Mickelson’s missed cut raises questions

When Georgia coach Chris Haack goes to check on his guys at The RSM Classic he’ll have his work cut out for him. In total, 11 of Haack’s former players make their livings on the PGA TOUR, with Bubba Watson the only former Bulldog not in the field for this week’s RSM. There are no slouches in this bunch, either, with 10 making the FedExCup Playoffs last summer. Nine have won, with Watson (12), Harris English (4), Kevin Kisner (4), Chris Kirk (4), Russell Henley (3), Brendon Todd (3), Brian Harman (2), Hudson Swafford (2) and Keith Mitchell (1) combining for 35 TOUR titles. The next in line? None other than Haack’s future son-in-law Greyson Sigg. The 26-year-old Augusta, Georgia native is a rookie on TOUR after winning twice on the Korn Ferry Tour last season. He says it’s not hard to figure out why the Georgia contingent continues to grow and thrive: At Georgia, unless a player finished in the top 10 in the event prior, they’re in the qualifying mix for the next event. “We had to earn it when we were in school,” Sigg said, “and you got to earn it today. Nothing’s given to you in this game, and that’s how Haacker treated us in school. Some coaches don’t like it, but I think it’s genius. You learn to find yourself and what you like to do at a young age, so when you come out of college, you’re ready to go do a Monday qualifier and (used to) having to shoot 8 under to get through. “I think that’s a big deal,” he continued. “There’s a reason why there’s that many Georgia guys on TOUR.” Beyond that, Haack sees one similarity between a lot of his players – the consistency in their demeanors. They shake off the bad shots quickly, one of the things Haack stresses at Georgia. Sigg listened well. “They don’t get too high and low,” Haack said. “And that’s something we’ve always preached and tried to get them to do, but he was already pretty good at it.” Sigg’s fiancée Katie Haack said what you see is what you get with the affable and laid back Sigg, whom fellow Georgia product Sepp Straka describes as one of the funniest people he knows. Not that he’s totally immune from nerves. “The only time I’ve ever seen him rattled was when he proposed,” Katie said with a laugh. In fact, there were two other times, said Georgia Associate Head Coach Jim Douglas. “The two times he was here that he got to a tournament and the ball was not drawing,” Douglas said. “Talk about freaking someone out; he’d never seen the ball go straight.” Douglas laughed. “He was literally freaked out. But he woke up the next day and it was back to his normal draw.” Keith Mitchell jokes that Sigg rolls out of bed “hitting a 5-yard draw” and that his “natural game is perfect.” Douglas disagrees. He said Sigg’s shot shape is more like a 2- or 3-yard draw. Either way, it was that consistency and ball-striking prowess that caught Haack’s eye. He said Sigg’s demeanor reminds him of other former UGA standouts, but the ball-striking and stature remind him most of Harman. Both are on the small side, but are nevertheless ball-striking machines with a beautiful natural draw. Both are plenty long, and routinely hit 16 or 17 greens in regulation per round. Both could sometimes get too aggressive with the flat stick when they were juniors and had to become better lag putters through college and into their professional careers. “One of the things I liked about him was he had a really good solid, repeatable swing,” Haack said of Sigg. “His swing never changed. It was always very compact. He wasn’t very tall, but he could really pound it out there pretty good, and he always hit the same shot. I remember thinking I liked that, but I also remember seeing him many times thinking that boy is going to have to learn how to putt to get to the next level.” Douglas says Sigg’s speed on the greens got better over the years. Putting contests on the Georgia practice green with his teammates Straka and Mookie Demoss paid dividends, and Sigg never tinkered with the short, compact motion that he developed at Augusta Country Club, right next door to Augusta National. Sigg’s dad, David, got him started in the game, taking him and his older brother, William, who went on to play at Presbyterian College, with him when he’d go play with their grandfather. Eventually Greyson graduated from playing in bunkers to hitting shots himself, and was as young as 5 when he began to wow spectators on the range. When he was 7, his dad asked Tommy Bradley, then the head pro at Augusta Country Club, if he should consider lengthening that action. But Sigg didn’t change much; his swing today is mostly unchanged. “I asked the head pro if Greyson should maybe try to take it a little bit further because it was almost Jon Rahm like short,” David said. “Tommy said, ‘Don’t touch it! Don’t do nothing! Leave him alone!’” Greyson was 10 when he started working with Augusta CC’s Gary Cressend, who still coaches him today. “His swing was always short,” David said, “but he could always pop it back then. He’s just always been an unbelievable ball striker for his age.” While his motion was honed at his home club, Sigg’s desire to play professionally was honed across the fence at Augusta National, where his mom, Karen, works as an executive assistant to the chairman. Every spring break week, his family would get Masters tickets, and Greyson and William watched the world’s best compete for a Green Jacket. Greyson liked Tiger best, but in 2004, with Phil Mickelson on his way to his first title, the lefty handed him a ball on back-to-back days, both times on the walk between the sixth green and seventh tee. Seventeen years later, Sigg would play with Mickelson in the final round of the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Now a PGA TOUR member, he is hoping to join his future father-in-law’s pack of Georgia alums with a TOUR win and earn a spot in his big hometown event. It’s part of the reason the hyper-competitive rookie doesn’t get too caught up in the texts congratulating him on his fine play. (He’s made four of six cuts and is 86th in the FedExCup.) The stage is bigger, but his goal is the same as it was on the Korn Ferry Tour: Win. “This is what I want to do,” Sigg said, “and so happy to finally be here on TOUR and look forward to staying here for many years, but I haven’t been playing great. Making a lot of cuts and everyone keeps texting me great playing when I finish 30th, but I’m not exactly pleased with it and know what I need to do to get better. I’m looking to finish off the fall with a bang and get a nice finish here.”

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Tiger Woods’ career has spanned nearly … wait for it … a quarter-century. His equipment is as talked about as anything in the game, short of his resume. But what were the individual club(s) that have fueled his epic career? What clubs played a part in the actual historic moments that demanded our attention? We dug, debated, and ultimately landed on these 10 (ranked 10 to 1). Some will be obvious, and some will be a surprise. Keep in mind that a few on this list are representations or switches in Tiger’s bag that had a direct impact on his success, while others were just clubs he dominated with — either in a single moment or over a long period of time. This list could have been 50 clubs. Easily. Some clubs that aren’t mentioned on this list: Woods’ Nike SasQuatch driver, 3-wood, and 5-wood, his Vokey 58 (bent to 56) and 60-degree wedges from 2000, the TaylorMade Phase 1 irons he won the TOUR Championship with in 2018, and on and on. It’s like trying to rank the top 10 Air Jordans from moments in MJ’s career == not the coolest-looking shoes but the ones where he did something great. It’s almost impossible. We did our best, and we hope you enjoy where we landed. Here we go. 10. Nike T40 Tour 5-wood The Nike T40 was the first 5-wood Tiger ever put into competitive action. This was also the first time we saw Tiger start to routinely bring 15 clubs to a tournament and rotate the clubs in his bag based on playing conditions and course setup with either the 2-iron or the 5-wood being called into action. The Nike T40 was considered a mid-sized fairway wood at the time, and the key design element of the club was the 40-gram tungsten plug directly in the middle of the sole to help lower the center of gravity, increase launch, and improve forgiveness. The 5-wood has become a mainstay in Tiger’s bags since the original T40, and the 2-iron has all but disappeared the last few years in favor of an easier-to-flight option. The current club of choice for Woods is a TaylorMade M3 with a Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana D+ 80 TX White shaft. 9. King Cobra Deep Face Driver This particular model first caught steam at the 1993 Open Championship when Greg Norman lit up Royal St. George’s on the final day with a 64 to win his second Claret Jug. At the time, Cobra was in a transition, having rebranded to the “King Cobra” label and upped its presence. Fast forward a year when Tiger began dabbling with the Cobra driver. The first models he tried were not the ones with which he ultimately took over the golf world. The model that made history (1996 U.S. Amateur and 1997 Masters), was a special setup made specifically by Cobra for Tiger with a “bore through” shaft. According to legend, the idea was that having the shaft go all the way through would increase stability to support Tigers 130-plus MPH swing speeds. Specs Loft: 9 degrees Length: 43.5 inches (finished with grip) Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 (tipped to length with bore through) Swing weight: D4 Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 58R 8. TaylorMade P7TW 8-iron It may seem odd to most, but this club, especially in the final round of the 2019 Masters, was the one that did the most work — and arguably the most damage. Tiger hit nine 8-iron approach shots on Sunday at Augusta, two of which represented the beginning of his chase (8-iron into the seventh for a birdie) and the door-slammer (8-iron into the 16th). Tiger’s specs on this club are as precise as you would imagine. Specs Loft: 40.5 degrees Length: 36 5/16″ (finished with grip) Lie: 63.5 degrees Shaft: Dynamic Gold X100 (tipped 1/4″) Swing Weight: D4 Grip: Golf Pride BCT 58R 7. Titleist 681T 2-iron In the early Tiger days, this club was as much a tool for Tiger as it was an intimidation stick. On any golf course, Tiger could pull thus club and hit a variety of shots the distance that the average PGA TOUR player was hitting his 3-wood, and in some cases, driver. And, oh yeah, the “stingers” this club produced were legendary. Arguably, the most notable 2-iron from this time was the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. Coming down the stretch, Tiger hit a frozen rope 2-iron into the 13th hole from 263 yards that set up a birdie and all but secured his three-shot victory over Phil Mickelson. Specs Loft: 19 degrees Length: 39.5″ Lie: 60 degrees Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 (tipped 1/4″) Swing weight: D4 Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 58R 6. Titleist 975D driver The Titleist 975D is the driver that, to this day, stayed in the bag the longest of any driver Tiger ever used. The 975D debuted in 1998 and was a big success on TOUR and with amateur players. Even as more and more professionals on the PGA TOUR transitioned to larger heads with graphite shafts, Tiger stuck it out with a 43.5-inch True Temper Dynamic Gold X100-shafted 260cc driver and remained one of the longest players. As driver head volume grew to over 400cc in the early 2000s, Tiger was reluctant to switch and used the 975D all the way until the 2002 season when he finally switched to a Nike Forged Titanium driver. Woods stayed with the steel shaft for a number of years after that. 5. Nike Fastback 60-degree wedge The 2005 Masters was the scene. Final round. 16th hole. From the back left of the 16th green, Tiger (with his 60-degree Nike wedge in hand) ran his ball up the side of the hill past the flag, and in a moment that seemed to last forever, the ball gingerly crept back down the hill, perched on the edge of the cup for an eternal couple of second, and slipped into the hole. Some say this was Woods’ best shot ever, and it’s hard to argue that point. This wedge, built and ground by the famous Mike Taylor, was front and center. Specs Loft: 60 degrees Length: 35 3/16″ (finished with grip) Lie: 64 degree Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Swing weight: D4 Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 58R Notes: This wedge featured a square sole, flatter camber, and 10 degrees of bounce. Three exact models were made for Tiger in February of 2005 4. Mizuno combo set: MP 14 and MP 29 Looking back at Tiger’s first major win, the 1997 Masters, his golf bag was very different than it is today. Yet one thing remains the same: forged blades. The irons Tiger used during that record-breaking win were a mixed set of Mizuno irons consisting of two different Mizuno blade models: the MP 14 and MP 29. The reason for the mixed set of irons was a slight difference in the offset progression between the two sets, and Tiger chose the irons from each model that offered the least amount of offset. The MP 29 irons had a reverse-offset progression that offered less offset in the longer irons and more offset into the shorter irons — something that is much less common today. The MP 14 irons had a standard progression of more offset into the longer irons and less into the shorter clubs. The result was a mixed set MP 29 2-iron through 4-iron and MP-14 5-iron to pitching wedge. This is a key example of Tiger’s exacting eye for getting his specs just right. To put this in perspective, this particular iron set was used to win all three of his U.S. Amateur titles (94, 95, 96), his first six professional wins, and his first major. Interestingly, the specs of these clubs are almost spot on to the lofts and lies he uses to this very day. 3. Titleist 970 3-wood Beyond the famous Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter, the Titleist PT (970) fairway wood could be the club most synonymous with Tiger Woods and some of his most famous shots. The deep face satin steel look of the Titleist PT made it easy to recognize, and from a design perspective in an era of quickly evolving technology in fairway woods Tiger, much like with the 975D driver, stuck it out with a steel shaft and small head shape for a long time. This was the tool used to hit perhaps his best 3-wood shot ever, the famous, “That the one you’re talking about?” at the 2000 Open on the 14th hole at St. Andrews during the third round from 281 yards. The 3-wood was his only fairway wood for a long time, and the next club in his set was always a 2-iron. This meant having to execute a lot of shots with that single club. One of the benefits of the Titleist PT, when you are one of the best players of all time, is that for what it lacked in overall forgiveness, it offered extreme workability. Tiger took full advantage of it. 2. Scotty Cameron Teryllium Newport The final two spots were reserved for putters. With all the talk of his power and precision iron play, it’s the flat stick that demoralized his competition more than anything. The ridiculous amount of key 5-footers, long bombs and everything in between. Tiger Woods’ relationship with these two Scotty Cameron putters is no different than Harry Potter to his wand or a Jedi to his lightsaber. Alone they are strong; with them, they are unstoppable. Most people know about the Newport 2, but the other famous Scotty Cameron Tiger used is the Teryllium Newport that he used to win the Masters in 1997. Tiger once famously said in an interview years ago when talking about all the clubs around his house, “My kids can play with any clubs, but they know there are two clubs they can’t touch and it’s this putter (referring to his Newport 2) and the putter I won the Masters with.” The difference between the Newport versus the Newport 2 model, which has now become famous, is the rounded bumpers and slightly shorter blade length compared to the more squared-off shape of the Newport 2. The other big feature of the Newport is the Teryllium insert and elastomer backing that helps reduce vibration. The back cavity is an iconic part of the design and was recently brought back by Cameron for the release of the T22 series of putters. This particular model was also the first sighting of the “Tiger dot” for alignment. In this case, Tiger blacked out the sightline and had Scotty drill a white dot on the top line. 1. Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS The Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS that Tiger has used since early in the 1999 season has been most the most talked-about piece of golf equipment in the last 50 years. The tri-sole design and very recognizable red lettering have been with Tiger for 14 of his 15 major wins and 66 of his 82 PGA TOUR victories. Getting a face-on look at it now, you can not only see the incredible wear mark in the upper middle part of the sweet spot of this particular putter but also the face of actual golf history. Specs (note: with the age of the putter these specs may be +/-) Loft: 3.75 degrees Length: 35.25 (finished with grip) Lie: 70 degrees Head weight: 327 grams Grip: Ping Man (Black Out)

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA, AND HAMILTON, BERMUDA – The PGA TOUR today announced that Butterfield, the leading, independent offshore bank and trust company headquartered in Bermuda, will join Bermuda Tourism Authority as sponsor of the annual FedExCup event held at Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda. Renamed the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, the tournament debuted in 2019 as the PGA TOUR’s first official event on the island. The agreement is through 2023. “Butterfield has been a wonderful supporter of the tournament since 2019, and we are excited they are elevating their partnership,” said PGA TOUR President and EVP Tyler Dennis. “Our players and their families love visiting Bermuda and competing on a world-class facility in Port Royal Golf Course. We look forward to working with Butterfield and Bermuda Tourism Authority to increase the charitable impact on the island.” The 2021 Butterfield Bermuda Championship will be held October 28-31 with live broadcast coverage on Golf Channel. As a standalone event in 2021, the field size will be expanded from 120 to 132 players with 500 FedExCup points being awarded to the winner and an increased purse of $6.5 million. The field features a minimum of four Bermudians who gain entry via a Local Qualifying event. “It’s an exciting time to be joining forces with the PGA TOUR given the elevation of this year’s Bermuda event, and we look forward to engaging clients, colleagues and the wider community,” said Michael Collins, Butterfield’s Chairman & CEO. “Significantly, this three-year partnership unites our core markets for banking services by including the Cayman Islands and the UK Channel Islands, where we will host two competitive Butterfield client events with the top five players from each event receiving invitations to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship Pro-Am on Wednesday of tournament week.” “Butterfield has been very supportive of our event since the start and we’re excited to have them elevate their partnership as a title sponsor with Bermuda Tourism Authority,” said Justin Belanger, Tournament Director at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. “To date, the tournament has raised over $400,000 for local charities, and we look forward to growing the impact with the support of Butterfield and Bermuda Tourism Authority.” Last year, Brian Gay claimed his fifth PGA TOUR victory at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, edging Wyndham Clark in a playoff. Brendon Todd won the inaugural event in 2019 on his way to a berth in the season-ending TOUR Championship.

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