champ top left:
matt Sullivan/Stringer/getty image
S •
champ with truck
S: chri
S arm
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38 golfdigest.com | may 2019
Play Your Best Equipment
age 23
livesSan Antonio
story Won 2018
Sanderson Farms
Championship.
Second on tour
in average driving
distance at more
than 316 yards.
early education
Some might be sur-
prised to know I
grew up playing a
par-3 course. I went
every day. It helped
me develop a good
iron and short game
at an early age.
giving back
I wanted to be able
to give back. The
Cameron Champ
Foundation uses
golf as a means to
provide a positive
influence on the
lives of youngsters.
—with e. michael johnson Srixon Z-Star XV
controllable in the
wind. I always carry
six balls in my bag,
so I’ve never come
close to running out.
the mechanic
▶ Working on trucks
and cars is a nice
escape from tour
life. I’m working on
something new right
now. It’s a special
build that I’m really
excited about.
driver
specs Ping G410 Plus, 8.9 ̊, 45.75 inches,
Fujikura Pro White TS 63-X shaft, D-4 swingweight
▶ This driver is similar to my previous gamer
but has a movable weight I put in the heel
position. I cut the ball, so that weight helps
me turn the ball over more easily. The shaft
is tipped one inch to keep the flight down.
fairway wood
specs Ping G400, 14.3 ̊, Project X HZRDUS
Black 6.5 shaft, D-3 swingweight
▶ I don’t need this club off the deck very
often, but it’s a valuable weapon to have off
the tee. I know I can hit this straight and be
far enough to be useful on most holes.
irons
specs Ping i500 (4-iron), Ping Blueprint (4-iron
through pitching wedge), True Temper Dynamic
Gold X-100 shafts, Lamkin UTX Cord grips with
seven wraps left hand and five wraps right hand
▶
like a 3-iron. When Ping brought out the
Blueprint blades, I got excited. When you hit
a blade it’s a different feel than something
with more forgiveness. The lofts are slightly
weaker than standard to get the flight I want.
wedges
specs Ping Glide Forged (52 ̊, 57 ̊, 62 ̊), True
Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X-100 shafts
▶ My 56-degree wedge is bent 1 degree
weak and my 60-degree 2 degrees weak
to produce a 5-degree gap between clubs.
That not only helps with distance control,
it gives me more spin on the higher-lofted
wedges. I have Papa Champ stamped on my
62-degree wedge in honor of my grandfather.
He’s the backbone of our family.
putter
specs Ping PLD Prime Tyne, 34.5 inches, 2 ̊ loft
▶ I prefer mallets, and I’ve used this one
all season, including during my win at the
Sanderson Farms event. I like a heavier
putter. I have a long and slow-pace stroke,
and something with a bit more weight
matches up well with that. It’s allowed me
to become consistent on the greens.
club yards*
driver 310
3-wood 280
4-iron 250
4-iron 230
5-iron 210
6-iron 195
7-iron 180
8-iron 165
9-iron 155
pw 145
52 ̊ 125
57 ̊ 115
62 ̊ 95
* carry distance
breaking drivers
▶At my swing
speed, I bust a few
drivers, including
before the final
round of the
Sanderson Farms
Championship.
That was a bit of
a shock, but luckily
I had a backup in
the car I was com-
fortable with. To
know I could man-
age it off the tee
allowed me to hit it
well that day, and
I went on to win.
Photographs by Giovanni Reda