Catch and release, DeLaet’s getaway

When Tiger Woods alters his lineup, it’s huge news in the equipment world. While he didn’t necessarily make any golf club “changes” heading into this week’s PNC Championship, he did make a number of interesting and impactful equipment “tweaks.” Even his small switch-ups are notable and can offer insight into changes in Woods’ game overall. Since our last on-site analysis of Woods’ equipment at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills, it appears he’s made slight adjustments to his driver and 3-wood, added weight to his putter head and changed his longtime putter grip. He also made a change to the one piece of equipment that he uses on every single shot. We break down each of the tweaks below. Tiger’s driver settings At this year’s PGA Championship, the 15-gram adjustable sole weight on Woods’ TaylorMade Stealth Plus 9-degree driver was placed slightly toward the draw side of the neutral setting. By placing the weight in that position, the center of gravity (CG) made the head slightly draw-biased. This week, he’s using a lighter 10-gram weight, and it’s now in the neutral position. All else equal, the driver head would be slightly lighter and comparatively less draw biased. Not all things are exactly equal, however, because Woods also switched up his hosel settings. Referencing TaylorMade’s Stealth hosel setting chart, it seems the driver now has a 58.75-degree lie angle, instead of the previous 57.25 degree lie angle. In both settings, the hosel setting creates a 3-degree open face angle compared to standard, and -1.5 degrees of loft. In general, a more upright lie angle means the driver head will release more easily through impact. Woods’ driver now has a lighter sole weight, a more neutral sole weight, and a more upright lie angle. Tiger’s 3-wood setting As with his driver, Woods also changed hosel settings in his TaylorMade SIM Titanium 15-degree 3-wood. Referencing TaylorMade’s SIM setting chart, it appears that Woods’ 3-wood is now set to be 1.5 degrees open, has -0.75 degrees of loft, and has a 59.5-degree lie angle. Previously, it was set to be 3 degrees open, had -1.5 degrees of loft, and a 58.75-degree lie angle. Since Woods is still using the same Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70TX shaft, and there are no apparent changes to the weight of the head, his 3-wood should now have slightly more spin and launch, with a draw-bias due to the upright lie angle. Tiger’s putter (and grip) changes Throughout nearly his entire career, Woods has used a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS prototype putter with a Ping PP58 putter grip, which has a notably thin and light construction. He’s had very brief stints with other putter grips, but it’s the PP58 that’s nearly always had the starting spot. Woods is using the same putter head this week, but he has switched into what looks to be a Scotty Cameron Pistolini Plus grip that has a heavier 77–80-gram weight, according to Scotty Cameron. His previous Ping PP58 grip, as the name implies, weighs in at just 58 grams. Woods’ new Scotty Cameron grip also appears to show that the usual white lettering on the grip has been darkened, possibly with a marker or otherwise. Also, as we’ve seen Woods do amidst slower greens and windy conditions at The Open Championship, he’s added a few strips of lead tape to the back of his putter head. The lead tape will add just a few grams of weight, but it can make an impactful change to the feel and performance of the putter. Based on the wear mark on the center of his putter face, Woods hasn’t missed the center very often throughout the years, so if he’s making tweaks to the setup, it’s likely for a significant purpose. Tiger’s golf ball change For years, Woods has been using a Bridgestone Tour B XS TW Edition golf ball, which he co-designed with Bridgestone to achieve increased spin on approach shots and a soft feel. This week, Woods is using a Bridgestone Tour B X model, which has a relatively lower-spinning design. This should allow Woods to pick up more distance on longer shots, while making a small sacrifice to workability and stopping power.

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FedExCup titleholder Justin Thomas and Masters champion Patrick Reed headline an always power-packed field ready to converge on TPC Sawgrass, seeking to wrest one of the game’s most revered titles away from Si Woo Kim. World No.1 Dustin Johnson returns after a three-week break, with TPC Sawgrass set to welcome each of the top 50 players in the latest rankings. Tiger Woods, meantime, ends a two-year absence from the event, hoping to add a third victory to the ones he captured in 2001 and ’13. FIELD NOTES: Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira makes his first PGA TOUR start since taking up membership after his playoff win at the RBC Heritage. Kodaira was back on the Japanese circuit last week, finishing in a share of 32nd. … Phil Mickelson is set for his 25th start at TPC Sawgrass, moving into a tie for No. 9 on the all-time list. Jay Haas holds the record for most starts with 29. … The lineup features a pair of PGA TOUR Champions members – Steve Stricker and Constellation Senior Players Championship winner Scott McCarron. … One additional berth is available for the winner of this week’s Wells Fargo Championship, if he hasn’t already qualified. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 600 points. STORYLINES: Thomas, third behind Jason Day two years ago, seeks not only his first title at THE PLAYERS but a possible No. 1 ranking – if the takeover hasn’t already happened by then. A top-12 finish at the Wells Fargo Championship would vault Thomas past Johnson. … Reed could use a change of fortune at TPC Sawgrass, where last year’s tie for 22nd was his best finish. He’s broken 70 on the layout just once in 12 rounds. … Kim takes the torch seeking to become the first back-to-back winner at THE PLAYERS in its 45-year existence. … Just two of the past 11 winners have lifted the trophy after setting the 54-hole pace, though both have come in the past four editions – Martin Kaymer (2014) and Jason Day (2016). … A total of 69 balls found water last year at No. 17, the second-highest total since the PGA TOUR began keeping count 15 years ago. The record is 93, when the event first moved to May in 2007. … Paul Azinger (1987) is the only man to birdie No. 17 in all four regulation rounds. Rickie Fowler birdied it three times in a day, during the final round and playoff of his 2015 triumph. … This week marks THE PLAYERS’ farewell to May, returning to a March date in 2019. COURSE: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium), 7,189 yards, par 72. Carved out from 415 acres of wooded wetlands bought for $1 by then-commissioner Deane Beman, the Stadium Course has flourished into a thorough test that plays no favorites. Architect Pete Dye took pains to ensure no two consecutive holes play in the same direction, doglegs were created in both directions and both short and long holes are offered at every par. A recent tweak is a drivable par-4 at No.12, where both fairway and green slope toward a water hazard on the left. Nothing, though, is likely to ever match the drama at the iconic 17th – a nerve-wracking 137 yards over water to a green connected only by narrow rear pathway. 72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Greg Norman (1994). 18-HOLE RECORD: 63, Fred Couples (3rd round, 1992), Greg Norman (1st round, 1994), Roberto Castro (1st round, 2013), Martin Kaymer (1st round, 2014); Jason Day (1st round, 2016); Colt Knost (2nd round, 2016). LAST YEAR: Kim proved unflappable beyond his 21 years, becoming the youngest winner of THE PLAYERS with a bogey-free finale on the way to a three-shot triumph over Ian Poulter. Kim chased down faltering leaders Kyle Stanley and J.B. Holmes on the front nine, then staved off Poulter’s pursuit on the back nine. Though Kim hit only eight greens in regulation, he went six straight holes with no par putt longer than 2 feet on the way to a 3-under-par 69. Poulter closed with a 71, taking full advantage of regaining full TOUR status when a clerical oversight was discovered. Louis Oosthuizen shared runner-up honors after a 73, one shot ahead of Stanley (75) and Rafa Cabrera Bello (70). Holmes endured a nightmare, carding 84 to fall the way to 41st. It was the worst round by a 54-hole leader in tournament history – by five strokes. HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 2-7 p.m. (NBC). (Golf Channel / NBC Sports LiveExtra simulcast stream) PGA TOUR LIVE: Wednesday, noon-2 p.m. (preview show). Thursday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. (featured groups), 9 a.m.-7 p.m. (17th hole), 1-7 p.m. (featured holes). Saturday-Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (featured groups), noon-7 p.m. (17th hole), 2-7 p.m. (featured holes). RADIO: Thursday-Friday, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-7 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).

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After the stress, decompress. It’s valuable advice for anyone pursuing balance but it’s also the objective for the 56 golfers who made the cross-country trip from the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines to this week’s Travelers Championship. What they’ll find at TPC River Highlands is the easiest par 70 of the 2019-20 season. So, the breeze you feel isn’t courtesy of Mother Nature, it’s the collective exhale as the PGA TOUR descends in central Connecticut. However, come the weekend, tension again will rise, as will the intensity of the wind. Scroll past the projected contenders for more. RELATED: The First Look | Inside the Field POWER RANKINGS: TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP Brooks Koepka, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith, Tony Finau and Joaquin Niemann will be among the notables reviewed in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. The Travelers Championship is in the parade of checkpoints that have served as default anniversaries throughout the 2020-21 season. And it’s not insignificant for it was the 2020 edition that marked the first tournament that wasn’t canceled or rescheduled after the three-month shutdown due to the pandemic. So, if you were searching for an example of what life was like when is began to return to what we considered as normal, this is it. Those in the field of 156 at TPC River Highlands also will reconnect with what they consider to be familiar. There haven’t been any changes to the stock par 70 that tips at just 6,841 yards. The four-inch primary rough is the same and the 5,000-square foot greens blanketed with Poa annua will be prepped to run to a TOUR-popular distance of 12 feet on the Stimpmeter. Last year’s scoring average of 68.626 represented a nine-year low and was aided by the deepest field in tournament history, but it already was headed in that direction. After not breaking the strength-of-field rating threshold (as determined by the Official World Golf Ranking) of 350 through 2017, it climbed to 446 and 436 in 2018 and 2019, respectively, but last year’s value was 623. Of course, with all touring professionals sidelined for an extended period of time, playing opportunities were coveted throughout the summer. However, the consistent, fair test of TPC River Highlands continues to attract top talent. Favorable weather conditions are in store throughout the tournament. Rain early in the week could impact the Hartford Yard Goats’ series opener on Tuesday night when the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies is planning to celebrate the Travelers Championship. By Thursday, clear and dry opening rounds of the tournament will be followed by the next threat of inclement weather on the weekend, but it’s forecast to be spotty as the winds kick up considerably. Daytime highs will be seasonable in the low 80s. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers; Fantasy Insider SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Watch * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

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