Hataoka leads by 1 shot after 67 in LPGA Classic

Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland is one of the bigger names to switch equipment companies in the new year after signing with Cobra Golf. While a full bag of Cobra equipment may seem like a new world for the 38-year-old Woodland, it's actually a long-awaited return. "My first set of clubs I ever got as a kid was a Cobra set," Woodland said Wednesday at the Sony Open in Hawaii. "My first couple of clubs were cut-downs from my mom, but my first junior set of clubs was a Cobra set, so it's kind of a dream to actually play them out on TOUR. It's pretty cool." Signing the new deal with Cobra wasn't merely a nostalgic move, however. In the past few months, Woodland tested a new Cobra Aerojet driver that caught his attention, and it ultimately set the stage for an equipment overhaul. Woodland had been a Wilson Golf equipment staffer since the start of 2019 but his deal allowed for him to play metalwoods made by other manufacturers. As such, Woodland - who was 23rd in Driving Distance last season- has used drivers and fairway woods made by the likes of TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, Titleist and Cobra over the last several years. Since Woodland often switches the brand of his metalwoods, his recent change into a new Cobra Aerojet LS driver and Aerojet fairway wood at THE CJ CUP in South Carolina didn't set off the alarm bells that he'd be signing a full bag deal with the company. Especially since he still was still carrying a Wilson staff bag at the time, and he was still playing a full set of Wilson Staff Model blade irons. Come January, however, Cobra officially announced that Woodland had joined its TOUR staff. Ben Schomin, Cobra's TOUR operations manager, told GolfWRX.com that Woodland was sold on the new Cobra Aerojet LS driver when he immediately saw an increase in launch angle without increasing backspin. By keeping his ball speed similar to his previous driver but increasing the launch angle, Woodland was able to add both overall distance and forgiveness to his drives. Schomin recalls Woodland outdriving Rory McIlroy during a practice round at Congaree on his first drive with the new Aerojet LS driver, and it hasn't left the bag since. According to Woodland himself, the new driver actually played a major role in sealing the deal with Cobra "To be honest, it was the new Aerojet driver," Woodland said, when asked what had the biggest influence on his decision to sign with Cobra. "I've had flexibility in the past with the driver, which is a good thing, but I absolutely fell in love with the driver. To me, the irons, we're switching from a blade to a blade, so there's not a lot going on. I have a little less offset. But, for me, the driver is what sold me on the deal. I was very excited to put that in play, and I'm excited about it going forward." Schomin, who has worked with Woodland on his equipment over the past several years - even prior to signing with Cobra - is also providing Woodland some built-in familiarity with the company. "Looking forward obviously, the contract going forward, I'll be with them for a long time," Woodland said. "I love Ben Schomin, who's been with Cobra. He's helped me the last couple years with my equipment anyway. I'm excited to work with him and on other stuff going forward." Woodland has been using Cobra's new Aerojet metalwoods since October, but after signing with the company, he's also expecting to add Cobra irons to his bag for his 2023 debut at the Sony Open in Hawaii. "I'm switching to the Cobra muscleback (irons)," Woodland said. "I liked where I was at (using Wilson irons), and I'm equally excited about where I'm going. There's a little less offset, which I like looking down at. It's a very traditional blade, but the interaction with the turf has been amazing. I literally had no changes made to them; literally right off the rack and I put them in play." Woodland has also added a Cobra LTDx LS 5-wood to his club rotation at the top-end of the bag, which is cut down to 40.5 inches, and two Cobra wedges (56 and 60 degrees). Below, check out Woodland's expected club specifications this week as he makes his debut as a full-time Cobra staffer. Driver: Cobra Aerojet LS (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black TR 8 X (or UST Mamiya Proto LinQ 8F5) 3-wood: Cobra Aerojet LS (14.5 degrees) Shaft: UST Mamiya Proto LinQ 9F5 5-wood: Cobra LTDx LS (19 degrees) Shaft: UST Mamiya Proto LinQ 10F5 Irons: Cobra King MB (3-PW) Shafts: KBS C-Taper 130X Black Wedges: Cobra King V-Grind Raw (52 and 56 degrees), Titleist Vokey 60T WedgeWorks Prototype Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper 130X Putter: Scotty Cameron Timeless+ Tourtype SSS Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord Midsize