Kuchar wields array of clubs

Matt Kuchar’s winning bag at the Memorial was full of surprises. Following his victory earlier in the year at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Kuchar has changed three clubs: 3-wood, hybrid and putter.

He went from a Ping Anser 3-wood (14.5 degree) to a Ping G25 3-wood (15 degree, with Aldila Tour Series X shaft). He switched from a Fourteen 4-utility iron to a Ping Anser hybrid (23 degree, bent to 22, with Aldila Hybrid Tour Series X shaft). He is now putting with a Matt Kuchar Signature Series Model 1 putter from designer Bob Bettinardi.

The rest of his arsenal: Bridgestone J40 430 driver (9.5 degree, with Accra M4+ 55 shaft), Ping Anser hybrid (20 degree, bent to 19, with Graphite Design Tour AD Di 85 X hybrid shaft), Bridgestone J40 Cavity Back irons (5-PW, with Aerotech SteelFiber i95 Constant Weight S shafts), Bridgestone J40 Black Oxide wedges (52, 56 degree bent to 57), Titleist Vokey Design SM4 wedge (62 degree, bent to 63). All wedges have True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts. He played a Bridgestone Tour B330-S golf ball.

Worth noting: Because of his arm-locking putting stroke – Kuchar delofts ...

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Golf’s “Gang of Nine” might not be so united against the recently approved ban on the anchoring stroke.

After the U.S. Golf Association and R&A endorsed Rule 14-1b last month, three prominent touring pros who use the anchoring stroke with long or belly putters – Tim Clark, Carl Pettersson and Adam Scott – were disclosed to have retained Boston’s Harry Manion as legal counsel.

During last week’s Memorial Tournament, Scott, the recent Masters champion, made it clear that he had sought legal advice merely to gather information and be sure that his views are expressed to the PGA Tour.

“There’s no intention of filing suit or making problems,” Scott said, “but this is a business, and I’m treating it professionally and I have professional counsel to do that.”

Keegan Bradley, who has not been publicly linked to the potential litigants, appears resigned to the ban.

“I’m so sick of this issue,” said Bradley, who won the 2011 PGA with a belly putter and continues to use the anchored stroke. “I’m ready to do whatever they tell me. I’m fine with the short putter.”

Tour commissioner Tim Finchem met with the Player Advisory ...

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DUBLIN, Ohio — Matt Kuchar won his second PGA Tour event of the 2013 season, the Memorial, by two shots on Sunday. The win was punctuated by a 21-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Here is a complete list of the clubs that the former Georgia Tech All-American used at Muirfield Village.

DRIVER: Bridgestone J40 430 (9.5 degree) with an Accra M4+ 55 shaft.

FAIRWAY WOOD: Ping G25 (15 degree) with an Aldila Tour Series X shaft.

HYBRIDS: Ping Anser 20 degree (bent to 19) with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 85 X Hybrid shaft; 23 degree (bent to 22) with an Aldila Hybrid Tour Series X shaft.

IRONS: Bridgestone J40 Cavity Back (5-PW) with StreelFiber i95 Constant Weight S shafts.

WEDGES: Bridgestone J40 Black Oxide 52, 56 degree (bent to 57), Titleist Vokey Design SM4 62 degree (bent to 63) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S-400 shafts.

PUTTER: Bettinardi Matt Kuchar Signature Series Model 1.

BALL: Bridgestone Tour B330-S.

TaylorMade will make a black version of its R1 driver available to golfers at select retailers starting June 10.

Rumors that TaylorMade might release a black version of its R1 driver began to swirl on the Internet after an image of one appeared on the USGA's Conforming Driver list on April 27. Black has been the traditional color of metalwoods, but every TaylorMade driver has had a white crown since the introduction of the TaylorMade R11 in 2011.

"We have been paying attention to the golfers out there, and they've been screaming for a black version, so we're going to go ahead and make it," says Tom Kroll, TaylorMade's global product marketing manager for woods.

Although the black version of the R1 driver that appeared on the Conforming Driver list was a left-handed prototype featuring a 400-cc head, the TaylorMade R1 Black that will be available to the public has a 460-cc head and is identical to the white version in every way except for the color. Even the geometric pattern that stands out against the white crown of the original R1 has been replicated, but the black-on-black coloring makes it difficult to see. The R1 ...

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Nike has new wedges that are designed to promote a large assortment of shots in a variety of golf course conditions.

Call VR Forged, these new wedges join the VR family that already includes a full complement of clubs, including the VR Pro wedges.

The new wedges offer three distinct sole grinds, so golfers have a wide choice in satisfying their wedge needs.

The VR Forged Standard Grind is designed for versatility in all conditions. The grind was inspired by the insights of Tiger Woods.

And who was listening to Woods? Credit Mike Taylor for this one. Taylor, a longtime lieutenant of Tom Stites, Nike’s director of product innovation, is the designer responsible for the grind on all the new wedges.

Taylor has ground hundreds of sets of irons and wedges for Woods in his professional career, and he knows how to create what is sometimes called the “Tiger grind.”

The Dual Narrow Grind, on the other hand, was influenced heavily by Paul Casey, who has a reputation as a creative shotmaker. Whether the face is square or open, this model sits low to the ball.

The Dual Wide Grind came straight from the PGA European Tour, where players ...

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If you have a question about the latest golf clubs and equipment or are wondering what gear PGA Tour players are using, send a Tweet to Golfweek senior writer David Dusek at @DavidDusek.

Some recent inquiries:

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Josh,

As I noted in the Players Championship edition of Winner's Circle, Tiger Woods changed the shaft in his driver before the start of the Players Championship. Tiger had been playing a Graphite Design Tour AD DI-7 X since the 2010 Masters, but after doing some testing in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., in the days leading up to the tournament he decided to go with a Mitsubishi Diamana White Board 73X in his Nike VR Tour driver.

Woods had played the Mitsubishi shaft in his Nike Dymo driver throughout the 2009 season.

Technically, the Mitsubishi Diamana White Board's name is the Mitsubishi Diamana D-Series, although even the company's PGA Tour reps refer to it as the White Board. The name comes from the white background behind the "Diamana" printed on the gray shaft. Similarly, the Diamana S-Series is referred to as the Blue Board and the Diamana M-Series is usually called the Red Board.

Woods' Mitsubishi shaft has the lowest torque ...

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Peek inside the golf bags of Titleist staff players such as Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, Jason Dufner and Geoff Ogilvy and you'll see Titleist Vokey Design wedges.

While these clubs often start off exactly like the wedges golfers can buy in stores, Vokey, Titleist PGA Tour rep Aaron Dill or one of Vokey's specially trained assistants usually puts a custom grind them for Tour players. Some players also like specific finishes and detail work done, too – making their short-game tools personalized statements of style and function.

Click here to see a gallery of wedges Titleist has customized for PGA Tour stars.

But with the announcement of the Vokey WedgeWorks Hand Ground program, Titleist is now bringing such customization to amateur players. Starting June 19 – for $350 – consumers can get a raw steel, SM4-grooved, 58- or 60-degree Vokey wedge with M, T, V or E grinds that is built and assembled by the Vokey Tour Department.

According to Titleist, golfers will be able to extensively customize their wedges for improved performance and personal preference, including opting for a square toe, straighter or pre-worn leading edge, additional heel relief, a thinner or beveled top line and more.

Beyond performance, golfers ...

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DUBLIN, Ohio – In the first official meeting since the USGA and R&A announced their final decision on Rule 14-1b (the ban on the anchored stroke), the PGA Tour Player Advisory Council gathered at Muirfield Village Golf Club on Tuesday.

During the 90-minute meeting in a conference room in the basement of the Muirfield Pavilion, players participated in person and by phone. Tour commissioner Tim Finchem apprised the players on what had occurred on the anchoring issue since the last meeting and then allowed players to weigh in with their concerns, opinions and thoughts.

The opinions were "very mixed," according to Doug LaBelle II, a PAC member who attended the meeting. “We left pretty undecided.”

Just three months ago in the desert outside of Tucson, Ariz., Finchem threw down the gantlet on the anchoring issue, going against the adoption of Rule 14-1b.

“Essentially where the PGA Tour came down was that they did not think that banning anchoring was in the best interest of golf or the PGA Tour,” Finchem said on the weekend of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

At that time, Finchem said that PAC had met twice on the issue and that the PGA of America and ...

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Graphite iron shafts received a boost at the Crowne Plaza Invitational as Boo Weekley won with Aldila RIP Tour prototype graphite shafts in his Cleveland irons (588 MB, 4-PW). His victory with graphite iron shafts was particularly noteworthy because accurate iron play is the hallmark of Weekley’s game.

The rest of his mixed bag: TaylorMade R1 driver (10 degree, with a Fujikura Motore VC 6.1 X shaft), TaylorMade RBZ 3-wood (15 degree, with Aldila RIP X shaft), TaylorMade RBZ Tour hybrid (21.5 degree, with Matrix Ozik Altus X shaft), Cleveland 588 RTX wedges (52, 56 and 60 degree, with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts), Odyssey Versa 2-Ball putter. He played a TaylorMade Lethal golf ball.

Also worth noting is the 10-degree loft of Weekley’s TaylorMade R1 driver. Many PGA Tour players use higher lofts in their drivers.

• • •

Manassero wins with Titleist, Project X: In Europe, Matteo Manassero won the BMW PGA Championship with Project X PXi steel shafts in his Titleist irons and Project X graphite HC1 in two Titleist hybrids.

The rest of Manassero’s bag: 913D2 driver (8.5 degree), 913F fairway wood (13.5 degree), 913H hybrids (17 and 21 ...

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Here is a complete list of the clubs that Boo Weekley used to shoot a final-round 66 en route to his victory Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Invitational – his first PGA Tour win since the 2008 RBC Heritage.

DRIVER: TaylorMade R1 (10 degree) with a Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 6.1 X shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade RocketBallz (15 degree) with an Aldila RIP X shaft

HYBRID: TaylorMade RocketBallz Tour (21.5 degree) with a Matrix Ozik Altus X shaft

IRONS: Cleveland 588 MB (4-PW) with Aldila RIP Tour prototype iron shafts

WEDGES: Cleveland 588 RTX (52, 56 and 60 degree) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts

PUTTER: Odyssey Versa 2-Ball

BALL: TaylorMade Lethal

FOOTWEAR: Adidas Adizero Tour

GRIPS: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

• • •

Other winners this week:

Matteo Manassero (European Tour – BMW PGA Championship)

DRIVER: Titleist 913D2 (8.5 degree)

FAIRWAY WOOD: Titleist 913F 3-wood (13.5 degree; Fujikura Motore Speeder VC7 shaft)

HYBRIDS: Titleist 913H (17 and 21 degree; Project X Black 6.5 shafts)

IRONS: Titleist AP2 (4-6; Project X PXi 6.5 shafts) and Titleist MB (7-PW; Project X PXi 6.5 shafts)

WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (52 degree; Project X PXi 6.5 shaft ...

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Since 2003, Steve Boccieri has hung his hat on counterbalanced putters that were heavier than normal. His original products were sold under the name Heavy Putter – the heads were heavier, and the putters contained a heavy counterweight inside the butt end of the shaft.

His designs were all about feel and balance.

Later, when Boccieri introduced a line of belly putters, he was able to offer more than a dozen different models because he already had the heavier heads that were necessary for belly putters.

Now, on June 1, Boccieri will begin showcasing 16 models with different heads that comprise his new EL Series. EL stands for extended length, and these new putters are available in finished lengths of 36, 38 and 40 inches.

The EL Series includes a variety of putters – besides the 16 head styles, there are two head weights (Mid and Heavy) and three finishes (satin, black and bronze). Putters in the EL Series come with a 175-gram counterweight along with a 17-inch grip. Total weight is 865 grams for the Mid-Weight putters and 930 grams for the Heavy-Weight models.

The philosophy behind these clubs is to provide belly-like stability in the grip section of the putter ...

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The USGA and R&A officially announced the ban of the anchored stroke on Tuesday morning, sending plenty of golf's elite players, coaches and equipment manufacturers to Twitter to make a statement.

We'll be monitoring the world's reaction to this decision all day long, as well as gathering reaction on the ground at the Senior PGA, Crowne Plaza Invitational and overseas at Wentworth.

Here is a collection of early reaction:

• • •

Bernhard Langer, two-time Masters winner and current Champions Tour player who has used a long putter since the mid-1990s

It's disappointing . . . very disappointing. It's the same thing I've said for months: I don't know why they couldn't come to the same conclusion 40 years ago that they did today. Why does it take 40 years? Just because we have major winners, that's what it comes down to.

What does this do to you from a competition standpoint?

I don't know . . . it's two years from now . . . I don't know. We'll have to wait to see what the PGA Tour says, and right now, we're all guessing. We'll see what the PGA Tour does. If they make ...

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FORT WORTH, Texas – Disappointed as he was by Tuesday's news that the USGA and R&A would go forward with efforts to ban anchoring as of 2016, Tim Clark wasn’t all that surprised.

“If there really was a ‘comment period,’ we all know it was all smoke and mirrors," said Clark, standing on the putting green at Colonial Country Club, site of this week's Crowne Plaza Invitational. "Their minds were made up.”

Clark confirmed news that probably won’t come as a surprise to officials at the PGA Tour, U.S. Golf Association and R&A.

“We do have legal counsel,” he said. “We’re going to explore our options. We’re not going to just roll over and accept this.”

Given that the PGA Tour just two weeks ago was hit with a lawsuit by Vijay Singh over the deer-antler spray investigation, this hardly could be considered happy news by Tour officials or golf’s governing bodies. Yet Clark, who has used the anchored putting technique since college and for his 12 years on Tour, is passionate to his cause. While Clark wouldn't disclose which players are “on board” with the legal exploration, he referred ...

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Sang-Moon Bae won the HP Byron Nelson Championship with Callaway’s new Hex Chrome+ golf ball. Bae, a Callaway staff player, joined Phil Mickelson and Gary Woodland in using the new ball. The Hex Chrome+ features a dual mantle that minimizes spin off the tee, plus a soft TPU cover for control, according to the company.

Putt for dough? Absolutely. Bae used an Odyssey Tour Milled No. 1 putter to finish first in putts per green hit in regulation and second in strokes gained-putting. He led the field with 21 birdies.

The rest of Bae’s bag: Razr Fit driver (8.5 degree), Razr Fit 3-wood (15 degree), X Hot Pro hybrid (18 degree), X Utility Prototype iron (21 degree), Razr X MuscleBack irons (4-9) and X Forged wedges (48, 52 and 60 degree). His clubs were equipped with Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.

The X Utility iron was built by Callaway for the 2012 U.S. Open. The length is 39 inches with a steel True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shaft.

Bae’s gapping of wedges warrants notice: An 8-degree gap between a sand wedge and lob wedge indicates a heavy reliance on the 60-degree wedge. For most PGA ...

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FAR HILLS, N.J. – It felt like a wake, and in a way it was.

With the adoption of Rule 14-1b, the anchored stroke in golf officially is going the way of square grooves, the concave-faced wedge and croquet-style putting. In fact, the U.S. Golf Association can break ground on its retrospective exhibit at the museum next door on an era in golf when at least four majors were won with a method of stroke set to be banned on Jan. 1, 2016.

The mood was somber and the skies a gray foreboding mass as attendees at the USGA’s headquarters waited to hear anchoring’s fate after a 90-day comment period that had dragged too long. Some picked at muffins and a spread of fruit, but any hope that golf’s governing bodies might take a mulligan on the ban, first proposed Nov. 28, vanished when the R&A scooped their counterparts on this side of the pond and published its news release 25 minutes before the scheduled 8 a.m. EDT announcement. It confirmed that the text of the final rule is the same as previously proposed.

But as the saying goes, the show must go on ...

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