Gear changes for Rose and many more at Open Championship

We take a look at the changes players will be making to the clubs in their bag in preparation for the Open Championship this week at St. Andrews

The Open Championship often provides a very unique proposition for the players. The customary high winds and firm, fast conditions often mean that changes to the 14 clubs in the bag are essential in order to score well and contend.

Conditions at St Andrews this week, however, have been significantly damp in the days leading up to the start of the tournament, which has meant that adopting the set make up to suit to traditional links conditions has been less prevalent. Golf Monthly has had a quick peak in player’s bags on the range and discovered some interesting additions.

American Jimmy Walker appears to be testing some prototype muscleback Titleist irons and is also playing a Titleist utility 2-iron and a new Aldila counter balanced 65g driver shaft he used at the Scottish Open last week. Mizuno have made up plenty of 16 degree MP-H5 one irons for its players while the company have also revealed pictures of a new MP-25 and an MP-5 model on social media, a blade-style club with a similar finish to the MP-4 iron currently in its range but with a slightly different shape.

Lee Westwood looks set to continue using the new Ping I irons this week, which he first used at the Alstom Open de France. Many TaylorMade staff players have put the brand’s UDI (Ultimate Driving Iron) in play, including Retief Goosen. Justin Rose was seen testing a TaylorMade Daddy Long Legs model on the putting green on Monday, a much larger design than his usual White Smoke DA-62 putter.

Typically for the Open, players will opt to use wedges with less bounce to account for the firmer, tighter lies they will encounter around the green. Most players will replace their hybrid with a utility iron to help flight the ball lower under the wind.

A lower lofted driver will also help keep the ball flight down while also giving the players the ability to shape the ball more easily, a skill many employ to fight the wind from the tee.