what's in my bag
What's in My Bag: Nick Dunlap
Jamie Squire
Pressure is a privilege. I’ve always enjoyed feeling adrenaline. I’m driven by being in the moment. Whether you succeed or fail, you can learn from it. If you have an eight-footer to come in 38th, you’re not going to feel it as much as if it’s for the win.
DRIVER
Kennett Mohrman
SPECS TaylorMade Qi10 LS, 9°, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 60 TX shaft, 44.75 inches.
I started working with this driver about 10 days before the Amex event. I was in Florida and threw the TaylorMade, which has an upright lie angle, in the bag just for the heck of it. It’s unusual for me to switch so quickly, but it worked out.
The most compact of the three clubheads, the LS is designed for better players who like to work the ball and desire less spin. Noticeably sleeker is the sliding-weight track on the sole, which is positioned more forward and lower this year for increased effectiveness on trajectory and spin. It also weighs nearly six grams less. This weight savings along with the savings from the carbon face and body construction can be repositioned in the form of 19 grams in the rear perimeter for extra stability.
FAIRWAY WOOD
Kennett Mohrman
SPECS Ping G425 LST, 14.5°, Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 85 TX shaft.
This is a club I can turn over easily. When I need to shape a tee shot right to left, this is my go-to club. It’s a comfortable club for me, so if I need to get one in the fairway, this gets the call.
IRONS
Kennett Mohrman
SPECS Srixon ZX (3-iron), Project X HZRDUS Black 105 6.5 shaft; TaylorMade P7•MC (4- through 9-iron), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts, Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord grips.
Irons have to pass the look test. I’m used to this look. The leading edge gets through the ground really well.
What’s different in this model is the “PureFrame” design in which mass is forged into the clubhead behind the hitting area. That added thickness, determined by studying the iron impact patterns of the company’s tour staff, reduces face flex by 12 percent, providing the distance control of a muscle-back blade iron with more than a hint of forgiveness. A shorter blade height enhances control, allowing players the ability to flight short-iron shots lower. Turf interaction—always a priority for Srixon with irons—is enhanced with notches on the heel and toe areas of the sole that reduce resistance when exiting the turf.
This iron is likely the least complex in TaylorMade’s lineup, but it still offers golfers shopping in this category what they need. The club’s primary features are made for those with ball-striking skills, like a thin topline, minimal offset and a narrow sole that allows golfers to shape their shot. The face and grooves are machined as well for consistency on every shot. Given all of that, it’s no wonder this is the company’s most-played iron on tour.
WEDGES
Kennett Mohrman
SPECS TaylorMade MG3 (PW); TaylorMade MG4 (52°, 56°, 60°), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts.
The bounce and grinds on my wedges are fairly standard, although for firm conditions they’ll shave down my lob wedge from time to time. I typically use about 8 degrees of bounce in my lob wedge and a higher bounce in the gap and sand wedges.
A clean design from groove to sole, the latest Milled Grind benefits from the machined sole shaping of its predecessors with enhanced spin. The grooves are the same as the Milled Grind 3 but have laser-etched diagonals on the flat areas between each score line to increase spin on partial shots and reduce spin loss in wet or dewy conditions. Redistributing weight to the perimeter on the higher lofts improves feel. Increasing the thickness of the flange in an area in line with the center of the face enhances sound and feel.
PUTTER
Kennett Mohrman
SPECS Odyssey O-Works Tank 7, 3°, Winn VSN grip.
I like the look of this putter even though the shaft has rusted over time. The insert in this is an older one, and I’ve used it on and off for four or five years now. It’s had its moments. The lead tape on the sole gives me the feel I want.
A PINSEEKER
Kennett Mohrman
The Titleist Pro V1 is more consistent with my irons. I like the feel of the Pro V1x better on chip shots, but the spin, especially in the wind, is more consistent with the Pro V1.
ROPE ’EM IN
Kennett Mohrman
I use this rope for a putting drill as it helps me keep my eyes over the ball. I’m a very visual putter and never put a line on the ball. I see a specific point and get creative with it.
TEAM SPIRIT
Kennett Mohrman
Playing in a Walker Cup was always a goal of mine. To be on that team at St. Andrews and come back the way we did was memorable. Plus, it’s a really cool headcover, so it stays on.
