Horses for Courses: World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba

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A lot has changed in Brooks Koepka’s equipment setup since he won last year’s WM Phoenix Open. He was a free agent at last year’s event, meaning he had the flexibility to play any clubs he wanted. This year, he is as an official staffer of Cleveland-Srixon after signing a deal with the company in November 2021. A black-white-and-red Srixon staff bag with his name on it is the most immediate proof. His bag at last year’s WM Phoenix Open did include Srixon ZX7 irons (more on the development of Srixon ZX7 irons here), and that hasn’t changed. He switched to those irons in January 2021, and given the way he still talks about those irons and their unique V-sole designs, it doesn’t seem like that will change anytime soon. “The irons have been probably the easiest transition I have ever made,” Koepka said in Wednesday’s pre-tournament press conference. “(The V-sole), … I’d never even heard of it, didn’t know it existed. But going through the turf, every once in a while, because I’m very steep on it, I felt like the club would grab a little bit and kind of drag it left. I haven’t seen that once with these irons. They went in the bag immediately.” He’s added more Cleveland-Srixon clubs to the bag since becoming a staffer. Koepka has the new Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack Raw wedges in play. Having played Cleveland wedges when he was a kid, the biggest part about getting comfortable with his new wedges was figuring out the right sole grind for his turf interaction. “The wedges, I’ve played Cleveland wedges growing up as a kid,” Koepka said. “It’s all about getting the grind work done for me. My lob wedge is probably a little difficult to get the grind right. Takes a few tries. Once we got that done, everything else, you know, you just match your specs.” At the top end of the bag, Koepka has a new Srixon ZX7 driver at 10.75 degrees, equipped with a Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 70 TX shaft that he’s used for years. Like Koepka said, he matched up his previous specs, so it makes sense he didn’t switch up his driver shaft even though he switched the heads. It’s the golf ball switch, though, that seemingly has Koepka most excited. As of November 2021, Koepka has been using a Srixon Z-Star prototype that offers him more height and stopping power with the irons, which is an advantage on the faster and firmer greens on the PGA TOUR. Despite the added height, Keopka says the ball provides ample stability in the wind. “The ball has been crazy actually to me,” Koepka said. “The ball doesn’t move that much in the wind, which I think is the craziest thing. So a little bit of adjustment there. But, I mean, it goes probably, like if I was hitting 7-iron, ball goes 15 feet higher, the Srixon ball, and it’s got the same amount of spin. So to me it’s only going to help me. This place, the greens are kind of firm so I can hold greens a lot better. Then it’s just been very easy transition, something I have been very, very pleased with. We have been working at it for probably six, eight months. So I have been very pleased.” Filling out his bag, Koepka continues to use a TaylorMade M2 Tour 3HL fairway wood and a Nike Vapor Fly Pro 3-iron, each of which has been in his bag for years. He also has a Scotty Cameron Teryllium TNP2 putter, which is a new and slightly different version of the T10 Select Newport 2 proto he used to win last year. Check out the full specs below on Koepka’s bag for this week as he defends his title at the WM Phoenix Open. Driver: Srixon ZX7 (10.75 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade M2 Tour 3HL (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D-Limited 80 TX Driving iron: Nike Vapor Fly Pro (3-iron) Shaft: Fujikura Pro Tour Spec 95 X Irons: Srixon ZX7 (4-PW) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack Raw (52 Mid, 56 Mid and 60 Low) Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 Putter: Scotty Cameron Teryllium TNP2 Golf Ball: Srixon Z-Star proto Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord (midsize)

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DUBLIN, Ohio – On the tee, Tiger Woods. Usually those five words bring with it raucous applause and cheers on the PGA TOUR. The 82-time winner brings the noise unlike any other. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Finau leads by one | ‘Totally different’ Muirfield Village this week But when those five words were uttered Thursday before Woods went out for his first round at the Memorial Tournament Presented by Nationwide there was a surreal silence. Playing in his first event on TOUR in five months Woods got his initial taste of COVID-19 pandemic golf that is played sans on-site spectators. The five-time Memorial champion carded a solid 1-under 71 to sit in a tie for 18th on a day where whipping winds and tough conditions made scoring difficult. It was a praiseworthy round by a legend of the game. But on the first tee … crickets. That’s not to say no one was watching. In fact around 50 or so media, tournament staff, security guards, police and volunteers were socially distanced around the area. A bunch of them would follow the entire 18 holes. Other TOUR pros waiting for their tee time on the nearby putting green took a look. But the lack of noise meant a few others didn’t even realize Woods was off and running – something unheard of in pre pandemic times. There was a concern Woods – who is used to galleries in the thousands – might not be able to muster the same competitive fire without that external boost. But the man himself said otherwise. “The energy wasn’t the same without the fans. That certainly was noticeable, mostly different,” Woods said afterwards. “(But no) I definitely didn’t have any issue with (personal) energy and not having the fans’ reactions out there. I still felt the same eagerness, edginess, nerviness starting out, and it was good. It was a good feel. I haven’t felt this in a while.” And besides … it wasn’t all silence. Some fans made sure Woods knew they cared from outside the property lines. As he and his group of FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy and two-time PGA TOUR Player of the Year Brooks Koepka walked down the opening hole a few fans on the fence line called out in support. Up by the green, in their backyard, a family of four stood against their fence to catch a glimpse. Their brown labradoodle rested in the shade, oblivious to the Big Cat walking past, while the two young girls enjoyed their FunDip candy while shouting “Go Tiger” as he coaxed in an opening hole birdie. The father joked to tournament officials about the value of his house going up this week. The second hole saw a couple standing on step ladders to get a look over the fence line. And a bunch of young children were running along the hole as Woods walked past, desperately trying to get as close as they could and perhaps naively expected the 44-year-old to race them. A hole later a large group had gathered behind the perimeter fencing and they erupted when Woods hit a superb approach shot that scared the hole for eagle but resulted in a tap in birdie. It was the biggest cheer he received but as the round wore on a scattering of fans were found in houses along the course and also on holes that skirted the property lines. On the sixth, three teenage boys filmed Woods’ par putt that skirted by the hole and were disappointed it missed. They resolved to still post it to Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok though. A quartet of young kids on the 11th hole were particularly vocal. They needed to stand on the very top of chairs leant against the fence to see over and three of them had painted their faces in tiger stripes. Brandishing a sign reading “Tiger’s Cub House” they chanted “Go Tiger!” over and over and got a big smile and a wave from Woods. “Cute, isn’t it,” Woods said further up the hole. As Woods left the 13th tee box fans yelled, “Thanks for still being here! We will be back for you next year!” from outside the property which produced another Woods smile. So too did the children who had run from a nearby swimming pool, still dripping wet in their swimsuits, to call out to their idol. Despite all of these efforts the final hole of his round continued to highlight the stark differences from the past. The natural amphitheater around Muirfield Village’s 18th green would usually be packed tight with fans and the 14-foot birdie Woods made would have sent them into raptures. Instead he settled for a nod and “good putt” from his playing partners before heading off to sign his card. “Certainly it’s a different feel, one that’s a new reality, and we’re going to have to get used to it,” Woods said of the vibe he played in. Atmosphere aside Woods had four birdies and three bogeys in his first start since the Genesis Invitational in February. He found eight of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens while taking 29 putts. “It felt good. I was a little bit rusty but felt like overall it was a good start. It’s been a while since I’ve played. Got off to almost an ideal start and got a feel for the round early. I just didn’t make anything today. I had looks at birdies, but I really didn’t make much,” he added. “I was very pleased the way I drove it, my feel for my irons. I just didn’t quite hit the putts hard enough. Most of my putts were dying, didn’t quite have enough oomph to it.” Now the question is whether Woods can shake off any fatigue and front up early Friday to go again with the same energy and perhaps adjust to the greens which are expected to only get faster. “I’ve felt good about my training over the last few months, and I’ve gotten ready for this,” he said. Adjusting to the silence might take a little longer.

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