Shubhankar Sharma leads by himself at WGC-Mexico Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – There was much made of the calendar switch from May to March for THE PLAYERS Championship. In the equipment world, many wondered if there was going to be an equipment trend that would follow – different wedge grinds, a different set makeup at the top end of the bag, or possibly more equipment testing given it’s new positioning ahead of The Masters. TOUR reps from several different companies, and players themselves, however, said that March versus May had little-to-no effect on a trend of equipment changes. That being said, a few specific players made changes this week at THE PLAYERS. Here are the highlights of all the noteworthy club changes this week. Mickelson’s Epic Flash Sub Zero one-diamond proto Phil Mickelson went on record proclaiming that he’d use a Callaway Rogue driver at least until The Masters, instead of the Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero prototype he played early in 2019. He did, in fact, switch back into a Callaway Epic Flash driver at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, however. At THE PLAYERS, PGATOUR.COM took photos of his new Epic Flash that has just one diamond lasered onto the hosel, instead of the three-diamond prototype he used previously in 2019. Bryson’s festive headcovers The most noteworthy piece of equipment given the event’s place on the calendar was Bryson DeChambeau’s headcovers, honoring St. Patrick’s Day. The gold colorway of the covers could actually have a dual meaning; signifying the Irish “pot of gold,� and the new PLAYERS trophy is all gold. The headcovers are also imprinted with his initials “BD,� and they have four-leaf clovers stitched into them. DeChambeau also had a St. Patrick’s Day-themed golf bag made by Vessel. Tiger’s fresh wedge Tiger Woods, who’s been known to put fresh wedges in the bag ahead of majors, put a new 60-degree TaylorMade Milled Grind wedge in the bag for THE PLAYERS. There was much speculation on social media that it was a new wedge grind for the week, but his caddie Joe LaCava assured PGATOUR.COM that it was simply a new wedge made with the same specs and grind as his previous 60-degree wedge. Woods’ lob wedge is made with 11 degrees of bounce on the sole. Click here to see Tiger’s full WITB for 2019. Tony Finau makes a big switch Finau has used Accra prototype shafts in his metalwoods for his entire tenure as a Ping staffer, but that changed at THE PLAYERS. He switched into new Mitsubishi Diamana RF-series shafts in his Ping G410 Plus driver and three wood. While he picked up about 5 mph of ball speed, according to a Ping representative, the main reason for the switch was his ability to start the ball more on line with the shafts, yet still allowed for him to hit the fade he prefers. Click here for more information and photos on Finau’s new shafts. Patrick Reed makes a huge iron change Reed, who’s used a mix of Callaway MB-1 prototype irons and Razr X MB irons for years, put a Titleist 718 CB 4-iron and Titleist 718 MB irons (5-PW) in the bag this week due to their look, turf interaction and higher launch. They have loads of lead tape on the bottom portion of their back cavities. The 4-iron is equipped with a True Temper Dynamic Gold AMT X100 shaft, and the 5-PW are equipped with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts. After switching to a Srixon Z-Star for the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Reed switched back to a Titleist Pro V1 for the rest of that event, and he stayed with the Pro V1 at THE PLAYERS. Brandt Snedeker’s golf ball and shaft switch up Snedeker has used a Bridgestone golf ball for quite some time on TOUR, but he switched to a Srixon Z-Star XV golf ball at THE PLAYERS. He also conducted extensive driver testing ahead of the event, testing heads and shafts from various companies. Ultimately, he went with the TaylorMade M5 driver head he’s used throughout 2019, but switched from a Fujikura Speeder shaft to a Fujikura Ventus 6X. Jason Dufner changing it (back) up Dufner, who’s been bouncing around with different flatsticks lately, put his custom-made Scotty Cameron putter back in play that he’s used off-and-on since 2015. This time around, however, it has an LA Golf Shafts Ozik putter shaft in it. Also, while Dufner’s been experimenting with a Cobra driver for weeks (but hasn’t put in play during competition), he switched from his gamer Titleist driver to a Ping G410 Plus driver that’s equipped with a Project X HZRDUS Yellow shaft. Ryan Moore goes to Toulon Moore, who made headlines for not having to putt at all after making a slam-dunk hole-in-one on No. 17 this week, has been switching putters plenty so far in 2019. At THE PLAYERS, Moore put a new Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas putter in play with a Stroke Lab shaft. Champ goes back to iBlades While Champ was one of the numerous Ping staffers to switch into Blueprint irons in 2019, he switched back into the iBlade irons he played in 2018, and when he captured his first PGA TOUR victory. Along with switching heads, he also went back to the KBS Tour C-Taper 130X iron shafts. Champ switched into an LA Golf Shafts prototype driver shaft at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he returned to a Fujikura Pro Tour Spec shaft at THE PLAYERS that he’s played throughout his professional career. Hideki goes to a TaylorMade driver Hideki Matsuyama is no stranger to making club changes. His staff bag is routinely filled with 20+ clubs during any given practice round day. But while his bag is typically packed with different irons and wedges, Matsuyama switched from a Callaway Epic Flash driver to a TaylorMade M5 driver at THE PLAYERS. He switched heads but not shafts; his new driver remains equipped with a Graphite Design Tour AD-DI shaft. For more equipment photos from THE PLAYERS, check out our full gallery. 

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ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Collin Morikawa took one last look at the Claret Jug when he woke up Monday morning. After a year together, Morikawa finally had to say goodbye to the oldest trophy in professional golf. “It sucked. It really did,” he said about returning the prize for his triumph in last year’s Open Championship, when he became just the fifth player since World War II to win in his Open debut. “But I don’t want to dwell on the past,” he added. “I always look forward to what’s next.” This week, Morikawa will try to master one of the game’s most unique tests, the Old Course at St. Andrews. Jack Nicklaus called it golf’s toughest course to learn and said “there is nothing remotely like it,” thanks to its blind shots, dramatic humps and bumps and enormous greens. What’s next for Morikawa also may be a new approach to the aspect of the game that’s most responsible for his quick success as a pro. He’s been known as one of the TOUR’s top iron players since turning pro three years ago, but now he’s seeking to become more of a shot-shaper instead of relying almost exclusively on his trademark fade. Morikawa said last week that he “worked the ball more than ever” at the star-studded J.P. McManus Pro-Am that preceded the Genesis Scottish Open last week. That should be an asset this week, as firm conditions should only accentuate the effect of the Old Course’s slopes and swales. The crosswinds that blow across the historic grounds put a premium on players who can curve the ball both ways, as well. Nicklaus won here in 1970 after reluctantly tweaking his setup to hit right-to-left tee shots that held up against the prevailing wind. Morikawa said his emphasis is on playing the “right” shot for each occasion. His iron play is often compared to that of Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods, two players who consistently rank near the top of the TOUR’s Strokes Gained: Approach statistic. Now he’s trying to emulate them, as well. It was Woods who told Thomas years ago that he needed to add more shots to his repertoire. The constructive criticism came after the two played together in the 2018 Genesis Invitational. Thomas took it to heart and turned into one of the game’s best shot shapers. That skill was on full display during the second round of THE PLAYERS Championship, when high winds buffeted the course during a week of wild weather. Morikawa was playing with Thomas that day and was impressed with what he saw, calling it one of the best rounds he’d ever seen. “He had full control of his golf ball,” Morikawa said. “He worked it both ways. And the few times I’ve played with Tiger, … he worked the ball when he needed to. He played the right shots.” Perhaps a new approach could help Morikawa end the longest winless streak of his career. Last year’s Open Championship remains the most recent of Morikawa’s five PGA TOUR victories. The Open is his 20th start since that win. He still ranks 21st in the FedExCup thanks to two runners-up and top-five finishes in two of the year’s three majors. Those high finishes have come on the strength of strong Sunday rounds, however. “I am looking for something,” he admitted Monday. “I really haven’t been in contention at all this year in any tournament and it sucks because I love being in those spots.” Playing well at the U.S. Open even though he couldn’t call upon his usual left-to-right shot was a revelation, however. At times, he’s tried to force the fade even when it wasn’t working. But at Brookline he didn’t fight the slight draw that his swing produced that week. “That’s the biggest thing is having those nine windows, nine different shots, every little shot,” said Morikawa, referring to a phrase often used by Woods that represents every combination of height and shot shape. Especially at the Old Course. There may not be a course where such creativity is more important than the Old Course.

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International Presidents Cup spearhead Marc Leishman’s PGA TOUR season is off to a rocky start, as the Australian was forced to withdraw from A Military Tribute at the Greenbrier with a back injury. Leishman has four bulging disks in his back that flare up a few times a season, a condition he navigates through with smart scheduling, treatment and rest. Unfortunately for the four-time PGA TOUR winner, the stiffness turned up prior to the opening round, yet he still decided to try to play through the pain. It proved a task too difficult as he struggled to a 6-over 76 at The Old White TPC with his swing clearly compromised. “I woke up not feeling great but I always try to give it a go if possible, hoping it might loosen up after a few swings,� Leishman said. “But it just wasn’t responding well and after the round there was more pain so I thought it best to not put myself at risk for further damage. “It’s a shame and not the best timing as I love this event and was looking forward to getting the new season off to a good start.� It is the second time in 2019 Leishman has had to miss an event with the issue, having withdrawn from the AT&T Byron Nelson in May. Reports emerged of Leishman also being hit with an errant golf ball in the Wednesday Pro-Am as a possible factor, but the 35-year-old dismissed the idea of it being related. Leishman had walked ahead thinking the amateur had picked up his ball, but that turned out not to be the case. “I got hit in the love handle from a wedge shot and it didn’t even leave a bruise, so that was a complete non-issue,� Leishman said. “I certainly don’t want people thinking this had anything to do with that. He felt bad enough as it was and it was nothing. Just a small misunderstanding that can happen on the golf course.� Last season, Leishman gave his FedExCup chances a huge boost in the fall, winning the now defunct CIMB Classic. He would ultimately make his third straight trip to the TOUR Championship and finish 24th in the standings. Despite this latest setback, he hopes treatment will allow him to recover in time to return at the Safeway Open in a few weeks. If things have not settled down by then, he has locked in THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES and the new ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in Japan as his fall starts. He will then head to the Australian Open a week before the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, where he finished as the International Teams top qualifier.

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