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Dustin Johnson – who finished T2 in the 2019 Masters – played his first two rounds of the event using a TaylorMade M5 driver, but he played the weekend using a TaylorMade M6 driver. It’s not often you see a player change drivers mid-event, but this wasn’t some mastermind strategy based on course conditions or pin placements, however. Johnson, competing to win his first green jacket, noticed something was amiss with his TaylorMade M5 driver during the second round of the Masters on Friday. “I think I flattened the face on it just from hitting a bunch of balls,� Johnson told PGATOUR.COM. “I hit it fairly hard so eventually it’s going to happen … it happens very rarely. I’ve only done it about three times in my whole career. So it’s rare.� After noticing the flattened face of his driver during competition on Friday, he opted to use his three wood for the remainder of the second round. He played the remainder of that round, sans driver, at 3 under par. Following the driverless second round, Johnson requested TaylorMade club builder Wade Liles build him up some new replacement drivers. Liles, for his part, made Johnson two TaylorMade M5 drivers and two TaylorMade M6 drivers to test before his third round. Of course, most golfers would request a new driver that exactly replicates their gamer driver, but Johnson has already won in 2019 using both the M5 and M6 head models, so he’s comfortable switching between models. “I like both the M5 and the M6,� Johnson told PGATOUR.COM. “I like them both. I’ve won with both of them. They both perform very, very similar. I liked the M6 better when I was testing them on the range [at the Masters on Saturday], so we went with that.� The head models weren’t the only differences between the two drivers, however. The TaylorMade M5 driver he started the week with was equipped with a Fujikura Speeder Evolution II Tour Spec driver shaft and measured at a D4 swing weight. The TaylorMade M6 driver he switched to on Saturday, however, was equipped with a custom black Fujikura Ventus 6X shaft that had a swing weight of D6. Fujikura says Johnson’s black-colored prototype (versus the navy-colored retail model) is a lower-launching and lower-spinning version. According to Liles, the heavier swing weight allows the shaft to flex a bit more and allows Johnson to feel the head better. The new TaylorMade M6 driver also had a fade-bias because Johnson prefers the ball to tail to the right off the tee for greater control. Despite the driver chaos, Johnson finished the Masters tied for second place after playing his weekend rounds with the new driver at 6 under (70-68).

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SAN ANTONIO – Six-time PGA TOUR winner Jimmy Walker, honored Monday with induction into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, said he was taking the Lone Star State’s highest golfing honor with his full-time work with new teacher Matt Killen as confidence he can return to golf’s highest levels. “This is a nice honor to be recognized by your home state for golf, along with being recognized by my school Baylor University for their athletic hall of fame, but I have really done it all in my career,� Walker said at the afternoon inductions ceremonies at the A.W. Tillinghast 1916 designed Brackenridge Park, Texas’ first public golf course. “I’ve got my card, I’ve lost my card, I’ve won at every level, I’ve played the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, made big putts, won big events. I was ranked as high at 9th in the world and at age 40, I still want to do it again.� Walker, who has battled Lyme Disease, along with his wife Erin, ever since he won the 2016 PGA Championship, said he feels as healthy as he has since before the PGA win and his illness. He has played two PGA TOUR events this fall in the 2019-20 season but will take time off until resuming play at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. “Golf beat me up pretty good last year and the end of 2018, so I’m taking it easy now, working with Matt, resting and getting healthy,� he said. Walker comes off a season in which he failed to produce a top-10 finish for the first time since 2008 and had just three top-25 finishes, also his lowest since 2008. He failed to make the FedExCup Playoffs for the first time since 2009. “Everything happens for a reason; I really believe that,� Walker said. “I got sick right after I won the PGA Championship, but that gave me a five-year exemption. If I hadn’t done that, I might be out of a job right now.� He started working with Killen, who has worked with Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and J.B. Holmes, full-time after the British Open at Royal Portrush and said he is excited with the results. “I ask a lot of questions and he had a lot of good answers,� Walker said. “He is working on my club transition, my short game and putting and a lot of good stuff. “Will this Hall of Fame honor bring my game back? Not by itself, but some low numbers and seeing the ball go in the hole will and that’s where I headed. “I know I can get back because I’ve done it before. I’ve been on a real strict diet and I’ve lost 10-20 pounds and I’m added it back with muscle.� Walker is the 40th Texas PGA TOUR player to be inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame, located at Brackenridge Park. and the 11th PGA Championship winner. Walker was a member of the Presidents Cup in 2015 and said he plans to watch the competition on television in December, with the event being held in Melbourne, Australia. He attended Rickie Fowler’s wedding recently and was reunited with many of his previous Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teammates, further fueling his competitive desire to regain a spot on the U.S. national teams. “I’ve played in two Ryder Cup teams and one Presidents Cup and I love the team game,� Walker said. “I’ve played some really good golf in the past and that’s what I know I can do again. I’m taking is easy for now, but that’s a huge goal of mine.�

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