Jason Day might carry a 1-iron to Muirfield this summer. (Ehrmann/Getty Images)

By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider

IRVING, Texas -- Traditional long irons have become obsolete in recent years with the introduction of easier-to-hit hybrids and utility irons. At the 2013 Masters, only two players in the field carried a traditional 2-iron -- one of them being third-place finisher Jason Day, who used a TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2-iron during the week. 

Even though the iron is course-dependent -- Day switches between a 14.5-degree TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 fairway wood and the Tour Preferred MC 2-iron depending on the layout -- it's clear the Aussie has some old-school tendencies when it comes to his equipment. 

It seems fitting that Day, the HP Byron Nelson Championship winner in 2010, would turn back the clock at the tournament that honors legendary golfer Byron Nelson and put a TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour 1-iron in the bag. 

Looking for a particular setup for the British Open at Muirfield, Day and TaylorMade Tour reps discussed a number of potential ideas about a month ago, including taking out the Day's driver and putting in a 2-wood. 

When they couldn't get the right configuration with the shaft and ball flight, Day kicked around the idea of going with a 1-iron to achieve the ball flight he was looking for off the tee. 

TaylorMade never produced a 1-iron in the RocketBladez line, so reps decided to do the next best thing, bending a 2-iron to 16.5 degrees and making the shaft a 1/2-inch longer. Day also went with a UST Mamiya Recoil Proto (125-gram) graphite shaft instead the current True Temper Rifle Flighted 6.5 shafts in his irons.

Day tested the club on Tuesday and liked it enough to pull his 2-iron and put the new iron in play.

"I was out there today and hit a couple of -- it was downwind and it was a 10 to 20 mph wind out there -- and there was a couple that went 300 [yards] easy with the bounce and roll as well. I want to say today with the wind hit about four, maybe five drives total [during the Pro-Am]. Everything else was a 1-iron and I didn't pull out the 4-wood at all. The ball flight was very strong."

While TPC Four Seasons will never be confused with a links-style layout, Day said he felt the course was the perfect place to test out the club ahead of the British Open -- especially with wind gusts expected to be anywhere from 15-20 mph the rest of the week.

"What the experiment was, was we were going to try a 1-iron and try it out here because we know if we have a 1-iron here and it works well in the wind, we go overseas to the British this year with full confidence that it's doing to go the right distance and can come out low and hit different types of shots when I need to. I know that it's not the British Open course but the wind is very strong here."

Outside of this week's HP Byron Nelson Championship -- Day said he used the 1-iron off the tee on nine holes during Wednesday's Pro-Am -- it's unclear when he'll use it again. 

With the Memorial Tournament and U.S. Open coming up, he hinted it could get some additional work before the British Open in July. 

"I think that it would be a very good club [at Merion, site of the U.S. Open], but I don't know until I get there. I'm definitely going to use it this week and I'm not too sure what I'm going to do with it for Memorial, but I know I'm going to use it at the British."

By Jonathan Wall, Equipment Insider

IRVING, Texas — Despite having only posted posted only one sub-70 round in competition since he switched to TaylorMade's Ghost Spider S belly putter, Padraig Harrington said he has no plans to go back to a conventional-length model anytime soon.

Harrington changed putters at the Wells Fargo Championship and opened with an 8-over 80 in the first round and promptly missed the cut. He followed the rough week up with a T75 at THE PLAYERS.

"I had no three-putts last week," Harrington said. "In my own stats, I only missed two putts under 8 feet which would be an all-time record, so it's still in the bag. And that was on tough greens last week. I would be happy if I putted like that all the time."

Looking for a something that would improve his putting stats -- he's currently ranked 123rd (-.123) on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained-Putting and 131st in putts made from inside five feet -- Harrington decided to give the belly putter a try.

“The R&A and USGA support the rules of golf and (anchoring) is well within the rules,” Harrington said at the Wells Fargo Championship. “I think (anchoring) is bad for the game of golf. But if something’s going to help me for the next three and a half years, I’m going to use it."

Like most putters, Harrington said the belly model has taken some getting used to -- especially on tap-in putts.

"I nearly dropped [the putter] on the ball at one stage last week because I'm not used to handling the putter and things like that. You're still not quite sure when you go to tap in a putt even from 18 inches when you're leaning in you just go and do it normally or as a belly putter, the familiarity is an issue."

Fans will have a chance to buy a rare Ashworth shirt honoring Fred Couples. (Photo: Ashworth Golf)

By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider

To commemorate Fred Couples' induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame on May 6, Ashworth will release 300 individually numbered Fred Couples edition shirts.

Each shirt in the collection will be numbered inside the placket, with Couples receiving the first shirt (1/300). According to Ashworth, the color of blue (azure) is Couples' favorite and features double-knit EZ-TEC2 performance fabric.

“When you think of Ashworth, you immediately think style and of course Fred Couples,” said Susan Bush, VP of Ashworth. “We are very excited for Fred to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and are extremely honored to create a special shirt that truly reflects his personality and favorite elements.”

The shirt also features Couples' signature in green on the inside neck and green thread on the top button of the placket in honor of his 1992 Masters victory.

Brandt Snedeker has used an older TaylorMade Superfast driver for years. (Lecka/Getty Images)

By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider 

Brandt Snedeker's older model TaylorMade Burner SuperFast driver remained in play at the RBC Heritage, but one of the oldest clubs in the five-time PGA TOUR winner's bag could be on its way out.

Snedeker started working extensively with a new TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 driver (9 degrees with a 46-inch Aldila Tour Blue 65TX shaft) at an event on Tuesday and during Wednesday's pro-am.

Palmer goes to TaylorMade Daddy Long Legs: Ryan Palmer has tried various putters over the years, but his Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II has always found its way back into the bag. The putter has been with Palmer for almost his entire professional career and helped him win two of his three PGA TOUR titles.

Palmer may go back to the putter at some point, but for at least one week he decided to shelve his trusty sidekick for a 35-inch TaylorMade Daddy Long Legs putter. Intrigued by the counterbalanced putter -- Daddy Long Legs was released at retail this week -- Palmer decided to give it a test drive early in the week before putting it in play on Thursday.

While the putter is 35 inches, Palmer said he plans to choke down a couple inches on the grip. He also noted the high MOI and stability of Daddy Long Legs' shape and counterbalance grip (which is 130 grams) helped him keep the ball on his intended line -- especially on putts from inside 20 feet.

Callaway X-Hot 3Deep a perfect fit at Harbour Town: One of the tighter courses on the PGA TOUR schedule, Harbour Town requires pinpoint accuracy and distance control off the tee. Long hitters rarely have to pull driver out of the bag, preferring instead to use a 3-wood to keep it in play.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Callaway saw a bump in X-Hot 3Deep requests early in the week. Looking for a club with the workability of a 3-wood in a mini-driver package, a number of players, including Ryo Ishikawa and Luke List, decided to give Callaway's newest creation a try.

Ishikawa went with a 14.5-degree (actual loft 13.9 degrees) that was built for him at the Shell Houston Open. The course-dependent club has a 43-inch Graphie Design Tour AD GT-8 TX shaft with a custom Graphite Design cord grip.

Luke List had Callaway reps build him a 14.5-degree with a 43.5-inch Oban Kiyoshi Black 90x shaft. List initially went with his Mitsubishi gamer shaft but felt his spin numbers were too high. The Oban rectified the problem and allowed him to maintain the same trajectory and distance off the tee.

Daly adds Adams DHy driving hybrids: Adams' DHy driving hybrid has replaced a number of long irons on the PGA TOUR over the past several weeks. John Daly is one of the latest to added two to the bag. One is an 18-degree opened 16 degrees, specifically for tee shots at Harbour Town. The other is a 21-degree, bent to 22.5 degrees, that currently serves as a 3/4 iron replacement.

Kaymer goes with TaylorMade R1 driver: The week following the Masters is usually one where you'll see players start working with new equipment. Martin Kaymer was one of the noteworthy names after he dropped his TaylorMade RBZ Tour driver for an 8-degree TaylorMade R1 with a Graphie Design Tour AD shaft.

Kaymer noticed R1 was beating RBZ Tour in comparison testing during the week and finally pulled the trigger.

Pettersson makes 3-wood change: Carl Pettersson spent an extended amount of time on Monday testing 3-woods on the the driving range. Pettersson went with a 13-degree Nike VR_S Covert Tour with a neutral face-angle setting because he liked the club's ball flight and felt it gave him the best chance to work the ball around Harbour Town's tight layout.

Divots: Rory Sabbatini prefers to grind his own wedge, but when he switched from a 60-degree TaylorMade TP xFT (Exchangeable Face Technology) to a new 60-degree TaylorMade ATV prototype at Hilton Head, he didn't touch the sole. Sabbatini noted the performance and versatility of ATV allowed him to keep the wedge as-is ... Stuart Appleby became the latest player to change to Callaway's HEX Chrome+ ball. Appleby preferred the softer feel and quieter sound around the green ... In an attempt to close the distance gaps at the top end of his bag, Patrick Reed went from four wedges to three and added a 19-degree Nike VR_S Covert 5-wood. The 5-wood plays more like a 4-wood due to the ball flight, and Reed was able to tweak his wedge gap and go with a 54-and 59-degree Nike VR Pro setup ... A traditional muscleback iron player, James Driscoll switched to TaylorMade RocketBladez Tour following several weeks of meticulous work in comparison testing ... Robert Garrigus kept a 25-degree Adams Super LS hybrid in the bag at Hilton Head after using it at the Masters. Garrigus generally only uses a 22-degree Adams Super S but likes the versatility of the 25-degree.

Credit/Adidas Golf

By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider

Looking to build on the success and buzz of adizero, adidas announced the addition of a new shoe to the golf footwear line called adicross tour.

Created with revolutionary materials and state-of-the-art construction methods, adicross tour's design was aimed at freeing up the foot and body from the ground up to the shoulders.

The new PUREMOTION construction TPU outsole and PLUSFLEX technology — designed for greater flexibility and ground contact to promote more force and power — allows for greater flexibility and freedom of movement without sacrificing support or comfort. 

“With adicross tour, we created a lightweight golf shoe specifically-designed to allow the foot and body to work the way it was naturally intended to move, “ said Bill Price, adidas' VP of Golf Footwear. “With this revolutionary new shoe, a golfer can freely flex and rotate from the ground up to the shoulders, resulting in a more efficient, natural swing.”

Similar to adizero, adicross tour also features a seven-spike configuration with THINTECH low-profile technology that provides additional traction and stability on the course.

The shoe is made of premium, full-grain aniline leather that's complemented by a new ripstop nylon saddle for increased flexibility. An ultra-light CLOUDFOAM sockliner was also added for comfort.

“The new adicross Tour has all the performance and support I need in a tour shoe plus a look that fits my style, “ Dustin Johnson said. “ The bold colors are great and I knew it was for me the moment I saw it.”

Johnson has been wearing adicross tour since the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship and sported a one-off version with a green sole for all four days at the Masters.

Along with the spiked version, adidas will also release adicross tour in a spikeless version that has a waterproof upper, versatile, spikeless outsole and "x-shaped" performance torison bar in the midfoot that extends into the heel for lateral support and stability.

The spikeless version will also have a similar anatomical last that provides enhanced volume in the forefoot for increased comfort and stability.

Adicross tour will be available May 1 in four colorways (Blueberry / Running White / Metallic Silver; Running White, Alumnium / Black; Black Running White / University Red; and Wheat / Running White / Leather) with a price tag of $200.

The spikeless version will be available June 1 in two colorways (Tan Brown / Running White / Leather and Running White/Aluminum Black) with a price tag of $150.

By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider

Fifty years have passed since Jack Nicklaus won his first Masters title in 1963 at the ripe age of 23 using a set of back-weighted MacGregor Tourney irons with wrap grips. 

Bubba Watson unveils his fashion picks for Masters week -- and Oakley reps explain why he will wear lighter colors for the weekend at Augusta National.

Adam Scott is the latest to switch from the Titleist 910 to the 913. (Greenwood/Getty Images)

By Jonathan Wall, PGATOUR.COM Equipment Insider

Adam Scott arrived at the Masters having not played a competitive event since mid-March when he finished tied for 30th at the Tampa Bay Championship. Aside from fine-tuning his game over the last three weeks in preparation for Augusta National, Scott also started working his way into a 9.5-degree Titleist 913D3 driver.

After testing the driver at home, Scott confirmed during his Tuesday press conference that he was so impressed with its performance, he decided to put it in the bag this week. 

"I've been able to work in the Titleist 913 driver for this week," Scott said. "It was a process for me because I've just driven it so well over the last couple of years with the previous model, but they've done some nice work and over the last month I've been able to work it into the bag, which I'm very happy about."

Scott had been using a Titleist 910D3 driver since 2010 but said the the 913D3's ball flight was so good during testing, it made him believe the club could work at Augusta National.

While Scott is changing models, he decided to keep the Graphite Design DI-8x shaft from his 910D3 and put it in his new driver.

Credit: USGA

Phil Mickelson hinted following the second round of the Shell Houston Open that he was going to test a "special club" the week before the Masters.

"We have a special club we're making that I'll be hitting on Monday," Mickelson said. "So, we'll see."

Mickelson and Callaway wouldn't divulge the details surrounding the club, but according to Golfweek's David Dusek, the USGA's Conforming Driver List gave an indication of what the three-time Masters winner could have up his sleeve.

Listed in the USGA's database was an X-Hot wood called "Phrankenwood." The club doesn't have a listed loft and the pictures don't give you an idea if the club is another driving 3-wood -- like the recently released 3Deep model Mickelson started using at the Northern Trust Open -- or a driver with a twist.

Regardless, it looks Phrankenwood could be Mickelson's "special club." No word yet if Mickelson will put it in play this week at the Masters, but there's a good chance he'll be testing it early in the week to see if it's worth putting in the bag for the first round.