Bryson nearly bombs it to green on a par 5

Click here to read the full article…

For years, PGA TOUR players have used raw wedges to help maximize spin around the greens for increased control of their wedge shots. Raw wedges, versus those that have a finish or coating applied, reduce the material between the golf ball and the grooves to ensure maximum friction as the ball runs up the face of the wedge. Callaway’s new Jaws Raw wedges – which replace the previous Jaws Mack Daddy 5 (MD5) wedges – have raw faces and extremely sharp grooves to enhance greenside spin. While Callaway is officially launching the Jaws Raw wedges to PGA TOUR players this week at the Travelers Championship, a number of players have already put them into play. Marc Leishman, Xander Schauffele and Kevin Kisner, for example, have each used the wedges in recent weeks. In fact, as Callaway reports, nine Jaws Raw wedges were in play at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. “I love the look,” said Marc Leishman. “I actually used to grind the leading edge of my old wedges to look like this (straighter leading edge). I’ve actually been playing with it since (the Zurich Classic of New Orleans), I took it from the photo shoot.” The relatively quick adoption of these wedges — very, very quick in Leishman’s case — can be attributed to Callaway’s willingness to work with TOUR players when developing the new wedges. Legendary wedge designer Roger Cleveland and the Callaway team used feedback from TOUR players to make a number of changes to the new Jaws Raw wedges compared to the previous Jaws MD5 models. The new Jaws Raw wedges introduce tungsten weighting and progressive hosel lengths to provide the optimal center of gravity for increased feel, trajectory control and forgiveness. The higher-lofted wedges have longer hosels that are balanced by two tungsten weights in the toe section. This configuration helps balance CG from heel-to-toe, but also moves it slightly higher to influence a lower shot with greater spin. The lower lofted wedges, on the other hand, have shorter hosels and less tungsten weighting in the toe sections to help lower CG for higher-flying shots from the fairway. Kevin Kisner, who’s been using the 52-degree Jaws Raw wedge, told GolfWRX.com on Monday that the “grooves are more aggressive, and I find it easier to hit from the fairway on full shots.” The raw-faced wedges have ultra-sharp grooves with a 37-degree wall angle. They also have groove-in-groove technology, which feature micro-milled grooves at a 20-degree angle to promote added spin on both straight-faced and open-faced shots. Golfers will notice that the new Jaws Raw wedges have a straighter leading edge, the toe pad has been muted to reduce glare, and they feature a smooth transition from the hosel section to the heel area that doesn’t show a pronounced “hook.” This feedback comes directly from TOUR players, according to Callaway. With 17 loft-grind combinations in total, the Jaws Raw wedge lineup introduces an all-new “Z” grind. The Z grind – which Callway says is used by Leishman – is a low-bounce option, but there’s significant chamfer, or roundness, on the leading edge to help reduce digging at impact and eliminate chunk shots. Other grinds in the Jaws Raw family include the standard S-grind, the versatile C-grind, the wide-soled W-grind, and the high-bounce X-grind. Available to the public on July 22 for $179.99 in steel, $189.99 in graphite, the Callaway Jaws Raw wedges will be available in either a Raw Face Chrome or un-plated Raw Black Plasma option. Brian Stuard, for example, opts for the Raw Black Plasma option, as pictured below. It’s important to note that the faces of the wedges are raw, which means they will rust over time. The stock shaft options include True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner 115 grams (steel) and Project X Catalyst 80 grams (graphite), with a stock Lamkin UTx Charcoal grip. Callaway’s Jaws Raw wedges will have up to 13 color options to choose from within the Callaway Customs platform, as well as different medallions, emojis, and stamping options for further personalization.

Click here to read the full article…

NOTE: If you play PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO, The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex begins on Thursday. It’s the last of five majors on the circuit and there is a 36-hole cut. See the possibilities at the bottom of the page to assist you in determining your pick. Part of our purpose as a sevensome of “experts” is to enjoy publicly battling in our little league, but we take seriously our positions of suggesting golfers you should consider for yours. Whether you’re chasing your own league title or gunning for the season-long prizes at PGATOUR.COM, we understand that you count on us to present options and sensible opinion if for no other reason than you simply don’t have the time to commit to the same. Jonathan and Chris are cognizant of the fact that you may have followed their lead, if possible, and selected Jordan Spieth and Grayson Murray for last week’s Open Championship and Barbasol Championship, respectively. Spieth was the fourth-most owned at Royal Birkdale at 6.4 percent, but Murray ranked 24th at just 0.4 percent in ownership percentage. As the steward of the weekly recaps on Thursdays, I’ve gleaned a sense for our influence over time, so I’m certain that Chris’ call for the PGA TOUR rookie in particular was heard out there. It’s decisions like Junior’s that can determine league championships, but no such guesswork is needed at the RBC Canadian Open. Matt Kuchar strolls and smiles into Glen Abbey checking all of the boxes. Sure, the runner-up finish at Royal Birkdale hurt like no other defeat in his career, but we also know that he takes too much pride in himself and his profession to mail it in anywhere, but especially at a tournament where he’s appeared every year since 2010. He’s not only finished T2, T7 and T9 in the last three editions of the event at Glen Abbey, he’s also an RBC ambassador, so there are all kinds of positive vibes assisting in taking his mind off what was effectively a Jordan Spieth victory and not a Matt Kuchar loss at The Open. In two appearances at Glen Abbey, Dustin Johnson has been beaten by only the winners in 2013 (Brandt Snedeker) and 2016 (Jhonattan Vegas). Skeptical gamers would like to see a reversal in his form, but gamers in earnings-based formats and chasing should plug him in. It’s in weeks like this one when so many of the game’s best talents are resting or competing elsewhere when DJ’s value is multiplied. Tony Finau sets up as a timely bridge in PGA TOUR One & Done presented by SERVPRO, but he’s worthy of a primary slot in two-man formats. He continues to impress as a special breed who retains above-average consistency while maintaining a busy schedule. If you’ve yet to burn Charley Hoffman, this is your last logical spot to invest. Do it with confidence. Chad Campbell, Scott Stallings, Daniel Summerhays and Sung Kang are dandy complements to two-man gamers. If you wanted to go all-in on having some fun with an all-Maple Leaf lineup, consider the duo of Adam Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes. They’ve already lifted PGA TOUR hardware this season. FUTURE POSSIBILITIES NOTE: Select golfers committed to the tournament are listed alphabetically. Future tournaments are sorted chronologically and reflect previous success on the courses on which the tournaments will be held in 2016-17. All are pending golfer commitment. Keegan Bradley … WGC-Bridgestone; Dell Technologies Kevin Chappell … Dell Technologies Jim Furyk … Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Charley Hoffman … Canadian Dustin Johnson … Canadian; TOUR Championship Matt Kuchar … Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone Graeme McDowell … WGC-Bridgestone; Wyndham William McGirt … Wyndham Scott Piercy … BMW Bubba Watson … WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Gary Woodland … Barracuda (already eligible for concurrent WGC-Bridgestone); PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship CHAMPIONS ONE & DONE POSSIBILITIES The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex Royal Porthcawl in Wales hosts for the second time (2014). It’s a par 35-36=71 with three par 5s and tips at 7,010 yards. As one of only three tournaments (all majors) with a 36-hole cut and with one of the lowest purses of the season (~$1.75 million), it’s a decent week to holster a notable if you can’t go the distance without searching on the fringe. Golfers listed alphabetically. Rob’s serious considerations in bold. Billy Andrade … Top 20s in his only previous appearances, but hasn’t played Royal Porthcawl in competition. Just one top-45 finish in his last four events upon arrival. Tommy Armour III … T9s in two of his last three starts but a non-factor in his last two Senior Opens. Paul Broadhurst … Defending champion (at Carnoustie) and 2016 Rookie of the Year. Missed the cut by two last week at Royal Birkdale. Top 25s in last three PGA TOUR Champions starts. Fred Couples … The 2012 champ placed T13 here in 2014 despite a closing 78. Returned from injury with a victory in Wisconsin a month ago. T4 at the SENIOR PLAYERS. Seven top sixes in 2017. Scott Dunlap … Really ideal is you’re front-running and are out of short-range options. Top 20s in all three Senior Opens (T6 in 2014) and fresh off a T14 at the SENIOR PLAYERS. Joe Durant … No matter the venue, he’s performed exceptionally well at the SENIOR PLAYERS (T6-T3-T2-T6), but has just four top 10s in 13 starts in the other majors combined. Save him. Steve Flesch … Intriguing fit with a pair of fifth-place finishes in five starts since turning 50 in May. Alas, his record in The Open Championship is pedestrian at best (3-for-5 with one top 50). Fred Funk … Somewhat tempting coming off a T6 at the SENIOR PLAYERS, but it’s been six years since his last top 25 in the Senior Open. T29 here in 2014 is the best in the interim. Miguel Angel Jiménez … Major breakthrough is imminent. An automatic if you’ve yet to pull the trigger. Solo fourth at Caves Valley and a T8-4th-T3 run in the Senior Open starting here in 2014. Jerry Kelly … As a first-timer, it’s relevant to comp to his record in The Open Championship, and it was forgettable. He went 5-for-11 with zero top 25s. Bernhard Langer … The 2014 champ and by 13 strokes! He’s had a week to recover from the stunning collapse late at Caves Valley, so if you haven’t yet burned him, ignore the reduced purse. Tom Lehman … By comparison, his worst major. Best finish in seven tries was a T10 in 2012. He’s either won or finished second at least once in each of the other four. Scott McCarron … So valuable as one of the most predictable when there are four par 5s. They are his moneymakers. Runner-up last year at Carnoustie but wasn’t yet eligible here in 2014. Colin Montgomerie … The 2014 runner-up and fresh off a T6 at the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS, which ended his drought without a top 15 at six starts. Tom Pernice, Jr. … Tied for third here in 2014, but has only one top-30 finish in the last 10 majors. Gene Sauers … Too inconsistent even as a bridge. Also making his debut at Royal Porthcawl. Target the Boeing Classic in late August instead. Jeff Sluman … Six top 25s in nine Opens, including in each of the last four (T16 at Royal Porthcawl in 2014), so he’s a fair surrogate during what has been a nice season at age 59. Duffy Waldorf … Didn’t compete here in 2014, but once again, save him for one of the remaining eight non-majors. In fact, pencil him in for the Shaw Charity Classic on Labor Day weekend. Tom Watson … It wouldn’t be an Open discussion without this guy. Tied for 10th here in 2014. Perfect if you’ve never rostered him ever before and you’re entirely about having a good time.

Click here to read the full article…