What’s in Tiger Woods’ Bag at the 2010 Masters?

What's in Tiger Woods' Bag at the 2010 Masters?

I’ve been wondering for a little while now what has been in Tiger’s bag this week. From all I could tell, the big change came in the form of a new Victory Red Tour Model Driver… But it sounds like there is more, thanks to a great report by James Achenbach over at GolfWeek.

Scroll down for the sweet low-down on Tiger’s equipment this week…

What's in Tiger Woods' Bag at the 2010 Masters?

  • Driver: Stock 9.5 Victory Red Tour Model, with Graphite Design Tour AD-DI-7 shaft (75 grams)
  • 3-Wood: Nike SQ Sumo, with Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue Board shaft (103 grams)
  • 5-Wood: Nike SQ Sumo, with Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue Board shaft (103 grams)
  • 3-PW: Nike VR Blades, with True Temper Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts
  • Wedges: 56 and 62 degree Nike VR Wedges, with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
  • Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2 TW Prototype (was there ever any doubt?)
  • Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord on all grips with the exception of his putter. On the putter, you’ll find the now somewhat infamous Ping Black-Out grip.
  • Ball: Extra-soft version of the NIke One Tour (also used by Anthony Kim)

So there you have it. Looks like a bag stocked-full of some pretty awesome tools of the trade. The question is, can Tiger Woods get it done this Sunday at The Masters? He’s 4 back. Going to be a heck of a finish.

Ryan Moore Gets My Vote for Best Dressed at the 2010 Masters

In what has to be one of the best photographs taken at the 2010 Masters to date, my bud Robert Matre snapped the shot below of a ‘dapper’ Ryan Moore. Diggin’ the classic look. How about you? A big thumbs up or thumbs down?

Ryan Moore: Best Dressed at the 2010 Masters?

This Masters weekend is shaping up to be a spectacular one. Woods, Mickelson, Westwood, Poulter, Yang and more are all at or near the top of the leaderboard. Sure, they may not look as dapper as Mr. Moore (who made the cut at +1, by the way)… but one thing is for sure, they’re going to be sharp.

[Via: RobertMatre]

Moore News: Getting off the Tiger Beat…

How about something off the “Tiger beat”?  According to David Dusek at Golf.com, Ryan Moore had Scratch irons custom made for Augsuta National.

You may be wondering: Who is Ryan Moore and why should you care?

To start, back in August, Ryan Moore made headlines for winning the Wyndham Championship AND  being the only PGA Tour pro who didn’t have an equipment contract or clothing endorsement deal.   The most notable thing besides his play was what he was wearing on his feet — skateboarder shoes with golf cleats.  There has been lots of buzz on the Web about the shoes.

Back the Scratch story.  Apparently, Moore finally signed with an equipment manufacturer Scratch Golf, of Chattanooga, Tenn.  They custom-grind every set of irons they sell, with an output of about 10 sets of irons in a week.

Moore’s deal with Scratch golf is unique — he took an equity stake in the company instead of an endorsement fee.  You can lear about the deal here.

Scratch Golf told Dusek that Moore had a set of oversized, cavity-backed Scratch EZ-1 irons made to his specs especially for the Masters. The game-improvement clubs are not only more forgiving, but they also hit the ball higher than the SB-1 irons that he used in other tournaments.  The EZ-1 irons should allow Moore to stop the ball more quickly on Augusta’s legendary greens.

So far, Moore is +1 for the first two rounds.

Tougher Pin Placements Should Equal Higher Second Round Scoring at The Masters

The low scores at Augusta made many headlines yesterday. By the players’ admission, the scoring was in large part due to the generous pin placements… placements that were probably among the most generous offered up in years. Today, expect slightly ‘milder’ scoring, as a number of pin positions have been tightened up, forcing player to play for safe instead of hunting for the pin. Here are a few notable pins to watch for:

  • No. 1: Tucked in the left corner, 15 feet deep and 5 feet from left edge
  • No. 5: Toward the back left, 22 feet deep and 9 feet from left edge
  • No. 8: Back right, 36 feet deep and five feet from right edge
  • No. 14: Back left, 25 feet deep and seven feet from left edge
  • No. 15: Extreme left, 13 feet deep and five feet from left edge
  • No. 16: Tucked behind front bunker, 17 feet deep and 3 feet from right edge
  • No. 18: Back right, 29 feet deep and six feet from right edge

The 15th Green at Augusta National

Number 1 yielded more birdies than usual yesterday… With today’s placement look for the scoring average to shoot up above par. Number 8 and 15 were also offering up their fair share of birdies and eagles, but today I think we can expect more pars and birdies on the par 5’s than anything else. Eagles will be harder to come by.

As the weekend draws near, it’ll be fun to keep an eye on the course… Teeing positions will no doubt move back, pins will begin to find tucked-away places and hard-to-reach shelves, all in an effort to determine who is most ‘Green Jacket Worthy’.

[Via: Augusta.com]

What Do the Numbers Mean on the Caddy Uniforms at The Masters?

Caddies Relaxing at The MastersYou may have noticed through the years that all Masters caddies have a unique number on their overalls. I bet you’re wondering what it all means, right? Let’s take a quick look…

From 1983 to present day, players have been (of course) allowed to supply their own caddy. Most (if not all) tour players these days have a caddy that travels to all of the tournaments with them… This is no doubt due to the huge purses and endorsement deals players receive these days. Players can afford to ‘ship’ their caddy’s with them wherever they go. And let’s face it, a great caddy is invaluable. Not only do they give yardage, but they offer swing advice, act as part-time psychologist when needed… and if a solid bond between a caddy and player is formed, the benefits are HUGE.

Wow, I’m getting off track. Getting back to things, the reason I point out 1983 is important. Before that year, all players were required to use the services of an Augusta National Golf Club caddy. The caddies were in full-uniform, as you see today. The Masters demands that all caddies (whether from ANGC or otherwise) maintain the proper uniform, which consists of the white jumpsuit, with the player name on the back (and sometimes the first initial if needed), and a number on the front.

So what’s up with that number? It’s real simple. The defending champion’s caddy gets the number 1. Makes sense. All other golfers get caddy numbers based on the order in which they arrive at Augusta National to register for the tourny. That makes sense too, right? 🙂 Now you know the reason why!

The Nike Victory Red Tour Driver May be the Only Change in Tiger’s Bag

Nike Victory Red Tour Driver

Nike Victory Red Tour DriverI’ve been wondering for some time now what Tiger Woods would have in the bag for his Masters effort this year. Obviously, I didn’t think much would change (other than the branding on the actual bag!), but after doing a little bit of research, it looks like there is at least ONE important change.

First, I found out that Tiger has made a switch from the Nike Dymo Tour Driver he last played. He now has a Nike Victory Red Tour Driver in the bag… and I just confirmed this while watching him on the 10th green at the Masters. As he tapped in his disappointing bogey with the top of his putter, he pulled what was clearly the Victory Red Driver out of the bag, removed the headcover, and was no doubt looking forward to crushing one down number 11.

Speaking of putters, there had been some rumblings that Tiger may be changing to one of the new Nike Method putters. As you’ve probably noticed already, looks like that rumor wasn’t true. Tiger still has his trusty Scotty Cameron in the bag, and from what I’ve seen so far, it looks like he hasn’t lost much of his touch with the flatstick.

If anything, Tiger is looking a little rusty in shorter chips and pitches around the green. Should be VERY interesting to see if he can post a couple of sub 70 rounds before the weekend.

Your Pick for First Round Leader at The Masters?

Masters LogoI know it may be a little late, but no one has finished their first round as of yet… and a ton of the field hasn’t hit the first tee yet. That said, who do you pick as your first round leader, and what score do you put him on? Early scores trickling in seem to have the field hovering around -2 or -3 at best at the turn… with Amen Corner lurking at the start of the back nine. Do you think anyone can turn a 5 or 6-under round? If so, who will that be!?

Let me know your picks in the comments. Name and score, please!

The New Tiger Woods Nike Ad… What Would Earl Say?

I’m going to reserve judgment on this ad right now, but lets say my opinion of it falls somewhere between ‘tasteless’ and ‘inappropriate’. Let’s just leave it at that. One thing I can’t help but wonder as I see this ad on my TV over and over, and over again… is what would Earl Woods think about this? I mean, they’re using his voice, making comments that he clearly made out-of-context. Would he rip Nike another?… and would he care that Nike is using his voice and his sons image to make lemonade out of a situation chalked-full of lemons?

Please, sound off in the comments.

Golfweek Mag Releases Multi-Platform Mobile App

Golfweek magazine just announced the release of its first mobile application, which delivers breaking golf news, up-to-the-minute rankings, complete tour coverage and exclusive Golfweek content directly to users’ smartphone devices. The FREE, user-friendly Golfweek application will also boast an optimized reading experience as well as cross-device compatibility across all mobile browsers and device types, including iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Android smartphones.

The application will allow viewers to instantly access Golfweek’s broad spectrum of interactive resources and features, such as:

  • Automatic real-time updates
  • Up-to-the-minute headlines, reports and staff blogs
  • Advanced distribution options and archival capabilities
  • Image, text and click-to-call ad functionality

For more information or to download, hit up GolfWeek.com/Mobile.

[Via: TheGolfWire]

What Really Happened with Tiger on the 10th Green at Augusta National

Remember the other day when Tiger Woods was caught using a cell phone out on the 10th green during a practice round? It was later clarified that he was using the phone to take a video of Mark O’Meara and his putting stroke… But can we be sure of that? GolfCrunch has obtained a transcript of what exactly went on that day, right on the 10th green.

Tiger Woods on his CellphoneTiger Woods
(on phone)

Hello Elin. You can’t phone me here I’m at work….

Augusta…..

Georgia…..

Yes really I am….

I’m with Mark……

No he’s putting he can’t come to the phone …

No, there are no women here….

None at all apart from some press and spectators…

No I don’t know any of them….

No none of them are pretty. I’ve apologised for that do you have to….

Sorry. I forgot…

Honestly it is just Mark and me. Look here’s a photo…

(aloud)

Mark can I just take a photo of you putting… It’s for Elin.

(back on phone)

You see. Just me and Mark working…

I’m not sure when I’ll be home, probably Sunday night…

It starts on Thursday…

Look we’ve been through this – it’s practice days before. I explained that…

Of course… this is all tongue-in-cheek. Hope you had a chuckle.