What's in the bag - Carnoustie special

published 18 July 07

Ping?s new G10 range will be hitting the shelves in September and is already seeing plenty of action out on tour. I?ve spotted a 9 degree driver in Angel Cabrera?s bag and understand Chris DiMarco, Mark Calcavecchia and Mark Hensby have all been trying the club and could be putting it into play this week. Meanwhile Lee Westwood has switched to a new 14 degree G10 3-wood after just a few hits. Sergio Garcia has created a few headlines following his switch to a belly putter in the ongoing effort to send his putting stats tumbling. He wielded a belly version of TaylorMade?s Rossa Corzina in his top-20 finish at Loch Lomond last week, averaging just 28 putts a round and ending up 4th for putts per green in regulation. So maybe a corner has been turned?. At Callaway?s pre-tournament get-together, I spotted an interesting-looking utility iron in Nick Dougherty?s bag. The 18 degree club looked like a chunkier version of the X-Tour model and was marked up with a distinctive U on the sole. Whether this prototype long iron will eventually make it into production remains to be seen, but the concept would, in theory, mirror the progression you can make in Mizuno?s MP ranges by moving to the wider-soled Fli-Hi 2, 3 and 4-irons. Justin Leonard has also been seen using an iron-style Nike utility with a low profile face in an attempt to master the links and recapture some of his former Open glory this week. He?s been using it quite a lot off both tee and fairway in his warm-up rounds, using it as a kind of go-to club for shots of around 240 or so yards. But I?ve been unable to find out anything more about this particular club just yet.

Jeremy Ellwood

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly across the whole spectrum from courses and Rules to equipment and even instruction despite his own somewhat iffy swing (he knows how to do it, but just can't do it himself). He also edits The Golf Club Secretary Newsletter, has authored or co-authored three books and written for a number of national papers including The Telegraph and The Independent. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 89 of the Next 100. He has played well over 900 courses worldwide in 35 countries, but put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content. On his first trip to Abu Dhabi a decade ago he foolishly asked Paul Casey what sort of a record he had around the course there. "Well, I've won it twice if that's what you mean!" came the reply...

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf