Equipment
10 important equipment photos from the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open
Yes, it’s PGA Merchandise Show week, but it’s also Farmers Insurance Open week at Torrey Pines. And the field is sneaky stacked, with big names such as Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, Jason Day… you get the point.
It’s a big field, for a big event, on a big golf course.
And the rough is big-time thick as this on-site reporter can verify.
But with a rain-out on Monday, and the event itself starting on a Wednesday, it didn’t make for the best club testing week. Plus it was a relatively cold-and-wet day for the Tuesday Pro-Am.
Still, though, there were some interesting equipment photos and stories to be had.
Here are 10 equipment highlights from the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open:
1) Not to worry, Berger still has the TaylorMade MC 2011 irons in the bag
Daniel Berger played in The American Express last week after a 19-month-long injury-induced hiatus from the PGA Tour, and he finished T39. Not a bad comeback at all. This week at the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open, we caught up with Berger to see what’s in his bag, and to make sure he still has the TaylorMade TP MC 2011 irons in there. Not to worry, the Modern Classic irons are still going strong.
He also has a pair of new TaylorMade Qi10 Tour fairway woods, including a 21-degree 6-wood.
See what else Berger has in the bag this week
2) Jason Day doesn’t miss with his 7-wood
These type of photos from the PGA Tour are always very humbling. Jason Day is starting to create a nice wear mark right in the center of the face on his TaylorMade Stealth 7-wood.
We also verified that Day is using Bridgestone’s new Mindset visual technology on his Bridgestone Tour B X golf ball, which he helped develop.
Learn more about Bridgestone’s new golf balls here, or click here to see Day’s full WITB setup at the Farmers
3) The #1 Putter on Tour
Most Odyssey staff bags say “#1 Putter in Golf,” but Maverick McNealy’s is a little different, because he was statistically the “#1 Putter on Tour” throughout the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season in terms of Strokes Gained: Putting stats.
4) Woodland’s new woods
Gary Woodland has Cobra’s new Darkspeed LS driver in the bag, which appears to be 7 degrees, at least based on the white sticker he has on the hosel. He’s also testing a Darkspeed fairway wood, too.
Woodland also has a custom paint job on his Scotty Cameron Phantom putter, which is quite reminiscent of the Jailbird putters that took professional golf by storm in 2023, thanks to his buddy Rickie Fowler.
I think we can all agree that, regardless of his equipment, it’s great to see Woodland back on Tour after having brain surgery last year to remove a tumor.
5) Hideki’s jaw-dropping (backup) putter
Hideki Matsuyama is the king of testing cool, new, custom Scotty Cameron putters, even though he mostly ends up using the same gamer putter that he’s used for years. This backup putter he was testing was especially noteworthy, however, due to the additional weights that are inside the face, and the beautifully simplistic stampings and putter finish.
While we likely won’t see this putter in competition, we must applaud the engineering and design.
Click to see Hideki Matsuyama’s full 2024 WITB
6) L.A. Golf’s metal-faced putters
It was a busy week in the world of L.A. Golf, as the company unveiled a slew of new products, including a Gold-Edition driver shaft, a single-bend putter shaft, a 120-gram putter shaft, and a few new putters, which are equipped with heavier, “exotic metal” face inserts, as pictured above.
See what GolfWRX members are saying about L.A. Golf’s new metallic face inserts
7) TaylorMade’s metal-faced putters
Speaking of metal-faced putters, we also spotted a TaylorMade Spider Tour X custom putter that’s made with a milled aluminum face, which has a decidedly firmer feel than the company’s typical Pure Roll inserts that are much softer.
See what GolfWRX members are saying here
8) Swag’s Channel 4 News headcovers
I’m Ron Burgundy?
Click to see more photos of the SWAG headcovers
9) Go Rutgers!
I try to stay as unbiased as possible when writing about golf equipment, but as a fellow former Rutgers Scarlet Knight golfer, I must say that Chris Gotterup’s custom Vokey wedge just might be the coolest wedge on the PGA Tour.
Check out Gotterup’s full WITB here
10) Ben Griffin’s white Mizuno driver
We first spotted Mizuno’s white-crowned STX 230 driver last week when Keith Mitchell tested it at The American Express, and this week, it’s likely that Ben Griffin is switching into the new Mizuno STX 230 prototype.
What do you think about white-crowned drivers making a comeback? GolfWRX members are weighing in here.
And, with that, we say goodbye to the beautiful cliffs at Torrey Pines. We’ll see you next week on the beautiful cliffs at Pebble Beach for more equipment photos and information!
Check out all of our photos from this week at the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open
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Whats in the Bag
Sami Valimaki WITB 2024 (February)
- Sami Valimaki’s WITB accurate as of the Mexico Open.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond S (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ RPG 462 M5+
3-wood: Callaway Paradym (16.5 degrees @15.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 70 TX
Check out more photos of Sami Valimaki’s clubs in the forums.
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (19 degrees), Callaway Apex MB (4-9)
Shafts: KBS Tour Hybrid Prototype 105 X, True Temper AMT Tour White X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (46-10S, 50-10S, 56-10S, 60-10J)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Check out more photos of Sami Valimaki’s clubs in the forums.
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One #1
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more photos of Sami Valimaki’s clubs in the forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Denny McCarthy WITB 2024 (February)
- Denny McCarthy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Genesis Invitational. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 TX
Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
5-wood: Ping G430 Max (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 9 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), TaylorMade P770 (5), Callaway Apex TCB (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (48-10F), SM10 (52-12F, 56-08M), WedgeWorks Proto (60-L)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo N7
Grip: Scotty Cameron
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Denny McCarthy’s WITB here.
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Equipment
TaylorMade Qi10 driver review. All 3 models! – Club Junkie Reviews
TaylorMade’s new Qi10 drivers are packed with new technology for maximum performance. Whether you are looking for maximum forgiveness or low-spin workability, there is a Qi10 driver for your needs. The faces are still 60 layers of carbon fiber, but in contrast to the Stealth line, feature a much more subtle blue tone. TaylorMade’s new Infinity Carbon Crown not only gives a weight advantage but also gives each driver a much cleaner and better look, to my eye. Each driver is a little different but built for maximum performance.
For the full, more in-depth review, check out the Club Junkie Podcast on every podcast platform and on YouTube.
TaylorMade Qi10 Max
This is the driver that is getting the most buzz it seems from the 2024 TaylorMade lineup thanks to its 10K MOI measurement. This 10K MOI means that the Qi10 Max head is extremely stable on mishits and will prevent the head from swinging open or closed.
The Max definitely has the largest-looking profile from address and has a more rounded shape to it compared to the other Qi10 drivers. I like the more rounded shape, and even though it doesn’t have the classic TaylorMade shape, it is easy on the eyes. The new blue carbon face is also more subtle and you don’t notice it compared to the previous red faces on the Stealth and Stealth 2 drivers.
Out on the course, or range, is where you will notice where the 10K comes into play. The first bad swing will be met with a shot that is more than likely more playable than you would have thought. The head keeps the ball on a straighter trajectory with reduced curve once in flight. You will still miss the fairway right or left with those swings but the shot will typically be straight to either side.
While my numbers from my most recent range session don’t show it, the launch on the Qi10 Max was more mid-high for me on the course. Ball speed was consistent and the Max held onto a good amount of it, even when you didn’t catch the center of the face. I went through my shots and was pretty impressed with the limited variation in ball speed throughout my session.
The spin numbers were also lower than expected and to be fair I was hitting a 9-degree Qi10 Max head, and I typically hit a low draw shot shape. I am not considered a high-speed or spin player, but the Qi10 Max didn’t spin a ton, even when hit low on the face. Only a handful of shots touched the low 3,000 RPM mark while most stayed lower than that. I think moving to the 10.5-degree head would be a better fit for me, adding some launch and a little spin to my shots would increase the distance by a few yards.
TaylorMade Qi10 LS
The model that we first drooled over in Rory and Tiger’s bags early this year! TaylorMade’s 2024 low-spin driver sports a new name, dropping the “Plus” designation. The LS model clearly has the traditional TaylorMade pear shape to it and a noticeably more compact look. A deeper face and shorter length from heel-to-toe give the look of a driver that the more skilled player will be able to easily shape shots with. The head also looks a bit more open than the Max head, and I love that TaylorMade has been able to create toplines that look more open than they appear.
The Qi10 LS creates some very long drives out on the course and range. This driver offers a little more feel and slightly quieter sound than the other two models, you can really feel the ball compress on the face at impact. For players who routinely hit the center, you will be rewarded with consistent fast ball speed and great distance. I hit my two longest drives with this head when I was going through my range session the other day.
Ball flight was flat, but the head is still easy to elevate and hit towering, boring tee shots. I thought the LS was actually going to come out really low, but I had no problem hitting higher shots with almost no spin. If spin is your problem with driver, the LS could be the pill you need as it is a very low spin head. I was rarely getting into the mid-2000s and had most shots in the high 1900 RPM. I never saw a ball go over 2,600 RPM, no matter where I hit it on the face.
Now the LS will show you a little less love when you aren’t swinging well and hitting it close to the center. For me, the start line of my shots was the farthest right of the three heads, but I saw more movement in the air on poor swings. There was also a little more drop-off in ball speed when the ball traveled away from center compared to the Qi10 and Qi10 Max heads.
TaylorMade Qi10
This is TaylorMade’s “bread and butter” head should fit a wide range of golfers. We have seen Rory move into this head, and we should see it in a lot of amateur bags as well this year. The Qi10 head bridges the gap between ultra forgiveness and low-spin distance with a little larger profile than the LS.
The shape is closer to the LS with a slightly more tapered line from the back of the hosel to the round back of the driver. I can’t stress enough how much I like the sleek look of the new Infinity Carbon Crown as it just gives a great view to the golfer.
This driver is the underrated one of the bunch in my opinion. While it isn’t the most forgiving or the lowest spin, it does everything rather well. It is pretty darn forgiving and definitely isn’t in a high spin category so plenty of golfers will find this head working for them.
I found the standard Qi10 the most consistent for me as it was easy to launch, and I think if you took away a few of the shots I hit higher on the face on the LS, this would have been the highest launching head of the group. The launch was mid-high and with that, the spin still never got wildly high. The misses were very straight and like the Max had less curve to them, more straight right or left.
To me, the ball speed numbers seemed to stay more consistent on mishits compared to Stealth 2 and center strikes had a softer feel to them. High-toe misses stayed in play with a more gentle draw and more carry than I expected, most of those shots ended in a pretty tight area. Swinging the Qi10 also felt a little different than the Max as I think the CG placement gives each driver its own unique feel through your swing. The Qi10 felt like it was a touch easier to release and rotated back to square at impact just a little faster than the Max. I don’t know if you could tell if you didn’t hit them side-by-side but if you do you can probably feel the difference.
TaylorMade definitely brought some changes to the Qi10 line, and I think, overall, they’ve crafted some really good drivers. The Qi10 Max will be great for those players who need the most stability they can to find the fairways, and I think will play to lower handicaps than expected. The Qi10 LS will be a skilled player’s wand to create shots and work the ball to positions on the fairway that allow them to score better. The Qi10 will fit a wide range of golfers who are looking for a driver that helps them on bad shots but still has the ball speed and spin to hit their longest drives.
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Mike
Jan 24, 2024 at 6:04 pm
6 is an important number to satanists. Jesus is the 7-fold I Am, who they do not like. Just sayin’.
Chris
Jan 24, 2024 at 7:46 pm
Sell it somewhere else, padre.
It’s just a 6 wood.