The GraduateDon’t hate me, but I got my first hole-in-one at age 6. It was a driver from 125 yards. I have only two aces on regulation courses, but I have a bunch on par-3 courses.Famous FriendI played high school basketball with Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers. He’s a friend and came to Wells Fargo this year to watch me play.—WITH E. MICHAEL JOHNSON
Photo By: Jamie Schwaberow
DriverSpecs: PXG 0811XF, 10˚, 44.875 inches, Accra TZP 265 M5 shaft, D-3.8 swingweightThis driver gets me about 200 revolutions per minute more spin than the 0811X. Most pros don’t underspin the ball, but I do. It also has a draw bias, which straightens my fade. The lie angle is flat and the face angle slightly open. That look gives me confidence.
Fairway Wood/HybridSpecs: PXG 0341X, 14˚, Accra TZP 265 M5 shaft; PXG 0341X Gen2, 19˚, Project X EvenFlow Blue 6.5 shaft. Both D-3 swingweightI play the original PXG 3-wood because I know I can draw it more easily than my driver if I need that shot off the tee. The hybrid and 3-iron take turns in the bag. If a course requires long shots with a steeper angle of descent, I put in the hybrid.
IronsSpecs: PXG 0311ST prototype (4-iron through 9-iron), True Temper X100 shafts, Golf Pride Tour Velvet BCT Cord 58 round gripsI switched from the 0311T Gen2 to the 0311ST, which is a fully milled head. Aesthetically, they look like blades. I also feel like I can control the ball out of the rough. The last thing you want are flyers. With these, the spin is more consistent.
WedgesSpecs: PXG Milled Sugar Daddy (46˚, 51˚, 56˚); PXG Milled Zulu (61˚), True Temper S400 shaftsThe 50- and 60-degree wedges are bent 1 degree weaker to provide 5-degree gapping. I mess with the grind on my 61-degree, which has 7 degrees’ bounce but a dual sole. That lets me have bounce on full shots but limited bounce on pitch shots off tight lies.
PutterSpecs: PXG Brandon Gen2, 34 inches, 1.5˚ loft, Flat Cat Slim gripOnce PXG came out with this Gen2 model I started using it right away. The solid, milled face has a crisp feel, but I particularly like how it sits square at address—I’m drawn to putters that do that. Something that fits my eye is more important than something that feels good. Thankfully this has both.
Doubly LoyalI went to Oklahoma State and Oregon, and my bag is split in terms of school loyalty. If they play each other, I root for the team having the better year because winning that game probably means more to them.
Dot It OutI use the 2013 Titleist Pro V1x because I used that ball during my best year in college. I dot out the number. I don’t want to get into a mind-set of “Oh, I played well with a No. 1 ball, so I’ll keep using that.”
Precious GiftA friend made this ball marker for me. My mom passed away on Aug. 2, 2013, and she always told me to “play big.” The Bible verse gives me perspective and lets me know she’s watching over me.
