Winners on all major golf tours are playing with some interesting older clubs. So the question is, why are they playing this older stuff?

Golf equipment technology has never been better. Professional golfers on all tours have access to the best products that are precision fit to their games. Golf professionals can be picky. They find a club they like and keep it, even if it’s no longer in production. Here’s a look inside the bags of some winners and their club(s) anomalies.

Henrik Stenson, 2016 The Open Championship

• Callaway Diablo Octane Tour Fairway Wood: Henrik Stenson played one of the most epic final rounds in a major in 2016. Battling toe to toe with Phil Mickelson, Henrik took the title, wielding his trusty rocket launcher of a 3 wood, which was originally released in 2010.

Vaughn Taylor, 2016 AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

• TaylorMade R11s Driver: Debuting in 2012, the R11s driver was the successor to the popular R11 driver. Despite the limit on adjustability compared to some of the most current drivers, Vaughn used it to take home his 3rd PGA Tour Title.

Graeme McDowell, 2013 RBC Heritage

• Adams Idea a7 Hybrid: One could argue that Adams makes the best hybrid in golf. This is probably why it has been so hard for Graeme to take this 2010 club out of his bag! If it isn’t broke, why fix it?

Webb Simpson, 2013 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

• Titleist 680 MB Irons: Webb was still in college when these irons came out in 2005. This iron is a true blade featuring a thin profile while having a generous amount of bounce for a divot-taker, like Webb.

Dustin Johnson, 2013 WGC-HSBC Champions

• TaylorMade R9 3 Fairway Wood: The R9 was released back in 2009. DJ prefers this club because he doesn’t need the distance of the RBZ line. Remember the RBZ commercials? He was hitting the RBZ 3 wood almost 300 yards. (He probably should’ve just ditched his driver).

Zach Johnson, 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions

• SeeMore FGP Putter: The SeeMore putter was made famous by the late Payne Stewart when he won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in 1999. Zach’s swing coach, Mike Bender, says he can’t get Zach to give it up and there’s really no reason to, obviously.

Russell Henley, 2014 Honda Classic

• Nike VR_S STR8-FIT Driver: Again, the time thing is not such a big deal here, as this driver came out in 2011. But, with Nike pushing their technology forward with the Covert line, it seems strange that a guy like Russel doesn’t want a few more yards.

John Senden, 2014 Valspar Championship

• Cleveland 588 Tour Action Wedges: This club was introduced in 1988! Generally, wedges that are this old are worn out in a few months by Tour pros. Senden must be a stickler for the older model design. Eventually, he’ll have to make the switch, because they don’t even make these anymore.

Thomas Bjorn, 2013 Nedbank Golf Challenge

• Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver: This 2010 model was an excellent club with its forged composite crown. But it was built in 2010! Come on Thomas, you can do better. Haven’t you heard? Big Bertha is back!!

Louis Oosthuizen, 2013 & 2014 Volvo Golf Champions

• Ping G5 Fairway Woods: Louis has not only one but two Ping G5s in the bag! He has the 3 and 5 fairway metals. All I can say is Ping has designed some products that have withstood the test of time.

Todd Benware

Todd Benware has been a Class “A” member of the PGA of America since 1996. He is a two-time All-American at Ohio Wesleyan University, and a 1996 Ohio Wesleyan Sports Hall of Fame Inductee. Todd is a talented golf instructor, giving over 10,000 golf lessons since turning professional in 1991. His understanding and knowledge of the golf swing allows him to identify the cause of a student’s problem and create a solution. He has experience using both TrackMan and FlightScope golf ball tracking systems, and is a recognized professional club fitter by Ping, Mizuno, and Titleist.

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