The new year brings new hope for PGA Tour pros as they embark on the 2026 PGA Tour regular season, the promise of a career changing/defining victory awaiting each and every week. In chronicling each tournament, it’s notable—and fun—to explore what equipment the pros used to capture victory. In this case here, we’re specifically curious about what driver was put in play as it provides a window into how pros use modern equipment to squeeze out any advantage possible in the race to winning a title. Throughout the year, we’ll track the different makes and models used by each tour winner. Chris Gotterup’s victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii gives Ping the jump on the driver count. Each week we’ll provide a few details about the club and a key stat that provides some context on how the newly minted champion wound up in the winner’s circle.
Chris Gotterup, Sony Open in Hawaii 
Cliff Hawkins
Driver: Ping G440 LST (HZRDUS Smoke Black 70), 7.5 degrees
Key driving stat: In grabbing his third career PGA Tour title, Gotterup was more than solid off the tee, finishing first in SG: off the tee for the week (+4.352). He was helped by being ninth in the field in distance with a 319.70 yard average.
false Ping G440 LST $650 | Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Gold $650 The LST is for players with faster swings who are looking to reduce spin, and it still maintains one of the highest ratings for stability on off-center hits. Allows faster swings to maintain ball speed without unwanted increases in trajectory or spin. A carbon-composite piece wraps into the back half of the crown to save mass that is repositioned low and forward of the other G440 models. A 29-gram adjustable weight in the rear perimeter fits into neutral, draw or fade positions. A redesigned interior portion of the hosel creates room for that area of the face to flex better while lowering the center of gravity. The head has a flatter lie angle than the G440 Max to reduce draw bias. The titanium-alloy face is thinner and more flexible to optimize ball speed across a broader area. The stock-length shaft is stretched to 46 inches to create more potential swing speed. MOI Rating: HIGH Top 5 in Performance, low- and high-handicaps 9, 10.5 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel) BUY NOW DETAILS
All the clubs Gotterup used to win in Honolulu
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
