By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

Can it be a major championship without Phil Mickelson possibly having a new club in his bag?

On the eve of the PGA Championship, at last week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, Mickelson put a new Odyssey Prototype putter in play prior to Round 2. It’s a “high-toe” version of an Odyssey No. 9-style putter, which Mickelson first saw in the Callaway/Odyssey trailer.

That version was made for Ryo Ishikawa, right-handed of course, but the Odyssey folks were able to design and build one for Mickelson in a week. Designer Austie Rollinson added offset to match Mickelson’s regular No. 9 putter, and Phil liked how the face was lower in the heel and higher in the toe, allowing him to release the head easier.

“It’s a takeoff on the No. 9, but it’s got a low profile heel and a raised toe that gives it kind of a hook roll,” the 2005 PGA winner said. “I probably should have gone to it (in Round 1) because it just rolls off the face like magic, and it has this great track. I was making a lot more 15- to 30-footers because it was holding such a tight roll.”

Mickelson shot 69 in his first round with the new stick before a 73-71 weekend left him tied for 43rd.

"I just didn’t want to change from my blade because that’s kind of been my identity, but I feel really good with this thing, and I’ll probably go back and forth,” Mickelson said. “This is something we’ve been working on for a while, and it just is fabulous.”

Stay tuned to see if the putter makes it to the first tee on Thursday at Kiawah Island, where the pros are saying the Paspalum greens are true but perhaps a touch slower than most PGA TOUR stops.

BELLY TALK: Webb Simpson discussed at the PGA how he’s practicing with two Scotty Cameron putters, adding a short one to his regular belly, just in case golf’s governing bodies make a move against anchoring. … Two players won on TOUR last week with Odyssey belly putters -- Keegan Bradley with a White Hot XG Sabertooth at Bridgestone and J.J. Henry with a White Hot XG No. 1.

INSIDE THE LOGO: TaylorMade’s design gurus create special logos for each major, full of little details unique to the tournament, the area and the course. This year’s version for Kiawah Island is on the right. Some of the special touches:

Orange and white trim at the top and bottom are colors often used in wind socks, and the Ocean Course gets plenty of wind.

Kiawah is hosting its first major,  hence the “1” at the bottom, while its 1991 “War by the Shore” Ryder Cup heritage is also recognized with crosshairs in the center.

The triangle shape in the background is an arrowhead, signifying the Kiawah tribe that lived on the Island some 350 years ago, and the Indian theme continues with a teepee. Atop the teepee is a W – for the Wanamaker Trophy, the spoils given to the PGA winner.

A film reel is in the center of the logo since the course was used for the movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance” in 2000.

Here’s hoping this week’s PGA is better than that movie.

ETC.: Check out various apparel scripts for Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler and other select players this week. … Sergio Garcia tested a new TaylorMade RBZ 5-wood last week in preparation for the PGA, seeking a higher-lofted companion to a trusty RBZ 3-wood. … Ben Kohles, the talk of the Web.com Tour with two wins in two starts as a pro, hit 17 of 18 greens last Sunday at the Cox Classic in Omaha with a Titleist ProV1x ball.

WINNER’S BAGS: Keegan Bradley at the Bridgestone Invitational:
Driver: Cleveland Classic 290 (Miyazaki Kusala Indigo 61X, 9 degrees)
Fairway wood: Cleveland Launcher Ultralite FL (14 degrees)
Hybrid: Cleveland Launcher DST (18 degrees), Cleveland Mashie TM3 (20.5 degrees)
Irons: Cleveland CG7 Tour (4-PW) 
Wedges: Cleveland 588 Forged (54, 58 degrees) 
Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG Sabertooth belly
Ball: Srixon Z-Star prototype

J.J. Henry at the Reno-Tahoe Open:
Driver: TaylorMade R11S (9 degrees)
Fairway wood: Callaway Big Bertha Fusion (15 degrees)
Utility: Callaway X Prototype (21 degrees)
Irons: Callaway Razr X Forged(4-9) 
Wedges: Callaway Razr X Forged (48 degrees), TaylorMade ATV (52, 58, 64 degrees) 
Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG No. 1 belly
Ball: Titleist ProV1

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

One of the better stories this season on the PGA TOUR is J.B. Holmes’ return from brain surgery late last year. His on-course results are almost irrelevant, considering those circumstances.

But Holmes is playing very respectably, with two top-10s and the 74th spot in the FedExCup standings. He’s still one of the legendary long bombers on TOUR (fifth this year in driving distance); it’s just a matter of keeping the tee shots on the short grass and making some putts. He’s 161st in driving accuracy and 63rd in Strokes Gained-Putting.

For the latter, he may have found an answer. The Kentuckian put an Odyssey Metal-X No. 1 putter in the bag and finished T15 at last week’s RBC Canadian Open, ranking T16 in putts per green in regulation.

Holmes’ model, mailed to him several weeks ago but put in play for the first time in Ontario, features a custom alignment line on the rear of the putter (the version sold in stores has a top line). Odyssey reps also added some lead to the sole of the putterhead to get its weight in line with Holmes’ previous Odyssey putter, a White Ice No. 1.

WIN STUFF: Fila Golf is having a contest on its Facebook page, click “like” for the chance to win a $500 golf wardrobe. Share the contest with friends for more chances to win. … Whenever a player on the PGA TOUR wins wearing FootJoy products, the company has a contest the following week to win the same products.

BITS: TaylorMade staff player Chez Reavie switched shafts in his RBZ 15-degree fairway wood and 18.5-degree Tour Rescue, putting in Graphite Design G Series shafts to match the same shaft he has in his 9-degree RBZ Tour driver. He finished T37 at the RBC Canadian Open. … Titleist player Ben Kohles, a winner in his pro debut at the Web.com Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational, was the first player in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event to win with Titleist’s new 913 driver. He swings a 9.5-degree 913D3.

WINNER’S BAG: Scott Piercy at the RBC Canadian Open:
Driver: Titleist 910D2 (Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board, 7.5 degrees)
Fairway wood: TaylorMade Burner (14.5 degrees)
Hybrid: Adams Idea Super XTD (17 degrees)
Irons: Titleist AP2 (4) and 690MB (5-9) 
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (49, 53, 57 and 60 degrees) 
Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

By Ryan Smithson, PGA TOUR.COM Ernie Els' belly putter garnered a lot of attention when he used it to win his fourth major last week, but his real secret weapon was a club Call;away designed to replace long irons. Yep, even Els, one of the best ball-strikers in the world, decided he needed more help in the form of a hybrid. But not the normal hybrid. Roger Cleveland, Callaway's top club designer, unleashed a new utility iron -- designed after the driving irons that have been around for years -- but with a few twists. The new iron has adjustable weights in the sole, and perhaps just as important, can be bent like other forged irons. Els placed the Callaway X Utility Prototype (18°, 21°, 24°) irons his bag a few weeks ago, but it wasn't until Royal Lytham that he had Cleveland adjust the lie angle. He had them bent a half-degree flat, and Els went on to have one of the best ball-striking weeks of his career. The new club has quickly made its way into the bags of several others including Graeme McDowell, who just added the 18-degree version, replacing a 2-iron. “I wanted to enhance that design into a three-loft concept with a new club design that was shallower, had a deeper CG, and that created a higher launch angle, which is difficult to achieve in longer irons," Cleveland said. Now, the question for the consumers: Will Callaway's design reach pro shops? For the immediate future, the answer is no, but Els' big win might coax Callaway to have it available in the future. TITLEISTS' 913 DRIVER SPREADING: Adam Scott and True South Classic winner Scott Stallings are still playing the older 910D3 driver, but more and more players are switching to the new 913D prototype. Jason Bohn (913D3) had it in his bag for the True South Classic, as did rookie Bud Cauley (913D2). Both finished in the top five, and Cauley, all 150 pounds of him, averaged 284 yards a pop. That was good for 11th in the field. PING ANSER READY: Ping's new adjustable driver and fairway woods are ready to hit the pro shops. The Anser driver is available in 8.5º, 9.5º, 10.5º and 12º lofts. The Anser fairway woods are offered in a 3-wood (14.5º), 4-wood (16.5º), and 5-wood (18.5º). Each is adjusted using a torque wrench to change loft and face angle. WINNER'S BAG: Ernie Els at the British Open Driver: Callaway RAZR Fit, 8.5° 3-wood: Callaway X-TOUR 15.0° Irons: Callaway RAZR X Muscleback Irons (5-9, PW), KBS Tour X-flex Hybrids: Callaway X Utility Prototype (18°, 21°, 24°) Wedges: Callaway JAWS (52°, 60°) Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG #1 Belly Ball: Callaway HEX Black Tour WINNER'S BAG: Scott Stallings at the True South Classic Driver: Pro V1x, 910D3 driver (8.5°) 3-wood: 909F2 fairway metal (13.5°) Irons: AP2 irons (4-9) Wedges: Vokey Design Spin Milled pitching (48°, 52°, 56°, 60°) Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Studio Select Ball: Pro V1x

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

At an average of 305.1 yards per drive for the week, runner-up Troy Matteson had the highest driving distance among the top 15 finishers at the John Deere Classic.

It took a little work to get there from an equipment standpoint.

Matteson, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, came to TPC Deere Run telling TaylorMade reps he was ‘killing’ his RBZ fairway wood but was not able to hit a power draw on command with his driver. Instead, he was hitting pulls.

Follow along.

Matteson’s original driver, an 8-degree TaylorMade R11S, had been tuned to a lower position while the ASP sole plate was in the closed setting – in short, a low-lofted driver with a open face, setting up closed. To help fix, TaylorMade reps gave him a higher-lofted driver with a closed clubface that appeared square, shortened by an inch to get the club more vertical and promote the draw.

In the end, going from a 7.5-degree/2-degree open face to an 8.5 degree/1-degree closed/1-inch shorter club immediately promoted more ball speed, higher launch and a higher spin rate, allowing the ball to stay in the air and turn right-to-left.

How much the switch pay off? In the first round at the John Deere, Matteson made 10 birdies in a round of 61 and ultimately lost in a playoff to Zach Johnson.

ANSER MEN: At the other end of driver spectrum was Ping, a holdout in the adjustable driver craze – until earlier this month. Ping’s new Anser driver is its first entry into the adjustable market, with lofts able to be tuned a half-degree up or down.

Louis Oosthuizen (pictured at right) put a Anser driver in the bag at last week’s Scottish Open and brought it to the British Open, where he’s the defending champion. Former Masters champion Angel Cabrera has been working with an Anser 3-wood.

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Callaway’s X Utility Prototype irons have been hot on TOUR and will continue to be this week at the British Open, where accuracy is far more important than distance. The company has been frantically shipping clubheads from its PGA TOUR trailer overseas; clubmaker Roger Cleveland even traveled to England with five 18-degree X Utility Prototype heads in his baggage.

BAG BITS: K.J. Choi won the 2011 PLAYERS with Miura irons; last week he finished T13 at John Deere with Callaway RAZR Musclebacks. … Blake Adams switched from steel shafts in his TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC irons to Aldila-prototype graphites at the John Deere. Most PGA TOUR pros prefer steel in irons. … Chez Reavie first began working with a TaylorMade Ghost Spider belly putter at the AT&T National, finally putting it into play at TPC Deere Run and finishing T68.

SCRIPT: You know you’re important when your apparel supplier dresses you. Check out how Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose are scripted by TaylorMade-adidas.

WINNER’S BAG: Johnson at the John Deere Classic:
Driver: Titleist 910D2 (Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board, 9.5 degrees)
Fairway woods: Titleist 910F (15.0 degrees) and 909 F2 (18.5 degrees)
Hybrid: Titleist 909H (21 degrees)
Irons: Titleist AP1 (4) and AP2 (5-9) 
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design (48, 54, 60 degrees) 
Putter: SeeMore FGP
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

Last week’s winner on the PGA TOUR, 173rd in FedExCup points and No. 218 in the world before The Greenbrier Classic, was unusual enough.

But the flatstick Ted Potter Jr. wielded in winning at The Old White TPC was even more of an unknown.

During close-ups in the CBS broadcast on Sunday, you may have noticed the “Piretti” script on the back of Potter’s putter. The center-shafted head looked similar in shape to many other major manufacturers’ offerings, but the script set it apart.

Piretti is a putter company based in Spring, Texas, that has had a few putters show up in pros’ hands – Henrik Stenson used a Piretti at the Masters this year, Golfweek notes – but never in a winner’s hands until Potter.

Potter led the field in Strokes-Gained Putting at 2.016 with a Cortino CS prototype, one of the few lefthanded models the company has made.

The company’s website sells various stock putters for $290-$325, and only four retail outlets are listed in North America – two in Texas, one in California and one in Ontario, Canada. The company says its putters are 15-45 grams heavier than competitors’, to improve accuracy, and that all putters have 2.5 degrees of loft, one to two degrees less than others for golf’s seemingly always faster greens.

Potter’s Piretti isn’t as wild as the Orion Black Hawk putter that Matt Every used in nearly winning the Sony Open in Hawaii, but it’s a winner. Time will tell if more Pirettis find their way into TOUR bags.

‘D’ THEM UP: Four more TOUR players put the new Titleist 913 drivers into play at The Greenbrier, with Greg Chalmers, Harrison Frazar, and Hunter Haas using 913D2s and Matt Jones using the slightly smaller-headed 913D3.

Martin Flores was the top finisher at The Greenbrier with the new driver, finishing sixth with a 913D3.

Check out the Titleist blog for a look at how Rory McIlroy went about having his 913 dialed in at home in Northern Ireland.

SNEDS: Earlier this year Brandt Snedeker won the Farmers Insurance Open with TaylorMade SuperFast metalwoods – among the last non-white TaylorMade models on TOUR.

Six months later, TaylorMade has him seeing white. A long testing session on Wednesday at The Greenbrier included testing the RBZ, RBZ Tour and R11S heads, looking for one to help him turn the ball over easier. The winner? An R11S with the FCT hosel tuned between standard and lower, plus 11 grams of weight in the heel and 1 gram in the toe.

WINNER’S BAG: Ted Potter Jr. at The Greenbrier Classic:
Driver: Cleveland Classic Tour (Miyazaki Kusala Black 61X, 10.5 degrees)
Fairway wood: Cleveland Launcher Composite (15 degrees)
Hybrids: Cleveland Mashie (18, 20.5 degrees) 
Irons: Cleveland CG1 Tour (4-PW) 
Wedges: Cleveland 588 Forged (54, 60 degrees) 
Putter: Piretti Cortino CS prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

Tiger Woods is retaking his place at the top of the golf pantheon. His win on Sunday at the AT&T National – his third in seven starts -- gave him a PGA TOUR-leading three wins on the season, the FedExCup points lead and solo second place on the all-time TOUR victory list.

Where is it all coming from? The added “reps”, as Woods frequently cites? The work with swing coach Sean Foley? The weather? (Tiger’s an especially strong player in the heat.)

The answer may be simpler than that. He’s simply rolling the ball better.

Woods was ninth at Congressional in Strokes Gained-Putting with his Nike Method 001 putter, picking up nearly a shot and a half on the greens for the week. He’s now 14th in Strokes Gained-Putting for the year and 11th in Total Putting, a stat that combines putting averages from various distances.

“I feel like I really controlled the putter well this week,” Woods said. “I had a lot of good putts, and I had a lot of -- for some reason I had a lot of putts that were downhill, big, breaking putts. I hit a lot of good putts this week.”

The Method putter features Nike’s polymetal groove technology, which gets the ball rolling with forward spin more quickly after impact.

Woods wasn’t the only one with a big week at AT&T with a Method 001. Jhonattan Vegas finished T4, his best of the season.

D2 DEBUTS: Titleist unveiled its new 913 drivers for pros at AT&T, and 14 of the 34 players who teed up Titleist drivers in competition used the new models.

Seung-Yul Noh, using a 7.5-degree 913D3, finished highest with a T4, while Nick Watney finished 10th with a 10.5-degree 913D3. Brendon de Jonge, the 54-hole leader at Congressional, ended tied for 11th with his 9.5-degree 913 D3.

The newest members of Titleist’s 900 family (“9” is the designation for metalwoods and “13” is the model year) feature some cosmetic differences and a weight cartridge at the rear of the clubhead. Like the previous 910 models, Titleist’s SureFit Tour hosel helps a player dial in the ideal lie and loft.

There are two models, the D2 and D3, with the D2 having a slightly bigger head. Of the 14 pros at AT&T, 11 played the D3 and three (Bud Cauley, Tom Gillis and John Merrick) chose the D2.

Rory McIlroy put an 8.5-degree 913D3 at the Irish Open, finishing in a tie for 10th.

BEER!: For those of you who consider beer as essential “equipment” for your weekend rounds, there’s a new brew inspired by Sam Snead.

Slammin’ Sam is a craft-brewed American lager developed off a proprietary recipe and made in Wisconsin by Stevens Point Brewery. It debuts this week at The Greenbrier Resort, which is hosting the PGA TOUR’s Greenbrier Classic.

“It makes sense for Slammin’ Sam beer to be introduced here,” said Jeff Kmiec, president and managing director of The Greenbrier Resort. “Sam Snead called The Greenbrier his professional home for more than 60 years and I think he’d be happy to know guests will savor a beer that bears his nickname.”

The beer’s packaging features famous images of Snead and is available in cans, bottles and kegs. The company plans to launch the product soon at other golf resorts around North America.

For more information, check out a fun Q&A with the founder of Slammin’ Sam here.

LOOKING AT LYTHAM: Justin Rose and Justin Leonard had new hybrids built in the TaylorMade truck at Congressional, purposely for the British Open later this month. Rose got a 16-degree Rescue 11, designed for him to hit piercing shots in the wind. Leonard got two 17-degree Rescue 11s and compared the two during practice rounds at Congressional.

BITS: Martin Laird put a new TaylorMade Ghost Spider IB belly putter in play at Congressional, replacing his longtime Ghost Tour DA-12 belly model. He finished T11. … John Mallinger also finished T11 at AT&T, playing a new set of TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC irons. He’s moving away from an older model of TP irons which had “pretty dead” grooves, in his words. … Kevin Stadler had never played a 5-wood but tested a Callaway Razr Fit model and liked how it fit a gap between his 3-wood and hybrid. He tested it, found that he could hit his standard high cut with it, and put it in play at AT&T.

WINNER’S BAG: Woods at the AT&T National:
Driver: Nike VR Tour (8.5 degree, Graphite Design DI 6X shaft)
Fairway wood: Nike VR Pro Limited Edition 3-wood (15 degrees); Nike SQ II 5-wood (19 degrees)
Irons: Nike VR Pro Blades (3-PW)
Wedges: Nike VR Pro (56, 60 degrees)
Putter: Nike Method 001
Ball: Nike ONE Tour D

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

Titleist is debuting some new firepower this week at the AT&T National, namely its 913 series of drivers.

The company hasn’t introduced a new driver in two years, but the 913 is the next step in the “900” family (with “9” being its designation for metalwoods and “13” for the model year), with a few subtle differences from the 910 series.

Titleist loyalists will notice the striping on the sole and new markings on the face, as well as a weight cartridge at the rear of the club. The cartridges can be swapped out to optimize launch conditions, and like the 910 models the new 913 has the SureFit Tour hosel to adjust lie and loft.

Like the 910, the 913 has a D2 and D3 model, with the D2 being slightly bigger.

Bobby Gates took the first swings with the club on Monday at the range at Congressional Country Club, with Titleist players Seung-Yul Noh, Jimmy Walker and Brendan Steele also getting licks in. Rory McIlroy has one in Ireland this week, where he’ll play in the European Tour’s Irish Open.

The clubs will go on sale to the public sometime in the fall, retailing for around $399.

MR. 59: After dalliances with several flatsticks, Stuart Appleby returned to the Odyssey White Hot XG 330 mallet that he shot 59 with at The Greenbrier Classic in 2010.

“I really had to assess what was going on in my game and where I had to improve,” he said. “I was chasing around, moving putters. Didn’t know when I was going to hit the hole. It just started sapping the energy.”

Sure enough, he finished T18 at the Travelers for his first top-20 finish of the season.

COLORFUL: More of Callaway’s udesign-inspired Razr Fit drivers are making the rounds on the PGA TOUR. At the Travelers, J.J. Killeen used a purple one in honor of his TCU roots, while Danny Lee used a blue driver that was actually built for Fredrik Jacobson, but the Swede declined to use it in play so Callaway reps gave it to Lee.

WINNER’S BAG: Marc Leishman at the Travelers Championship:
Driver: Titleist 910D3 (UST Mamiya AXIVCore, 7.5 degrees)
Fairway wood: Titleist 910F (13.5 degrees)
Hybrid: Mizuno Fli-Hi (18 degrees) 
Irons: Titleist AP2 (3-4), MB (5-9) 
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled (PW, 54, 58 degrees) 
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Mid-slant T10 
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

The first time was a watershed moment, a game-changer, a flashpoint for golf and where it supposedly was going.

The second time? “Meh” seems to be the collective reaction.

When Webb Simpson’s 1 over total at The Olympic Club survived the final groups, he became a first-time major champion. Of interest to equipment junkies is that his putter became a two-time major champion of sorts, as the second long putter to win a major.

Keegan Bradley won last year’s PGA Championship with a long putter. Reaction to that was pointed in some corners, such as online comments here and at other golf discussion forums.

If you were outraged then, are you equally mad this time around?

The long putter revolution is clear in the amateur ranks, where inventories have swelled at course pro shops and big-box retailers in response to consumer interest. On the PGA TOUR, however, the putters haven’t taken over the game as some anticipated.

Last year, nine wins were recorded with longer putters but that pace hasn’t held true in 2012. So far this year, four players have won with long putters – Bill Haas (Northern Trust Open), Carl Pettersson (RBC Heritage), Matt Kuchar (THE PLAYERS Championship) and Simpson. That’s it, through 26 events.

So maybe traditionalists are happy as well as the long-putter establishment. Or are they? Tell us below what you think of another long putter winning a spotlight event.

TEAM TITLEIST: Titleist scored not only with staff-player Simpson winning the U.S. Open, but in two other spotlight moments from U.S. Open week.

Nick Watney scored just the third albatross in 112 years of U.S. Opens, rolling in a Pro V1x from 190 yards out with an AP2 5-iron. John Peterson, in his “hello” weekend on the PGA TOUR, aced the 180-yard par-3 13th hole with a Pro V1x and a Titleist MB 7-iron. It was his first career hole-in-one.

COLORFUL: Jim Furyk tweaked his Callaway Razr Fit driver in advance of the U.S. Open, removing weight from the toe and adding weight to the heel to keep from losing shots to the right.

During practice rounds he used a gold-accented driver (from the company’s udesign program), paying homage to his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, but went back to standard black for tournament play.

BUBBA … HYBRID?: If you haven’t put a hybrid in your bag yet, look at it this way – even the longest hitter on TOUR can find reason for one. Bubba Watson, first in driving distance this season at 315.1 yards, put a 21-degree Ping i20 hybrid in his bag for The Olympic Club. He figured the hybrid would serve him better off some tees, though ultimately he failed to make the weekend.

WINNER’S BAG: Simpson at the U.S. Open:
Driver: Titleist 910D3 (UST Mamiya AxivCore shaft, 10.5 degrees)
Fairway woods: Titleist 910F, (13.5, 17 degrees)
Hybrid: Titleist 910H (21 degrees)
Irons: Titleist 680 MB (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design TVD (54, 58 degrees) 
Putter: Ping G5i Craz-E Long 
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

Got your shopping done yet for dad? There’s still time to take care of his golf needs. Here’s a few of this year’s new products (clockwise from top left):

Titleist Velocity balls: If your standard Father’s Day play is a dozen Titleists for Dad, consider the company’s new distance ball. The Velocity ($27 per dozen) has the fastest solid core of any Titleist ball and a low, boring flight. Not boring are the orange double-digit numbers, which is a new wrinkle for usually conservative Titleist.

Arnie clothing: If your standard Father’s Day play is a shirt or sweater, check out the new clothing line designed, literally, with a peek into Arnold Palmer’s closet. Different collections are based on his styles from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, plus a “timeless” collection – though they’re really all timeless.

Callaway custom Razr Fit driver: Club customization has moved beyond from stamping letters into wedges and putters; now it’s possible to get a pro-line driver customized all the way down to a color. Callaway’s udesign site allows players to choose one of eight colors, then dozens of custom shafts and grips. Such customization doesn’t come cheap (prices start at $499), but it does almost ensure a one-of-a-kind club.

Ogio Recoil carry bag: Does dad still walk his rounds? Help lighten his load with Ogio’s Shoxx system, found on the company’s top-of-the-line Recoil bag ($239.99 with free shipping from Ogio’s website). The bag weighs eight pounds empty, which isn’t so light in the stand-bag market, but filled with gear on one’s shoulders the Recoil feels far lighter thanks to bungee-style straps that balance the load and move with a player’s walk.

Ecco Biom Hybrid shoes: Every shoemaker now offers casual golf shoes that can go from the 18th green to the clubhouse dining rooms, since Fred Couples started the trend with Ecco shoes a couple years ago. The Biom Hybrid (MSRP $190) has 100 molded traction bars on the outsole and breathable yak leather uppers. That’s right – yak leather.

TaylorMade RBZ hybrid: The debut of the Rocketballz name by TaylorMade earlier this year was a bit of a groaner, but clubs live up to the name and the hype. The hybrid ($170) is a good entry into the line, with a “speed pocket” in the sole that increases ball speed for more distance.

Garmin Approach S3 watch: Technology in GPS and rangefinder devices is constantly improving, with distances now being available on your wrist. The S3 is pricey ($350), but it comes loaded with some 27,000 worldwide courses and subsequent updates are free. Dad will think it’s worth it the first time he dials in a shot pin-high to a tucked hole.

Kentwool golf socks: Don’t feel sheepish about giving dad a pair of socks. Kentwool, a 169-year-old family-owned American company, has created Tour Profile socks ($20) from a proprietary blend of fine merino wool and high-tech fibers for superior moisture management. Masters champion Bubba Watson wears them, and this week at Olympic Club he’ll wear a limited-edition U.S. Open pair. Limited-edition socks … we love golf.

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WHAT’S IN A LOGO?: TaylorMade’s custom logos for the majors are puzzles unto themselves. For the U.S.

Open at Olympic, the most esoteric part of its logo is an “Off The Air” bar across the top – a reference to the fact that NBC’s telecast in 1955 went off the air Sunday afternoon with Ben Hogan as the clubhouse leader. The network wasn’t expecting Jack Fleck to tie Hogan with a birdie on the 18th hole, never mind winning the next day in a playoff.

Other touches include a gold medal in the center, paying homage to The Olympic Club’s status as the nation’s oldest athletic club, Golden Gate bridge accents, four stars for the four previous Opens at Olympic and a pinstriped 5 for San Francisco’s own Joe DiMaggio.

For more about TaylorMade players at the U.S. Open, the company created a social media portal here.

WINNER’S BAG: Dustin Johnson at the FedEx St. Jude Classic:
Driver: TaylorMade R11S (10.5 degree) with a Motore F1 2.0 shaft 
Fairway woods: TaylorMade RocketBallz Tour (17.5 degrees); R9 (19 degrees)
Irons: TaylorMade Tour Preferred Forged MB (3-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade TP with xFT (54, 60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 prototype 
Ball: TaylorMade Penta TP5

By John Schwarb, PGATOUR.COM

It’s gotta be the shoes, right?

Tiger Woods’ magic returned last week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance as he won for the 73rd time on the PGA TOUR, tying tournament host Jack Nicklaus for second all-time. You might have seen his amazing chip at the par-3 16th on Sunday.

From last week to three months ago during his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard to last summer, Woods has been wearing a new golf shoe – Nike’s TW ’13, inspired by Nike’s FREE technology.

Woods, a noted workout fanatic, asked his longtime apparel outfitter to design a golf shoe that gave him the same kind of performance and fit as the Nike FREE shoes he wears while exercising.

“I train with Nike FREE technology all the time,” Woods said. “I love training in it, running in it, lifting in it. So I asked, why can’t I play golf in it?”

The shoe the company devised – which Woods started wearing last summer and will available to the public on Friday -- features the new Nike Dynamic Fit support system, which the company said “delivers unprecedented strength-to-weight ratio and one-to-one fitted support.” Flywire-infused nylon straps extend from the footbed to the lacing system, securing the foot for an adaptive fit that provides stability with mobility.

“Now my feet are stronger and I feel more athletic,” Woods said. “These shoes provide freedom of movement and allow me to release more power through my swing.”

Woods has gravitated toward the white model of the shoe, though they’re also available in black. Manufacturers’ suggested retail price is $220.

IN TIGER’S BAG: During Woods’ pre-tournament chat last week on Google, he was asked whether he’ll take a 2-iron to the U.S. Open at Olympic Club. His answer was “absolutely”, though he noted it won’t be an automatic choice on the tight, sloping fairways at the San Francisco course.

“A lot of it depends on how Mike (Davis, USGA executive director) sets up the tees and how the wind’s moving, because there are a few opportunities to drive it down there,” Woods said. “But you have to have the right shape of shot. You’re firing into slopes, into the doglegs. It’s a golf course where you’ve got to have an overall game plan, but you’ve got to be very flexible and change it up.

“The ball’s not going to be flying very far, that’s something you have to take into account.”

SWAP: Matt Every drew attention in January at the Sony Open in Hawaii when he used a Black Hawk putter, a peculiar flatstick with a huge black head that looked vaguely like an old VHS tape stuck to a shaft. He finished T6 in the event and the putter was the talk of the equipment world for a couple weeks.

Well, you know how it goes sometimes with golfers and their putters. Every’s Black Hawk is on the shelf for now, replaced at the Memorial Tournament by an Odyssey ProType Tour Series No. 7. He finished T6 and finished 10th in the field in putts per GIR.

WINNER’S BAG: Woods at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance:
Driver: Nike VR Tour (8.5 degree, Graphite Design DI 6X shaft)
Fairway wood: Nike VR Pro Limited Edition 3-wood (15 degrees); Nike SQ II 5-wood (19 degrees)
Irons: Nike VR Pro Blades (3-PW)
Wedges: Nike VR Pro (56, 60 degrees)
Putter: Nike Method 001
Ball: Nike ONE Tour D