What's in My Bag: Cameron Champ

AGE 23

LIVES San Antonio

STORY Won 2018 Sanderson Farms Championship. Second on tour in average driving distance at more than 316 yards.

EARLY EDUCATION Some might be surprised to know I grew up playing a par-3 course. I went every day. It helped me develop a good iron and short game at an early age.

GIVING BACK I wanted to be able to give back. The Cameron Champ Foundation uses golf as a means to provide a positive influence on the lives of youngsters.

DRIVER

SPECS Ping G410 Plus, 8.9°, 45.75 inches, Fujikura Pro White TS 63-X shaft, D-4 swingweight

This driver is similar to my previous gamer but has a movable weight I put in the heel position. I cut the ball, so that weight helps me turn the ball over more easily. The shaft is tipped one inch to keep the flight down.

FAIRWAY WOOD

SPECS Ping G400, 14.3°, Project X HZRDUS Black 6.5 shaft, D-3 swingweight

I don't need this club off the deck very often, but it's a valuable weapon to have off the tee. I know I can hit this straight and be pretty consistent with it, and it carries plenty far enough to be useful on most holes.

IRONS

SPECS Ping i500 (4-iron), Ping Blueprint (4-iron through pitching wedge), True Temper Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts, Lamkin UTX Cord grips with seven wraps left hand and five wraps right hand

Yes, I have two 4-irons, but the i500 is more like a 3-iron. When Ping brought out the Blueprint blades, I got excited. When you hit a blade it's a different feel than something with more forgiveness. The lofts are slightly weaker than standard to get the flight I want.

WEDGES

SPECS Ping Glide Forged (52°, 57°, 62°), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X-100 shafts

My 56-degree wedge is bent 1 degree weak and my 60-degree 2 degrees weak to produce a 5-degree gap between clubs. That not only helps with distance control, it gives me more spin on the higher-lofted wedges. I have Papa Champ stamped on my 62-degree wedge in honor of my grandfather. He's the backbone of our family.

PUTTER

SPECS Ping PLD Prime Tyne, 34.5 inches, 2° loft

I prefer mallets, and I've used this one all season, including during my win at the Sanderson Farms event. I like a heavier putter. I have a long and slow-pace stroke, and something with a bit more weight matches up well with that. It's allowed me to become consistent on the greens.

THE MECHANIC

Working on trucks and cars is a nice escape from tour life. I'm working on something new right now. It's a special build that I'm really excited about.

CONTROL BALL

At Texas A&M I tried a number of balls. I found the Srixon Z-Star XV controllable in the wind. I always carry six balls in my bag, so I've never come close to running out.

BREAKING DRIVERS

At my swing speed, I bust a few drivers, including before the final round of the Sanderson Farms Championship. That was a bit of a shock, but luckily I had a backup in the car I was comfortable with. To know I could manage it off the tee allowed me to hit it well that day, and I went on to win.

“At my swing speed, I bust a few drivers.”

WITH E. MICHAEL JOHNSON