Danny Willett won the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai overnight, beating a loaded field. And he did it with a new Odyssey Prototype Putter called Stroke Lab in the bag.
Willett’s putter is a new Odyssey Prototype, which he first put in play last week at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. Willett’s putter also features a new prototype Odyssey shaft to help improve the consistency of the putting stroke, and a revolutionary new weighting system. Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia are among the players who have already used this prototype shaft on tour. Willett had a tremendous week on the greens, leading the field in putts per greens in regulation, finishing 10th in putting average, and he made 23 birdies and an eagle on the week.
Off the tee, Willett averaged 276.5 metres (302.4 yards) per drive on the week with his Rogue driver. Rogue employs enhanced Jailbreak Technology that stiffens the crown and sole. The stiffer body allows the face to take on more impact load for faster ball speed. It also makes it possible for Callaway to engineer its new X-Face VFT face architecture, which also promotes faster ball speed across an expansive area of the face. Rogue continues to be the top-selling driver model in the US.
What Danny Willett had in the bag at the DP World Tour Championship:
Driver: Callaway Rogue (Mitsubishi Diamana Chemical 60x shaft), 9 degrees
3-wood: Callaway Rogue (Mistubishi Rayon), 15 degrees
Long irons: Callaway X Forged Utility (True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Superlite), 18, 21 and 24 degrees
5 to 9-irons: Callaway X Forged 18 (True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Superlite)
PW: Callaway Mack Daddy Forged (True Temper Dynamic Gold), 48 degrees
Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 4 (True Temper Dynamic Gold ), 54 and 58 degrees
Putter: New Odyssey Prototype
Ball: A Chrome Soft X
Charles Howell III is used to waiting. Having gone 4,291 days since his last win on the US PGA Tour at the Nissan Open at Riviera Country Club in 2007, Howell had no problem going an extra two holes before finally downing Patrick Rodgers for his third tour victory.
After starting the day bogey, double-bogey, Howell gathered himself to make six birdies over his final 14 holes then holed a 20-foot birdie putt using a TaylorMade Spider Tour mallet on the second extra hole for the win after missing from similar range twice before.
Howell, who had been a PXG staff member, recently made over his bag to include 13 Titleist clubs. Additionally, Howell put Titleist’s new Pro V1 ball in play in competition for the first time this week. Although Howell is not officially on Titleist’s staff, it’s safe to say that when the new year arrives he will be the company’s latest full-line player.
Of note in Howell’s bag along with the new ball is that he carries a 21-degree 7-wood along with a split set of irons comprised of three different iron models. Howell used that iron set to hit an incredible 64 of 72 greens in regulation to ranked first in the field in that statistic at 88.9 percent, hitting no fewer than 15 greens in any round and all 18 in the first round.
Howell noted afterward that, “I haven’t been able to pull it off for so long.” That wait is now over.
What Charles Howell III had in the bag at the RSM Classic:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1 golf ball
Driver: Titleist TS3 (Mitsubishi Tensei AV 65 TX), 10.5 degrees
3-wood: Titleist TS2, 15 degrees
7-wood: Titleist TS2, 21 degrees
Irons (4): Titleist 718 T-MB; (5-7): Titleist 718 AP2; (8-PW): 718 CB
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 (52, 56, 60 degrees)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour
