Woods opens his season by making equipment changes

Woods had plenty of chances to use his 5-wood at Torrey Pines.
Photo: J.D. Cuban


ALTHOUGH it’s not unusual for players to start the year with new equipment, Tiger Woods usually wasn’t one to do so — until last week, that is.

Woods didn’t exactly overhaul his bag at the Buick Invitational (although he did sport a new, spiffy blue and silver one to house his clubs), but there were interesting comings and goings. After a one-round trial at December’s Target World Challenge, Woods was back teeing it up with Nike’s SasQuatch 460cc driver, albeit still searching for the right head/shaft combination. Woods used a prototype Grafalloy Axis shaft in round one but switched back to the Mitsubishi Diamana shaft he used last year for the final three rounds of the Buick. Although he found only one fairway Thursday, Woods cited distance over accuracy for the shaft change: “I hit it 15 yards farther, period. So it’s hard to give up.”

Winner’s Bags
Tiger Woods
Ball: Nike One Platinum
Driver: Nike Ignite 460, 8.5 degrees
3-wood: Nike Ignite T-60
Irons (2-PW): Nike Forged Blade
Wedges: Nike Pro Combo (56 degrees); Nike Forged (60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Tiger

Loren Roberts
Ball: Titleist Pro V1X
Driver: TaylorMade 300, 9.5 degrees
Strong 3-wood:Callaway Steelhead Plus
4-wood: Callaway Steelhead Plus
Hybrid Clubs: TaylorMade Rescue, 19 degrees
Irons (3-5): TaylorMade rac LT (6-PW) TaylorMade 320
Wedges:Cleveland 797 Beni (56 degrees)
Putter: Cobra Greg Norman

Woods didn’t give up on his Nike Forged Blades, but he did put a backup set in play due to wear and tear on his previous gamers. “My grooves were getting a little worn down from all the practicing,” said Woods, whose winter break from competition included a 24-day stretch during which he didn’t touch a club.

That left little time for him to tinker with his 5-wood. Long known as the king of the “stinger” 2-iron, Woods recounted a shot he played on No. 6 on the South Course as an example of why the 5-wood was in the bag.

“I drove it just in the right rough,” he said. “Had not a very good lie at all, [and] had an opportunity to use 5-wood and run it right down the fairway. If I’m stuck with a 2-iron in the bag, I don’t have that opportunity.” Which might help explain why Woods, who won the Buick in a playoff, said he would travel this year with 15 clubs and make his choice of carrying the 2-iron or 5-wood based on the layout.

Given Woods’ penchant for sticking with what’s in his bag, that might mean those 15 clubs will see him through the entire year.

Nike Slingshot hybrid
K.J. Choi put the club in play at the Buick Invitational. A weight-saving carbon crown coupled with the “slingback” design helps drive 70 percent of the club’s weight below the ball’s equator, resulting in a high launch. A less-offset Tour version also is available. Price: $170, graphite; $150, steel.

Tags: