Golf Magazine USA – September 2019

47

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474747

My

Favorite

Club

NO

SWEAT

Victor Hovland wasted little

time altering his equipment

setup on the eve of a major

MAKING LAST-MINUTE CHANGES to

your gear setup less than 24 hours

before the first round of a major

championship screams desperation.

But don’t tell that to Viktor Hovland.

The week prior to turning pro (and

being unveiled as a PING staffer), the

former Oklahoma State standout did

the unthinkable: He replaced key clubs

on the eve of the U.S. Open.

“I’m always open to changing stuff

if I feel there’s room for improvement,”

Hovland said.

He wasn’t kidding. Hovland took

PING’s G410 LST driver and a split

set of iBlade (4-6) and i210 (7-PW)

irons for a spin around Pebble Beach

just prior to the opening round and

found the equipment to be worthy

replacements.

The calculated gamble wound up

paying off in the end for Hovland, who

led the field in Strokes Gained: Off-

the-Tee with the new driver—he was

nearly two shots better than Xander

Schauffele in the statistical category—

en route to the lowest 72-hole score

by an amateur in U.S. Open history.

Chalk up another win for youthful

exuberance—and some extremely

solid equipment. —Jonathan Wall

WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES A COOLER SO...COOL? Start with a commitment

to your core customer. Yeti products were originally designed for

serious outdoor enthusiasts (think hunters and fisherman). Yo u

don’t disappoint people who kill their own food! But the items

on offer clearly have crossover appeal for any activity that values

frosty beverages. Tailgates, backyard barbecues and (of course!)

rounds of golf fit the bill. Yeti prides itself on products that can take

abuse, all while keeping contents just-out-of-the-fridge chilly. The

Hopper M30 features a durable “DryHide” exterior and “ColdCell”

insulation, while the “HydroShield” closure uses powerful magnets

instead of zippers to ensure maximum leak resistance. There are

two carry options: double handles or a wide shoulder strap. Perhaps

most importantly, this cooler has a 20-can capacity. Now, that’s

what we call a thirsty enthusiast.

COOL CUSTOMER

THIS STYLISH SACK CHILLS A ROUND’S WORTH OF

DRINKS (AND THEN SOME!) By Jessica Marksbury

YETI HOPPER M30, $299.99; YETI.COM

Accessories

TAYLORMADE

320 TI

NAME:

RICHARD DUFFY

HANDICAP: 12

HOME STATE:

MICHIGAN

WHEN PUR-

CHASED: 2001

WHY I LOVE IT:

“IT WAS CUT-

TING EDGE

AT THE TIME I

BOUGHT IT AND

REPRESENTED

A MASSIVE

UPGRADE OVER

MY PREVIOUS

MODEL. IT

WORKED SO

WELL FOR ME

THAT I NEVER

SAW A REASON

TO UPGRADE.

IT’S EASY TO

SWING FAST

AND PROVIDES

PLENTY OF

DISTANCE, EVEN

ON SLIGHT

MISSES.”

RECOMMENDED

UPDATE:

TAYLORMADE

M6

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