How Jon Rahm And Callaway Became The Most Formidable Partnership On Tour

Jon Rahm and Callaway have created a formidable partnership on Tour that has seen the Spaniard break his Major duck and become a top ten regular on Tour.

How Jon Rahm And Callaway Became The Most Formidable Partnership On Tour

Jon Rahm’s maiden Major victory at the US Open last month was a momentous occasion for a player who had been waiting a number of years to break his Major duck.

It was also a big win for Rahm’s club manufacturer, Callaway, who celebrated its second Major victory of the year after Phil Mickelson’s triumph at the PGA Championship in May.

Rahm signed with Callaway in January this year, and quickly cited the reason for the switch was “to win Majors”.

Less than a year in, he is a Major champion and the Spaniard has clearly struck up quite the partnership with Callaway.

Since making the switch, Rahm has needed little to no time to adjust. Alongside his epic Major victory at Torrey Pines, he currently has a mammoth eleven top 10 finishes on Tour, three more than his nearest rival Jordan Spieth.

Speaking after his US Open victory, Rahm was quick to thank the team at Callaway for helping him achieve his major goal.

“For all those people that might have doubted the manufacturer change, there’s a reason why I believed I could get better. The new ball and the new irons allow me to hit certain shots I simply wasn’t capable of doing before.

“I need to say a huge thank you to the team at Callaway. I’ve been a real headache for them because I’ve asked them to build so many putters for me to find the one I needed, but I’m pretty sure I’ve found the one now.”

The team at Callaway has worked incredibly hard alongside Rahm to find him the right putter that would ultimately secure him a maiden Major title.

The hard work paid off, and Rahm made two clutch birdie putts on the 17th and 18th holes at Torrey Pines that ultimately won him the championship.

The Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S putter he used at the US Open is a one-of-a-kind custom made by Callaway at the Ely Callaway Performance Centre, just weeks before the tournament started.

It was first in Rahm’s bag during The Memorial tournament the week before after he had been using the Odyssey Ten 2-Ball as his gamer for most of the year.

Despite statistical success on the greens all season, Rahm and Callaway wanted to leave no stone unturned in his venture to turn top 10 finishes into Major wins.

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Rahm’s custom Rossie has no sightline on the back - at his request - as he doesn’t respond well to anything linear on the putter head that tends to disrupt his visuals.

His putter also has Odyssey’s Micro Hinge Star insert that gives him a crisper feel while coming off the face hotter than the normal insert found on the White Hot OG range of putters, allowing him to maintain pace on his putts.

As well as his newly beloved gamer, Rahm’s love affair with the Callaway Chrome Soft X ball is another reason why his switch to Callaway has been so successful, so quickly.

As well as giving him immense ball speeds, it also gives him superior control from 150 yards and in.

Speaking about an 8 iron he hit during the final round at the US Open, the Spaniard was clearly enamoured with the performance of his new Callaway ball.

“Being able to hit a shot high with spin but still hit it through the wind and land it short of the pin is what allowed me to stay aggressive all round.”

Rahm’s ability to control his golf ball around the green while still being able to power it through the wind is thanks to the Chrome Soft X’s thinner cover and new mantle system.

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The mantle system on the ball combines a softer inner mantle with a firmer outer mantle. The firmer mantle works with the thinner cover to promote increased greenside spin while the large SoftFast core promotes faster ball speeds.

Rahm is incredibly tuned in to his equipment choices and his new irons give him the same amount of control and precision the Chrome Soft X has.

The Callaway Apex TCB iron is the perfect package for Rahm, with a combination of lofts, bounce and blade lengths preferred by Tour pros.

Finally, at the top end of his bag, Rahm’s switch to Callaway’s Epic Speed family of driver and fairway woods has made him even more prolific off the tee.

He uses the Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond driver at 10.5 degrees with a Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shaft, a set up which has propelled him to second on Tour in strokes gained off the tee.

Callaway continues to be pioneers when it comes to using Artificial Intelligence in designing and crafting golf clubs, and the Epic Speed range of woods is no different.

Callaway redesigned its Jailbreak Speed Frame using A.I. and the new structure has enhanced horizontal and torsional stability to increase ball speeds across the face.

The A.I designed Flash Face in the Epic Speed drivers is then specifically engineered to optimise the Jailbreak Speed Frame, promoting fast speeds across a more expansive area.

The use of artificial intelligence in the Epic Speed drivers means they suit a wide range of players, Tour pros or otherwise.

Alongside the team at Callaway, Jon Rahm used his intuition for equipment - and plenty of testing - to match the technologically advanced head with the right shaft, loft and weights to provide ultimate performance for his swing.

Standing on the 18th green at Torrey Pines with the US Open Championship Trophy held in his arms, Rahm proudly told the media, “There’s a reason why I believed I could get better.”

Just six months into his time with Callaway, Jon Rahm has exceeded all expectations from a manufacturer shift by capturing his maiden Major title and dominating the PGA Tour week in, week out.

The reason he knew he could get better? Equipment, of course. The driver, fairway woods, irons, putter and golf ball Callaway has put into the hands of Jon Rahm have had an immediate impact on his game and the incremental gains he has made have translated into the best golf of his career to date.

With The Open, Olympics and Ryder Cup still to come this season, who knows how far Rahm’s love affair with Callaway will take him in 2021 and beyond.