What's in the bag - Carnoustie special
Golf Monthly's equipment editor takes a crafty look inside one or two players’ bags on the course and practice ground at Carnoustie
Ping?s new G10 range will be hitting the shelves in September and is already seeing plenty of action out on tour. I?ve spotted a 9 degree driver in Angel Cabrera?s bag and understand Chris DiMarco, Mark Calcavecchia and Mark Hensby have all been trying the club and could be putting it into play this week. Meanwhile Lee Westwood has switched to a new 14 degree G10 3-wood after just a few hits. Sergio Garcia has created a few headlines following his switch to a belly putter in the ongoing effort to send his putting stats tumbling. He wielded a belly version of TaylorMade?s Rossa Corzina in his top-20 finish at Loch Lomond last week, averaging just 28 putts a round and ending up 4th for putts per green in regulation. So maybe a corner has been turned?. At Callaway?s pre-tournament get-together, I spotted an interesting-looking utility iron in Nick Dougherty?s bag. The 18 degree club looked like a chunkier version of the X-Tour model and was marked up with a distinctive U on the sole. Whether this prototype long iron will eventually make it into production remains to be seen, but the concept would, in theory, mirror the progression you can make in Mizuno?s MP ranges by moving to the wider-soled Fli-Hi 2, 3 and 4-irons. Justin Leonard has also been seen using an iron-style Nike utility with a low profile face in an attempt to master the links and recapture some of his former Open glory this week. He?s been using it quite a lot off both tee and fairway in his warm-up rounds, using it as a kind of go-to club for shots of around 240 or so yards. But I?ve been unable to find out anything more about this particular club just yet.
Get the top Black Friday deals right in your inbox: Sign up now!
The hottest deals and product recommendations during deals season straight to your inbox plus all the best game-changing tips, in-depth features and the latest news and insights around the game.
Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.
Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is currently playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft
3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft
Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft
Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Putter: Kramski HPP 325
Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)
-
Jamie Spence Facts: 18 Things To Know About The Former Player And Now DP World Tour Commentator
The Englishman enjoyed a successful career as a professional before moving into broadcasting
By Michael Weston Published
-
How To Adjust Your Driver And Why It Can Help
It's crucial that you know what you're doing if you want to change the setup of your driver to improve your ball flight. Here's our ultimate guide
By Joel Tadman Published
-
Henrik Stenson What’s In The Bag?
We take a look inside the bag of Major-winning Swede Henrik Stenson.
By Sam Tremlett Published
-
Alison Lee What's In The Bag?
We take a look into the bag of former amateur world number one Alison Lee...
By Sam De'Ath Published
-
Lauren Coughlin What's In The Bag?
We take a look into the bag of two-time LPGA Tour champion Lauren Coughlin
By Sam De'Ath Published
-
Albane Valenzuela What's In The Bag?
We take a look inside the bag of the American-born Swiss golfer making her Solheim Cup debut in Virginia...
By Joe Ferguson Published
-
Esther Henseleit What's In The Bag?
We take a look at the bag of Olympic silver medalist Esther Henseleit...
By Joe Ferguson Published
-
Sarah Schmelzel What's In The Bag?
We take a look at what golf clubs the Solheim Cup rookie Sarach Schmelzel is currently using
By Dan Parker Published
-
Daniel Brown What's In The Bag?
In his rookie season on the DP World Tour, Daniel Brown managed to secure a maiden victory. Here, we take a look at what is currently in the Englishman's bag
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Yuto Katsurgawa What's In The Bag?
We take a deeper look into the bag of the DP World Tour winner from Japan...
By Joe Ferguson Published