matt Kuchar, but he rebounded in spectacular fashion over the next four holes with a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie run that helped him claim his third major title.  The improbable four-hole stretch was highlighted by a 45-foot eagle putt on the 15th that produced a roar from crowd and a fist-pump from Spieth. The Anser-style putter has been in the bag for every one of Spieth’s victories since he turned professional. The 350-gram putter has 4 degrees of loft and a lie angle of 71 degrees. The head, which is made from a soft carbon steel, has an oil can finish that’s since worn off and rusted over time to produce a well-worn look. “The 009 was my favorite putter [as a junior golfer]” Spieth said. “Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy, two of my favorite golfers, used it, and that got me. I’ve been using it since I was 15, and I won’t be changing anytime soon.” As you’d expect with a putter used by one of the best golfers in the world, there are a few subtle differences between Spieth’s 009 and the retail Scotty Cameron Newport — namely a flatter, thicker topline, wider body from front to back and soft, rounded edges. Spieth made one change to his equipment at Royal Birkdale, removing his Titleist 916H2 hybrid and replacing it with a Titleist 718 T-MB 3-iron. While the club has the same Graphite Design Tour AD-DI shaft as his hybrid, Spieth opted to go up 10 grams from the 95X to 105X to give it a slightly heavier feel.   Titleist recently introduced the new T-MB, along with the rest of the 718 iron lineup, at Quicken Loans National. The latest version has a tungsten insert that no longer covers a majority of the sole but instead wraps around the heel and toe. The hot face has made it a popular long-iron alternative for Tour players.   Here’s a look at the rest of the Titleist equipment in Spieth’s bag.  Driver: Titleist 915D2 (Aldila NV 2KXV Blue 70X shaft), 9.5 degrees 3-wood: Titleist 915F (Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 7X shaft), 15 degrees Irons: Titleist 718 T-MB (3-iron; Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 105X shaft), Titleist 716 T-MB (4-iron; True Temper Project X 6.5 shaft), Titleist 716 AP2 (5-9; True Temper Project X 6.5 shafts) Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM6 (52-08F degrees; True Temper Project X 6.5 shaft), Titleist Vokey Design SM6 (46-08F, 56-10S and 60-04L degrees; True Temper Project X 6.0 shafts) Putter: Scotty Cameron 009 Prototype (SuperStroke Flatso 1.0 grip) Ball: Titleist Pro V1X

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SEA ISLAND, Ga. – Ahead of the 2019 A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier, Bryson DeChambeau made headlines by switching into a new Bridgestone Tour B X prototype golf ball. While Bridgestone has remained quiet on the new design, DeChambeau reportedly picked up 750 rpm worth of spin with the new ball around the greens, compared to the older Tour B X golf ball he had been using since 2018, and he saw a more consistent launch. Fellow Bridgestone golf ball staffer Matt Kuchar, who has used the company’s golf balls since 2005, also recently switched to the new Bridgestone Tour B X prototype golf ball before his T14 finish at the 2019 Mayakoba Golf Classic. Like DeChambeau, Kuchar saw an increase in performance around the greens compared to his older Tour B X model, but Kuchar also told PGATOUR.COM that he added distance, too. Bridgestone is remaining tight-lipped about the design of the new prototype golf ball, or any retail possibilities, but in talking with PGATOUR.COM ahead of The RSM Classic, Kuchar revealed a bit of information about the golf ball and a “reactive cover.â€� He also explained how he goes about testing new golf balls and exactly how much distance he’s picked up. As we wait for Bridgestone to make an announcement about retail, enjoy the full conversation between Kuchar and PGATOUR.COM regarding the new Tour B X golf ball prototype! PGATOUR.COM: What was it that you saw in the initial testing with this new prototype that made you want to switch into it for competition? MATT KUCHAR: The guys from Bridgestone came down a couple months ago, and we did some testing. It’s interesting, you get on Trackman and it validates a lot, but I like to do my own validation. The Trackman numbers certainly showed higher ball speed off the driver, the chip shots had more bite, but I had to put the ball through my own proving ground. I took it out on the course. It’s amazing to be able to combine the wants that everybody wants; you want the driver to go further and you want the chip shots to spin more. To be able to do that seems impossible, but I think Bridgestone has been able to do that, in large part due to this new reactive cover. It gets higher ball speed off the driver — sure does — both off Trackman and in my testing. Then the wedge shots are probably the most important thing to me; having that control around the greens is so crucial, and I love the old ball, but this ball is even better around the greens, which is really the big bonus for me. PGATOUR.COM: Do you get deep into the numbers at all? Bryson plays this prototype golf ball as well, and you know he dives deep into spin numbers and ball speed, but it seems you’re more of an eye-test guy. KUCHAR: Don’t compare me and Bryson (laughs). No, I’m pretty simple. There’s ball speed off the driver, chipping/wedging, and then there’s the land angle with the irons, which is important. Those are the three things where I’ll check out the numbers, but then, for me, it’s a bit visual. And more than visual, it’s going out and hitting five drives off the tee with one ball, then five drives off the tee with the other, and comparing. Then chip shots around the green and comparing. I guess I’d be a bit more trial-and-error than going strictly off the numbers. But the beauty about what we do today is you can do it all. PGATOUR.COM: Would you recommend that process to amateurs who are going through ball testing themselves; hit five drives with one ball and five with the other and comparing? KUCHAR: Yes, absolutely. Trial and error. You’re going to end up seeing one that’s definitely better for you. It’s kind of fun to go out and have two different balls marked up, and try them. Everybody loves that extra 5-10 yards off the tee. If you get that, and you can actually physically see it, that’s a big bonus. PGATOUR.COM: Do you feel you’ve picked up 5-10 yards, or what kind of distance gains have you seen? KUCHAR: What I’m seeing is 3-4 yards, but that’s a bonus combined with some extra feel around the greens. It’s a win-win.

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HONOLULU — Joaquin Niemann had no regrets about the 18th hole at the Sony Open in Hawaii. RELATED: Leaderboard | OB stakes added overnight at Sony Open in Hawaii Four days after a pair of pars on the final hole at Kapalua led to a playoff loss, Niemann holed a 50-foot chip for eagle on the 18th hole Thursday for an 8-under 62 and a share of the lead with Jason Kokrak and Peter Malnati. “It was a good way to finish,” Niemann said. “Spent a few days thinking about that last hole, but taking all the positives from the week and pull it out for this week.” They weren’t easy days for Niemann. The 22-year-old from Chile is still too young to have experienced the inevitable losses that pile up in this sport. He played Sunday at Kapalua with Sergio Garcia, who has experienced plenty of failure, and who told him to think about what all went right. So much did on a breezy afternoon at Waialae on a course with dry fairways and smooth greens and low scoring. Niemann’s only bogey was when he fell asleep on a 25-foot birdie putt above the hole at No. 12, ran it 10 feet by the hole and three-putted. The finish was exquisite. Kokrak played bogey-free, and he was as pleased with a 15-foot par putt on No. 1 — his 10th hole of the round — than any of his nine birdies. He had a 25-foot eagle putt for 61 on his closing hole that narrowly missed. Malnati was the only one at 62 who played in the morning, though conditions were similar for much of the day. The group at 64 included Daniel Berger, among the 31 players in the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week on Maui, and Jim Herman, who should have been there. Herman made it to Hawaii a week later than he had hoped and was happier than ever. He recovered from the coronavirus and had his lowest score in his 10th appearance at the Sony Open in Hawaii to get his year off to a good start. He qualified for the Sentry Tournament of Champions by winning the Wyndham Championship, his third career victory. But his COVID-19 test came back positive as he prepared to go to Maui, and self-isolation for 10 days left him no time to get to Kapalua. “I feel pretty good,” Herman said. “Obviously, the low score today helps you feel a little bit better. Didn’t know what to expect coming out this week.” Herman said he had a miserable four days dealing with the virus and still doesn’t have his full taste and smell back. The biggest concern was slight inflammation of the lungs, which pressed against his back and made it difficult to sit. He finally was able hit some golf balls last weekend and only played one round of golf. Scoring was ideal for different reasons than Kapalua on a very different course. The wind off the Pacific shores on the edge of the course is normal. But it’s been dry enough for the ball to roll, helpful on tee shots in the fairway, not so much when it’s off line and head into the rough. There was one other twist at Waialae — out-of-bounds stakes for about 350 yards down the left side of the 18th fairway. The tour erected them this year out of safety to those coming down the 10th fairway, and without the tents and bleachers because of no spectators, it might have been tempting for more players to take their tee shot on 18 down the 10th. That never crossed Niemann’s mind. He hit a high draw that still tumbled through the fairway into the rough, came up just short and finished on a good note. It sure was different from last week. Niemann missed a 6-foot birdie in regulation (and shot 64), and then in a playoff on the par-5 18th, he pulled it slightly and went down a slope left of the green, leaving a tough chip and a par. Harris English won with a birdie putt. “It was the first time that it really hurt me, like finishing a golf tournament,” he said. “Probably one or two days I just keep thinking on how I couldn’t make birdie on 18 and get it done. I was talking with my coach, with my psychologist. We talked for an hour about the whole tournament, not for that 18th hole. It was a good way to take all the positives from that week.” English, hopeful of being only the third player to sweep the Hawaii swing, had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on his second nine and had to birdie two of the last three holes for an even-par 70. Scoring was so low that only 30 players from the 144-man field were over par. “They have it playing fantastic,” said Webb Simpson, one of 22 players at 65 or better. “I think all us golfers love it for the most part when we see a good drive and the ball bounce 10 feet in the air, it’s a good feeling.”

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