Sleeper Picks: Travelers Championship

OVERVIEW Brooks Koepka thrives on the feeling of being slighted. He fuels up on convincing himself he’s not getting the kudos he deserves. He will probably take the fact he’s not No. 1 in this countdown as some form of motivation. The current PGA TOUR Player of the Year wants to prove people wrong … always. Last season he won two majors – defending his U.S. Open crown and winning the PGA Championship. One was a grind; the other needed plenty of birdies and had to be done under the trying circumstances of an emotional Tiger Woods Sunday surge. Oh and this was done in a season where he missed extended time with a wrist injury. He then kicked off his 2018-19 season with a win at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. The takeaway is Koepka can win under most conditions as long as he is switched on and ready to compete. Because if will is involved … he’s got plenty. So the thing to watch with the now 28-year-old is how he takes it up a notch from here. How can he find the villains in his competitive life when people are stopping and taking notice? In the interest of helping we will state something he hasn’t done yet: Win the FedExCup. He’s never finished worse than 35th in the season-long race and has made it to East Lake three of his four full seasons but last year’s ninth place finish remains his best. Can he prove himself the most consistent performer on TOUR? That would certainly put even more polish on an already impressive resume. Last season he made significant improvements in his approach and short game around the greens which allowed for a slight dip in his putting prowess. If he can mirror up the putter with those improvements, he will be the standard others need to replicate. — By Ben Everill Click here to see who else made the Top 30 list. BY THE NUMBERS FEDEXCUP UPDATE Current 2018-19 position: 4th Playoff appearances: 4 TOUR Championship appearances: 3 Best FedExCup result: 9th in the 2017-18 season SHOTLINK FUN FACT Of his 62 rounds played last season, Brooks Koepka shot 69 or better 36 times, a sub-70 percentage rate of 58 percent. INSIDER INSIGHTS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Brooks Koepka in 2019. TOUR INSIDER: This guy is quite the case study. He became so good at riding the motivation of being an underdog he now spends more time trying to convince himself he’s still one than embracing the brilliant performer he is. Power coupled with mental strength and an ever-improving short game make Koepka a guy you can never sleep on. Let’s see how he copes with being the guy with the target on his back … I’m guessing well. — By Ben Everill FANTASY INSIDER: Anytime a golfer performs well when expected, I’ve always stated that it’s always nice when he fulfills his projection. After all, golf (and golf prognostication) can be a folly. Meanwhile, longer-term objectives can be easier to see with experienced sets of eyes. So, it comes as no surprise to this analyst that he’d scale to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking because it’s exactly what I suggested was next for him in last year’s Top 30. The knock – that he has echoed – is that he doesn’t win enough non-majors despite having two U.S. Open trophies and a Wanamaker Trophy in possession is like saying that there’s not enough ice cream to go with the sprinkles. — By Rob Bolton EQUIPMENT INSIDER: While Reed may be the current face of equipment-contract-free professional golfers, Koepka is the winningest. Since Nike left the equipment space, Koepka has won two U.S. Opens, a PGA Championship and THE CJ CUP, all without an equipment contract. Most notably, Koepka uses irons that were literally designed for him: Mizuno’s JPX 900 Tour. He started using them in 2017 after Nike left, and he still has them in the bag. Mizuno, however, has come out with a new version of those clubs: JPX-919 Tour irons. Koepka hasn’t made the switch into the new irons yet, but it’s something we might see in 2019. While Koepka opts for TaylorMade metalwoods, Titleist Vokey wedges and a Scotty Cameron putter, he still uses a Nike Vapor Fly Pro driving iron. Maybe that will come out of the bag in 2019, too. — By Andrew Tursky STYLE INSIDER: Koepka is yet another athletic player with explosive power who is a perfect fit for Nike’s cutting-edge apparel and footwear. Although Brooks favors traditional looks and colors, he is quick to adopt new technologies. He was one of the first players to put the laceless Nike Tour Premiere shoe with FastFit lockdown technology into play. Expect more of the same from the three-time major winner in 2019. — By Greg Monteforte

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In the streetwear scene, the adidas ‘Triple Black’ Ultraboost has been one of the most hyped sneakers over the past few years. Now, adidas Golf is bringing the coveted ‘Triple Black’ colorway to the course through special editions of the TOUR360 BOOST 2.0, TOUR360 Knit, and Crossknit 2.0. All three models feature a black BOOST midsole, the first time adidas has created golf shoes with a colored BOOST midsole. Why is this important? Well, it all has to do with style and aesthetics. Until now, all adidas BOOST golf shoes featured a white midsole. When combined with a black upper and black outsole, the white midsole created a high level of contrast, breaking up the uniformity of the look in much the same way a white belt disrupts the flow of an outfit from top to bottom. On the other hand, this sleek ‘Triple Black’ colorway creates a clean appearance, especially when worn with black pants. In the streetwear scene, the adidas ‘Triple Black’ Ultraboost has been one of the most hyped sneakers over the past few years. Now, adidas Golf is bringing the coveted ‘Triple Black’ colorway to the course through special editions of the TOUR360 BOOST 2.0, TOUR360 Knit, and Crossknit 2.0. All three models feature a black BOOST midsole, the first time adidas has created golf shoes with a colored BOOST midsole. Why is this important? Well, it all has to do with style and aesthetics. Until now, all adidas BOOST golf shoes featured a white midsole. When combined with a black upper and black outsole, the white midsole created a high level of contrast, breaking up the uniformity of the look in much the same way a white belt disrupts the flow of an outfit from top to bottom. On the other hand, this sleek ‘Triple Black’ colorway creates a clean appearance, especially when worn with black pants. Proprietary to adidas in partnership with BASF, BOOST is a lightweight foam comprised of thousands of popcorn-like TPU beads that are steam molded and pressed together in the midsole shape for specific a shoe model. The biggest advantage BOOST has over traditional EVA midsoles is its energy return. In fact, adidas says BOOST possesses an energy return of greater than 84%. Standard EVA materials are said to have an energy return of between 50% and 65%. Another benefit of BOOST is its durability. Over time, EVA will begin to collapse, but BOOST does not break down, and it maintains its properties even in extreme heat and cold. adidas first integrated the BOOST technology in a golf shoe with the adipower BOOST model in 2015. Later that year, the brand took another step forward by combining a full-length BOOST midsole with its 360Wrap technology in the TOUR360 BOOST. Adding color in the form of the black BOOST midsole on these special editions is the next progression in the evolution of the BOOST technology on the fairways. The special edition black BOOST colorway is available now in the TOUR360, TOUR360 Knit, and Crossknit 2.0 models.

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Titleist has officially launched its T-series (T100, T200 and T300), 620 MB and 620 CB irons to the public, after recently launching its new U500 and U510 irons), as well as its TS hybrids. The T100, 620 MB and 620 CB irons first launched on the PGA TOUR at the 2019 U.S. Open, while the T200 and T300 irons first appeared at the 2019 Travelers Championship. PGA TOUR players have been using Titleist’s new irons since they launched, but until now, Titleist has remained quiet about retail dates, design details and pricing. With today’s announcement from Titleist, all of those details are now public. According to Titleist, the 620-series nomenclature is a nod to former 600-series forged blades released in the early-to-mid 2000’s. The T-series, on the other hand, is a separation from the past. After 11 years, Titleist is replacing the AP-series with the T-series. “The T-Series represents a revolutionary step forward in Titleist iron design and technology,� said Josh Talge, Titleist’s Vice President of Golf Club Marketing, in a press release. “Our Club R&D team is nearly six times the size it was when the first AP iron was introduced 11 years ago. It’s because of that ongoing investment that we’ve been able to make such significant breakthroughs in materials and construction, and learn how to package those technologies into constructions that offer the look, sound and feel that players expect from a Titleist iron.� Below, we take a look at what’s different with all of the new iron designs. The T100, T200, T300, 620 MB and 620 CB irons will all be available for fittings on August 8, and they will hit golf shops on August 30; read on for further information about each of the irons. T100 The T100 irons were developed based on direct feedback from TOUR players, including Jordan Spieth. They have a fully forged, dual-cavity construction, and they have an average of 66 grams of Tungsten in each head that’s placed in the heel and toe sections of the iron heads for added stability. Compared to the previous AP2 irons, the T100 faces are constructed thinner for higher ball speed across the face. Since these irons are made with TOUR players in mind, they have thin toplines, minimal offset, and camber on the sole to improve turf interaction. Throughout the sets (3-PW, W50), there are progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths to ensure CG (center of gravity) is in the right spot for each head. “With T100 we wanted to build an iron that delivers incredible performance and perfectly suits the player’s eye,� said Marni Ines, Director of Titleist Irons Development, Golf Club R&D, in a press release. “This is a precision product. It’s not about hitting it the furthest, it’s about hitting it that exact distance each and every time, being able to work the ball when necessary and having that pure look and feel that the best players in the world demand.� The T100 irons come stock with True Temper AMT Tour White steel shafts, or Mitsubishi Tensei White AM2 graphite shafts. They will sell for $175 per club in steel ($1,399 for a set of 8 clubs), or $187.50 per club in graphite ($1,499 for a set of 8). T200 and T300 Both the T200 and T300 irons are made with what the company is calling “Max Impact� technology, which is a design that was developed in partnership with Titleist Golf Ball R&D. To increase speed across the faces without sacrificing sound or feel, Titleist is putting polymer cores behind the faces, allowing them to be constructed thinner; this allows for more speed, consistent distances, and higher launch angles, according to Ines. “Max Impact allows us to make thinner, faster faces that push the limits of iron ball speed,� Ines said. “With this system in place, we’re able to take our materials and make them thinner and faster to maximize speed across the face, and help give us the launch angle we need to deliver more consistent distances on every swing.� The T200 irons are “player’s distance irons,� according to Titleist, while the T300 irons are a “player’s improvement iron.� Made for players who want distance without sacrificing looks, feel, trajectory or stopping power, the T200 irons have thin toplines and camber on the soles for better turf interaction. The also have SUP-10 L-Face inserts, and they use an average of 90 grams of Tungsten in each head to lower CG for higher launch. The T300 irons, which have a larger profile than the T200 irons, are made for maximum distance and forgiveness. They have an average of 52 grams of Tungsten in each head to lower CG. Both the T200 (4-PW, W48) and T300 (4-PW, W48, W53) iron sets have progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths. The T200 irons will sell for $175 per club in steel ($1,399 for a set of 8 clubs), or $187.50 per club in graphite ($1,499 for a set of 8). Stock shaft offerings will be True Temper AMT Black steel shafts or Mitsubishi Tensei Blue AM2 graphite shafts. The T300 irons will sell for $125 per club ($999 for a set of 8) in steel or $137.50 per club in graphite ($1,099 per set of 8). Stock shafts will be True Temper AMT Red steel shafts and Mitsubishi Tensei Red AM2 graphite shafts. 620 MB and 620 CB Due to the increased number of players switching into mixed irons sets, Titleist has matched the head profiles of the 620 MB and 620 CB irons, and each of the sets have progressive designs; the blade lengths are shorter in the short irons and longer in the long irons. The 3- and 4-irons of the CB sets, however, use Tungsten to improve ball speed and forgiveness.   “Our ability to use co-forged high-density tungsten in such a compact blade size like 620 CB is extremely powerful, especially at the long end of the set where players need the most help with launch and forgiveness,� said Marni Ines, Director, Titleist Irons Development. “We’ve seen many MB players gravitate toward mixed sets particularly because that combination of performance and workability in the CB 3- and 4- irons is so compelling. At the same time, with mixed sets becoming so common, we matched the profiles and blade lengths of 620 CB and MB so that players can start blending at any point in the set without making any sacrifices.� The MB heads, on the other hand, are all one-piece forgings made from 1025 carbon steel. They have a brushed chrome finish, and the labeling on the irons was kept intentionally simple based on TOUR feedback. “One request we started to hear over and over from both pros and amateurs was to make MB as clean as possible,� Talge said. “Really the only way to do that was to remove any ‘MB’ graphic, leaving only the Titleist script on the back of the club head. MB players know what an MB is, so that’s what we did.� The 620 CB irons (3-PW) will come stock with Project X LZ steel shafts, while the 620 MB irons (3-PW) will come stock with Project X steel shafts; both offerings will come stock with Mitsubishi Tensei White AM2 graphite shafts. They will sell for $175 per club ($1,399 for a set of 8) in steel and $187.50 per club in graphite ($1,499). Related: See more photos of each iron here.

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