FREEDOM TO CHOOSEI've put myself in a unique situation where I'm free to choose the clubs I like because I don't have a 10- or 12-club minimum contract. I spent a lot of time testing the golf ball and made that my priority. It addresses my strengths (flatter trajectory and high spin on wedge shots) and my weaknesses (hitting my lower-lofted clubs high enough). I've been able to make the other changes in my bag through the first half of the year at my own pace, finding just the right mix of clubs. It's what I wanted, and it's kind of empowering.
FAN APPRECIATIONIt was humbling to be voted player of the year by my peers, but I was really taken aback by the number of people in the public that said congratulations. To do it in the second half of my career, I appreciated it a lot more. I can kind of stop, slow down and smell the flowers a little bit.
MUCHO DINEROI use a quarter to mark my ball, but I carry this Mexican coin in my bag as a reminder of where I've been. I got it when I was on the Nike Tour in 1993. I won that year, my first victory as a pro.
ENERGY ON THE GOYou'd be surprised how important it is to get the right food in your body during the course of a round. I always carry some sort of energy bars in the bag. I especially like these Larabars.
NUMBERS GAMEI wanted "99" on my TaylorMade Penta TP, but Justin Rose had it. I added the birthdates of my wife and kids and came up with 58. I don't have to mark it much (I color in the "8"). It's the only 58 out there.
TAPES & COWARDSI carry white tape for blisters, and I play only white tees. I once heard Lee Trevino say that yellow tees are for cowards, and it's stuck with me ever since.
STORAGE SPACEThis pouch from Arizona (my alma mater) helps keep my pockets mostly empty. I brush by my right pocket a lot when I swing, and if I had anything bulky in there, even a ball, it would drive me nuts.
DRIVERI've played both new TaylorMade drivers, but I've gone mostly with the R11 (8 degrees, Oban Devotion shaft, 75 grams, X-flex, 45 inches).
FAIRWAY WOODI play a TaylorMade Burner SuperFast 2.0 3-wood (15 degrees, Fujikura Motore Speeder 8.2 shaft, X-flex).
HYBRIDSI used to skip the 4-iron in my set, but now I go with two hybrids (TaylorMade Rescue 11, 18 and 21 degrees, Fujikura Motore F3 shafts, X-flex).
WEDGESI bend my wedge lofts: 51-degree Callaway X Forged, 55-degree TaylorMade TP xFT and a 59-degree Callaway X Series Jaws.
IRONSI switched to these Callaway RAZR X muscle-back irons (5-iron through PW, Apollo Hump shafts) at Bay Hill. All my grips are Lamkin Crossline Tour Midsize built up on the left hand and thin on the right because of my double overlapping grip.
PUTTERThe putter can be a revolving door for me. I used three in the FedEx Cup playoffs alone last year. I like how this Odyssey Backstryke Sabertooth (35¼ inches) works with my cross-handed stroke.
