2019-06-01_Golf_Digest

howell: ben jared/getty images • reef:

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ild

horizon/getty images

38 golfdigest.com | june 2019

Play Your Best Equipment

age 39

livesOrlando

story Won three

times on the PGA

Tour, including the

2018 RSM Classic.

persimmon play

My son recently

saw a YouTube

video of Jordan Spi-

eth hitting a persim-

mon driver and

asked me if I had hit

one. Yes, but it was

so long ago, proba-

bly when I was 8 or

9 years old.

energetic escape

When I’m on the

road without my

family, the four

walls of the hotel

room can come

crashing in. I’ve

found working out

at those times is

a great respite.

—with e. michael johnson

changing it up

▶ I played Titleist’s

Pro V1x for a long

time, but in working

with its new golf

balls for 2019,

I found the Pro V1

had more speed off

the driver and felt

softer around the

greens. That made

for an easy switch.

▶

with my kids’ names

on it helps keep

them close to me.

My son, Chase,

who is 7, loves golf

more than I do.

driver

specs Titleist TS3, 10.5 ̊, 45 inches,

Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 75 TX shaft,

D-3 swingweight

▶ One thing I’ve learned with adjustable

never use. I want to see what it does.

heelward to promote a slight draw.

fairway woods

specs Titleist TS2, 15 ̊, Fujikura Atmos 8 Black TX

shaft, D-3 swingweight; Titleist TS2, 21 ̊, Fujikura

Atmos 9 Black TX shaft, D-3 swingweight

▶ The 7-wood will stay in my bag for almost

every event. We play so many par 3s that are

between 240 and 250 yards, and a lot of

par 5s where we’re going for it in two from

that yardage. This club hits that distance

with enough height to stop it on the green.

irons

specs Titleist 718 T-MB (4-iron), Titleist 718

AP2 (5-, 6-iron), Titleist 718 CB (7-iron through

PW); True Temper Project X LZ shafts, Golf Pride

Tour Velvet Align grips with two extra wraps

▶ I grew up playing cavity-back irons, but I

don’t like a lot of offset, so the split in my set

occurs where the offset changes. I also want

some help, and these provide that. All my

irons are a quarter-inch over in length.

wedges

specs Titleist Vokey SM7 (52 ̊, 56 ̊, 60 ̊), True

Temper Dynamic Gold S-400 shafts

▶ Bounce in wedges is something I could

change every week given the varying con-

ditions we face. So I settled on Vokey’s M

grind, which is a simple grind with a lot of

versatility. I also carry four wedges (includ-

ing a pitching wedge). I’ll make more birdies

with an extra wedge than with a 3-iron.

putter

specs TaylorMade Spider Tour, 34 inches, 2.5 ̊ loft

▶ I was playing in South Korea, and a TV

channel in the hotel showed women’s golf

nonstop. Every woman was using a mallet

putter and making everything, so I decided

to try it. This mallet has 15 degrees of toe

hang and a slant neck, which I like. Also, no

alignment line. That simplifies things for me.

club yards*

driver 285

3-wood 265

7-wood 250

4-iron 223

5-iron 210

6-iron 197

7-iron 180

8-iron 171

9-iron 162

pw 148

52 ̊ 130

56 ̊ 115

60 ̊ 95

* carry distance

Photographs by Giovanni Reda

going deep

▶ My absolute favor-

ite place to travel

to is the Bahamas.

I love snorkeling and

scuba diving there.

It’s just incredible

what you witness

when you’re down

deep in that water.