Golf’s oddball hulk is now a major champion

Brooks Koepka says his ongoing feud with Bryson DeChambeau is “good for the game” and is helping to grow the sport.

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Callaway has officially launched its new JAWS MD5 (Mack Daddy 5) wedges to replace the previous Mack Daddy 4 wedges that continue to be used by top players on the PGA TOUR. With its updated line of JAWS MD5 wedges, which are named after wedges in the company’s history, Callaway has made updates to enhance the look, feel and performance compared to its predecessors. When it comes to wedges, spin is king. To increase spin compared to the Mack Daddy 4 wedges, Callaway’s Chief Wedge Designer Roger Cleveland and the company’s R&D team developed wedge grooves on the MD5 JAWS wedges that have a tighter edge radius and more severe side-wall angles. These grooves are milled into the faces of the wedges, which are made from 8620 carbon steel. The new groove designs combine with the familiar groove-in-groove technology from Callaway that places three raised “micro-ridges� between the visible grooves; this creates more contact points with the golf ball, thus increasing friction and creating more spin. Callaway says that the JAWS wedge grooves are most effective from 80 yards and in. Due to the emphasis on high spin, Callaway brought back the JAWS name from a 2009 wedge release, called X Series JAWS wedges, which were also designed by Roger Cleveland and promoted greater spin rates. With its JAWS MD5 wedges, Callaway extended its lineup to include more grind options. Matching its MD5 name, the new wedge lineup will now have five different grind options: C (54-60 degrees), Low W (58 and 60 degrees), X (58 and 60 degrees), S (46-60 degrees) and High W (50-60 degrees). The all-new Low-bounce W grind was developed as result of TOUR player feedback; it has a wide sole but low bounce, with increased sole taper and heel relief. This grind is designed to allow golfers to play more shots around the green but still get the benefit of a wide sole on full shots. Also, the classic C-grind has been updated to increase versatility by reducing the bounce angle, widening the middle of the sole and increasing heel relief. From a looks perspective, the lower-lofted wedges (46-52 degrees) will have a more compact profile than the higher-lofted wedges (54-60 degrees). Callaway says this progressive shaping blends better with the short irons from a player’s set. Additionally, the new wedges will continue to have the four medallion ports on their back cavities, a design that has become a recognizable aesthetic of Callaway wedges. The JAWS MD5 wedges will be available for custom stampings in Callaway Customs with 10 different color zones and medallions, including new emoji symbols. They will come stock with either True Temper Tour Issue 115 steel shafts or Project X Catalyst 80 graphite shafts, and they come with a Lamkin UTx black-and-blue grip. Available in both Platinum Chrome and Tour Grey finishes, the JAWS MD5 wedges will sell for $159.99 each. Pre-sale starts on September 13, and the wedges hit retail on September 20.

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WHITE SULPHER SPRINGS, W.Va. – Expect the unexpected… The Greenbrier Classic always likes to throw us some curveballs. From Stuart Appleby’s 59, to surprise winners like Ted Potter Jr. to flash floods that cancel the entire event! But after a monumental restoration effort we are back at The Old White TPC and continuing the final surge towards the FedExCup Playoffs. This week’s PGA TOUR LIVE coverage gives us the first look at Phil Mickelson without Jim “Bones� McKay on his bag along with the always entertaining Bubba Watson and multiple previous PGA TOUR winners. PGA TOUR LIVE will broadcast between 7 a.m. Eastern and 6:00 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday. The coverage will switch to Featured Holes at 3:00 p.m. Featured Hole Coverage consists of the 15th (Par-3) and 17th (Par-5) on Thursday and Friday.
 PGA TOUR LIVE also will be available on Twitter for approximately 90 minutes, beginning at 7 a.m. Here’s a look at this week’s Featured Groups. Click here to subscribe to PGA TOUR LIVE. Related links: Tee times | Field | Course (Note: FedExCup rankings in parentheses) THURSDAY Russell Henley (19), Hudson Swafford (30), Bill Haas (25): Former FedExCup champion Bill Haas, who has pushed his way to an impressive 25th in this year’s standings without winning, gets two former University of Georgia teammates in Henley and Swafford. The latter pair both have victories this season and are looking to take their game all the way to the TOUR Championship to try to join Haas as FedExCup champs. Tee time: 7:50 a.m. Eastern off 10th tee. Jonas Blixt (52), Patrick Reed (50), Charles Howell III (18): Captain America playing in the week we celebrate America… surely it is going to be a big week for Patrick Reed. Having moved inside the top 50 on the FedExCup race Reed wants to kick start things further with a victory. He is joined by Blixt, a winner at the Zurich Classic earlier this season and a former Greenbrier Classic champion. And then there is Howell III who returned from a rib injury last week in style, finishing second after losing a sudden death playoff. Tee time: 8:00 a.m. Eastern off 10th tee. FRIDAY Kevin Kisner (8), Si Woo Kim (29), Mackenzie Hughes (23): Kisner enters as the man to beat according to our fantasy golf guru Rob Bolton, topping the power rankings. Along for the ride is THE PLAYERS Champion Si Woo Kim who is hoping for a bounce back week after missing the cut last week. Hughes, a winner early in the season, is hoping to add a second title and push his name into Presidents Cup contention. Tee time: 7:50 a.m. Eastern off 10th tee. Bubba Watson (115), Phil Mickelson (40), Danny Lee (48): A new era begins with Phil Mickelson playing without “Bones� on his bag. It has not been the season Bubba Watson wanted but the Greenbrier resident has no better place than home to get things going in the right direction. Instrumental in helping the area recover from last year’s floods. And then there is Lee, who is the defending champion from 2015 and who has found his game of late. His win two yesrs ago catapulted him into the Presidents Cup International Team and he’s gunning for the same again this year. Tee time: 8:00 a.m. Eastern off 10th tee.

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