[PHOTO: Christian Petersen]
When professional golf is your livelihood, not touching a club for weeks can feel like an eternity. The body is conditioned to pound balls and seek out answers in the dirt.
Jordan Spieth is used to putting in countless hours on the range in search of answers, but he was forced to hit pause on practice in late August to undergo left wrist surgery after the FedEx St Jude Championship.
Not being able to rip a driver or refine his wedge game post-surgery led Spieth to focus on the one area of his game he could work on: putting. With countless putters in his basement, it was natural for Spieth wonder if one could light a spark.
“I had so much time off, I just messed with everything in my basement,” Spieth said last Thursday at TPC Scottsdale.
Practice sessions at home eventually led him to narrow down the field of potential options to a few putters he brought to the WM Phoenix Open. Putter testing is a common sight at nearly every tour event, but it’s a notable story when the testing involves Spieth and a new wand.
Something to watch this week: Jordan Spieth was rolling putts with a TP Mills Trad II Forged (1040 carbon). Had a couple Scotty Cameron wands by the bag, but only the TP saw action during the p.m. session. pic.twitter.com/eLGwcVDPFD
— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) February 5, 2025
Outside Tiger Woods’ Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS, Spieth’s trusty Scotty Cameron 009 is arguably the most recognisable putter attached to a pro. In good times and bad, Spieth’s 009 has found a way to hang around. (Spieth’s putter changes over the years were always short-lived.)
Spieth used the 009 at Pebble Beach, his first start since wrist surgery, but lost 3.74 strokes to the field on the greens en route to a T-69 showing. Instead of keeping the putter on a long leash, Spieth rolled into Phoenix with several options, including a T.P. Mills Trad II Forged blade featuring the exact same single alignment line on the topline.
The T.P. Mills was the only putter he used during a Wednesday afternoon putting session with coach Cameron McCormick and eventually made the cut for Thursday afternoon, marking the first time Spieth has used a non-Cameron putter since he turned pro.
According to putter maker David Mills, the son of founder Truett P. Mills Snr, Spieth noted the Trad II – a model found on the company’s website – was more stable than many of the other putters he tested, which ultimately led to a conversation between the two around the creation.
“We had a nice chat and [I] enjoyed visiting with him,” Mills told Golf Digest via text. “Since we do not advertise or pay players, I thought that was pretty neat.”
Mills confirmed the putter Spieth’s testing is made from 1040 carbon steel and features a flat front hosel that makes it easier to see the topline and ball in the address position.
As far as the putter’s origin story, Spieth noted he’s had the blade “for a long time”, and just happened to pick it up while he was testing different options at home. In other words, Spieth wasn’t seeking something different.
While several upstart brands have made headway on tour this season, T.P. Mills doesn’t fall into the category of a fresh-faced newcomer. The putter maker has been around for more than 60 years and boasts myriad of high-profile tour users, including Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Phil Mickelson.
Spieth is the latest name to use a T.P. Mills putter, but it’s unclear how long it will stay in the bag. After opening with a three-under 68 and recording a positive Strokes Gained: Putting number (plus-0.644), the three-time major winner left the door ajar for a potential mid-tournament swap.
“I’ve got a few options, just trying to mess a little with how it sits on the ground, the draft on the bottom of the putter, see if I can get it to where it sets aligning a little better and off the ball is a little bit smoother,” he said. “I may use a few options this week. I may stick with the one I did today. We’ll see.”
