Tiger turns in solid day in return from hiatus

It’s unlikely most golfers, even those with a single-digit handicap, would use a full set of traditional muscleback blades — unless your name is Rickie Fowler. One of the best ball-strikers on the PGA TOUR, Fowler usually carries a full set of King Forged MB irons, but has, on occasion, added a cavity-back Forged CB long iron to the setup for firm and fast courses like last year’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills. Cobra’s latest creation is based off Fowler’s current setup, but comes with a bit more forgiveness at the top of the bag where players might want a higher launch in their long irons. The new Cobra King Forged CB/MB combo set was designed in collaboration with Fowler and transitions from cavity-back CB long and mid irons (4-6) into the compact muscleback MB shape (7-PW) Fowler prefers. “These high-performance Cobra irons consistently deliver the workability and shot-shaping control that I need to be competitive on (the) course,” Fowler said. “I’ve been playing them for a few years, and know better players are going to appreciate the sleek look and soft feel, along with the ability to work the ball without sacrificing forgiveness.” Made from 1025 carbon steel, each head undergoes a five-step forging process to produce a more precise shape and aligned gain structure (the face and grooves are CNC milled for maximum spin). Cobra wedge grooves were utilized throughout the entire set to improve trajectory control. Both the CB and MB feature tungsten weights in the toe and center of the club that positions the center of gravity (CG) closer to the center of the club face, delivering more forgiveness. The tungsten weight setup differs from the previous version — which had one weight in the toe — and is designed to match Fowler’s setup on TOUR. The Diamonized Black Metal (DBM) non-glare finish on each head is more durable than the standard PVD. Each club is also outfitted with Cobra’s Connect sensor in the butt-end of each grip. The sensor weighs 4.6 grams and doesn’t affect the overall swing weight of the club. Once the sensors are paired with the app, golfers are able to log statistics during their round. Cobra’s King Forged CB/MB set (right- and left-handed; available Nov. 2) is comprised of 4-6 (CB) and 7-PW (MB), and retails for $1,100. The 2-iron, 3-iron and gap wedge can be special ordered. For those who prefer the traditional setup, Cobra’s King Forged CB (right- and left-handed) and MB (right-handed) will be available through the custom department as a full set. PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE: Buy equipment here

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NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — Adam Svensson had two eagles in a 10-under 62 to take a two-stroke lead Thursday in the PGA TOUR’s Barbasol Championship. Playing through temperatures in the 90s at Keene Trace, the Canadian eagled the par-5 15th and eighth holes. The first eagle came after his lone bogey on No. 14, and the second — on a 31-foot putt — gave him the lead. “I had a couple of top 25s the last few events and I’ve always had, not issues, but just kind of struggled a little with the putter,” said Svennson, whose best finish this season was a tie for seventh at the Sony Open in Hawaii. “I’ve been working more on putting than I have ball-striking, usually it’s the other way around for me. The extra work and extra time spending with putting has helped my game even more than just hitting balls.” Ricardo Gouveia of Portugal and Robin Roussel of France each shot 64. The Barbasol Championship is the DP World Tour’s first co-sanctioned event in the U.S. and features 50 players from the DP World Tour among 156 competitors. The winner will get the final spot next week in The Open Championship at St. Andrews. Gouveia is making his second PGA TOUR start. “It was a great round, really solid off the tee, hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens, holed some good putts,” said Gouveia, who overcame a back issue that forced him to withdraw from the pro-am Wednesday. “Just a very solid round. Roussel eagled the par-5 11th in a bogey-free round that included six birdies. Trey Mullinax was at 65 with Matti Schmid, Camilo Villegas, Max McGreevy, Michael Kim, David Skinns, Mark Hubbard and Bo Van Pelt.

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