The clubs Nick Hardy and Davis Riley used to win the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
Chris Graythen
Coming into the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Nick Hardy and Davis Riley had a combined 108 starts and zero PGA Tour victories. As a team, however, they rallied with a final-round 65 in the alternate-shot format to squeeze out the win over a hotly contested final nine that included five birdies over the last eight holes.
Riley got things started during the stretch, hitting the approach on the green at the par-5 11th, knocking a gap wedge to six feet at the 13th then nearly making a hole-in-one at the 207-yard, par-3 14th with his Titleist T100 5-iron. Riley’s irons are a split set that utilizes four different models, all with KBS Tour C-Taper 125 S+ shafts. His wedges are Titleist Vokey SM9 for the gap wedges and a WedgeWorks model for the lob wedge with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts.
WHAT IT DOES: The SM9 builds on the SM8’s center-of-gravity position in front of the face that assists squaring the club at impact. This version slightly raises the CG vertically by adding weight higher in the clubhead. Progressive hosel lengths also raise the CG, which promotes a lower, more controllable flight.
WHY WE LIKE IT: The SM9 features the first groove revision in a Vokey wedge since the SM6. A new “spin milled” cutting process creates the entire scoreline instead of just part of it. The result is a more consistent scoreline edge radius, allowing the grooves to be sharper and closer to the USGA limit. Confused by all the options? Here’s some advice from designer Bob Vokey: Go with more bounce in the sand wedge and less bounce in the lob wedge. Read more>>
Then at the 17th, Riley knocked in a 33-footer from off the green to stretch the lead to two. Riley wields a Scotty Cameron by Titleist Phantom X 7.2 tour prototype mallet with a lengthy plumber’s neck.
Hardy had his moments as well, however, knocking a gap wedge from 127 yards at the 16th to six feet that Riley converted to grab the lead at 29 under par. he also converted the approaches Riley knocked in tight.
Hardy’s putter is notable as it is made by Swag. He came to use the custom blade-style putter last year at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship and then used it to run off eight consecutive birdies a week later during the final round of the World Wide Technology Championship.
Hardy didn’t need to knock in eight straight but that 33-footer helped give him and Riley their first PGA Tour victory.
The clubs Nick Hardy and Davis Riley used to win the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans:
NICK HARDY
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Titleist TSi2 (Aldila Tour Green Graphene 70 TX), 8 degrees
3-wood: Titleist TSi2, 15 degrees
Irons (2): Callaway X Forged UT; (4): Titleist T100; (5-PW): Titleist 620 MB
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50, 56, 60 degrees)
Putter: Swag
DAVIS RILEY
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green RDX 65 TX) , 8 degrees
3-wood: Titlist TSR3, 15 degrees
Hybrid: Titleist TSR2, 18 degrees
Irons (4): Titleist T100; (5-6): Titleist 620 CB; (7-9): Titleist 620 MB; Titleist Vokey SM9
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50, 56 degrees); Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks (60 Degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Phantom X 7.2 prototype