Ben An received on the DP World Tour final week with a time traveler in his bag.
An is without doubt one of the few gamers in professional golf nonetheless enjoying a 1-iron and he obtained his first win with the distinctive driving iron within the bag on the Genesis Championship in his residence nation of Korea. Much more distinctive is that An was utilizing the Titleist U505 driving iron because the longest membership in his bag after the driving force (maybe the one participant on the PGA or DP World excursions using such a setup).
With the tendency for Tour professionals to repeat what works for others, is that this one thing that would begin a pattern on the highest degree of the game? That may be a reverse to the newest developments in professional golf says GOLF’s Totally Geared up co-hosts Kris McCormack and Wadeh Maroun.
“If we return like 5, six years, the driving iron was so necessary within the skilled’s bag, that it will be very uncommon that you wouldn’t see one in there,” Maroun mentioned. “It was normally like that they had a 3-wood and a driving iron.
“That’s form of perhaps made a little bit of a flip, the place driving iron is fairly non-existent on tour.”
It’s the rarest membership in golf, and this professional simply received with it
These days, Maroun says, professionals usually tend to have high-lofted fairway woods like 5- and 7-woods — even 9-woods in some circumstances — whereas even trendy hollow-bodied lengthy irons have been step by step disappearing from baggage. Even mini drivers haven taken the place of the driving iron.
However when McCormack is speaking with gamers in a becoming surroundings, he’s eager about golf equipment on the top-end of the bag that can assist gamers advance the ball so their subsequent shot is nearer to the opening. Since you’re not speaking about golf equipment you’re normally going to be hitting into greens, you should take into consideration the sensible functions, he mentioned.
“I like the thought of making a really sound and comfy decrease finish of the bag to supply itself to extra full-swing choices,” he mentioned. “After which as you transition into the highest of the bag, that’s the place it’s each membership has to have a objective for proximity.”
As for An’s no-fairway wooden strategy, time will inform if that pattern finally ends up catching on with different gamers.
