January Transfer Window - Vokey SM10 Wedges And Day Signs With Malbon Golf
Golf's January Transfer Window has kicked into action as the PGA Tour returns this week in Hawaii
New year, new gear. The PGA Tour has arrived in Hawaii for The Sentry, where we get our first chance to see the top players and what new clubs, apparel and shoes they have on display.
January is always a busy time in the golf equipment world and it has already kicked into gear, with players on all tours set to put new gear into play and brands set to unveil new signings throughout the month.
Last January was a busy one, seeing TaylorMade signing both Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson, Callaway signing the Hojgaard twins, Sergio Garcia splitting with TaylorMade and Wilson making new signings among plenty of other big stories.
So far, we've seen new Titleist Vokey Design SM10 wedges being seeded on tour and a former World No.1 signing a new apparel deal, and we're expecting lots more news to come ahead of the DP World Tour and LPGA Tour getting underway for 2024 in the coming weeks.
Check out all of the notable signings and new gear spotted this January...
Titleist Vokey Design SM10
Titleist has begun its tour seeding of the brand new Vokey SM10 wedges at the Sentry this week in Hawaii.
Little is known about the new wedges, which will replace the SM9, but we've already seen Billy Horschel posting about them on social media and shots of them in the bag of both Max Homa and Tom Kim.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
The seeding will continue in two weeks' time at the American Express, where we expect to see them go in the bag of many more pros.
Finally able to share with you what Santa, aka @Titleist, got me for Christmas! @VokeyWedges #SM10 😁 pic.twitter.com/ZHMNr5ez6uJanuary 1, 2024
Jason Day signs with Malbon Golf
A post shared by Jason Day (@jasondayofficial)
A photo posted by on
After seven years with Nike Golf, former World No.1 Jason Day has signed an apparel deal with Malbon Golf.
Day becomes Malbon's first PGA Tour ambassador, and it could be seen as a sign that more departures from Nike could be on the way - after strong rumors in late 2023 that Tiger Woods' association with the Swoosh brand was ending.
Woods remained coy when asked if he and Nike were going separate ways. “I’m still wearing their product," he twice said at the PNC Championship.
New Callaway drivers
While the 2024 Qi10 driver from TaylorMade was spotted late last year, nothing from Callaway appeared - until now.
A number of Paradym Ai Smoke heads were seen on the USGA's Conforming List around the new year, with the drivers likely to be in play this week at The Sentry. Callaway's top star Jon Rahm isn't in Hawaii to defend his title after joining LIV Golf in December, but the likes of Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns and Erik van Rooyen could well be testing out the new driver this week.
Images have emerged from Kapalua of the new Callaway metals, with confirmation that Emiliano Grillo is testing one of the new drivers.
Xander Schauffele wearing Descente apparel
Another pro who looks to have made an apparel switch is Xander Schauffele, who was seen wearing a Descente polo shirt in a video from this week's 'The Sentry'.
Schauffele has been with adidas for his entire professional career but that no longer seems to be the case. The World No.6 was still wearing adidas' Tour360 shoes in the video, where he was giving a lesson to a junior golfer on the range. Images from Tuesday's practice round again showed him wearing Descente apparel and adidas footwear.
The Olympic champion was also wearing a 'Chrome Tour' hat, which could allude to a new premium ball coming in to replace the Chrome Soft.
New Tour 360s?
Collin Morikawa has been spotted wearing what we believe could be some brand new adidas Tour360 shoes.
The two-time Major winner was pictured in the shoes on TaylorMade's Instagram page, with TaylorMade's staffers set to continue testing the new Qi10 driver we saw the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Scottie Scheffler and Tommy Fleetwood put in the bag over the past couple of months.
And sticking with Collin Morikawa, we also got a good look at his equipment setup this week courtesy of TaylorMade. He has a Qi10 Max driver in the bag as well as a Qi10 fairway wood.
A post shared by TaylorMade Golf (@taylormadegolf)
A photo posted by on
The Jailbird is back
Odyssey's Versa Jailbird putter was the most famous flat stick in golf last year after Rickie Fowler shot 62 with it at the US Open, Wyndham Clark won the US Open with it and then Keegan Bradley and Fowler won with it over the next two weeks.
It led to Odyssey re-releasing it, and it's in Hawaii this week in the form of the new Ai-one range, which was seen out on tour late last year.
New Nike shoes
Tommy Fleetwood also looks to be rocking some new 2024 footwear. The Englishman was filmed on the range by TaylorMade Golf where he could be seen wearing a new pair of Nikes.
Fleetwood previously wore the popular TW '13 shoe.
We also spotted some more new Nikes, as worn by Tom Kim - with the images showing a nice close up of his custom Scotty Cameron too.
New Spieth shoes
Jordan Spieth is one of the leading names in the field this week at Kapalua, where we think he'll be putting in the new Vokey SM10 wedges. He also has some new Under Armour footwear on show - could these be a new Spieth shoe? We'll wait and find out.
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
-
Tripp Isenhour Facts: 10 Things To Know About The Golf Channel Broadcaster
Tripp Isenhour has been a Golf Channel regular since 2008 - here are 10 things to know about the former pro
By Mike Hall Published
-
Adam Sandler Hints At Jack Nicklaus Appearance In Happy Gilmore 2 Movie
The actor, who plays the protagonist in the movie, appeared on the Dan Patrick Show to explain Nicklaus’s role in the sequel
By Mike Hall Published
-
Nelly Korda Debuts New TaylorMade Driver At Grant Thornton Invitational
The World No.1 was spotted using a TaylorMade Qi35 Max driver, which appeared on the USGA’s Conforming Clubs list earlier in the week
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Bryson DeChambeau Confirms Long-Term Partnership With Reebok
The two-time Major winner and his LIV Golf side, Crushers GC, will wear Reebok apparel and footwear, with the brand returning to the golf sector
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Could This Putting Tech Transform Indoor Golf?
PLATFORM Golf, which is backed by Brad Faxon, Stephen Sweeney and other influential investors, has announced a scale-up after a multi-million-dollar investment
By Elliott Heath Published
-
The Equipment Change That Gained Justin Thomas 10 Yards At Hero World Challenge
Justin Thomas produced a fine performance in the Bahamas partly down to a change of driver shaft that resulted in added distance off the tee
By Matt Cradock Published
-
TaylorMade Acquires Putter Craftsman Logan Olson
Logan Olson has made putters for a number of the world's best players and joins TaylorMade as Principal Designer of Olson products
By Elliott Heath Published
-
'Wear Whatever The Hell You Want. Be Comfortable' - Why Golf Must Do A Better Job Of Listening To Brands Like Malbon
Stephen Malbon has long been an advocate for allowing golfers to wear almost anything they want at the course or the driving range - but not everyone holds the same view, and the American says that could be an issue for the sport...
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
How Adam Scott Helped Shape The Design Of The Two New L.A.B. Golf Putters
Today marks the exciting release of the L.A.B. Golf OZ.1 collection. Let’s take a closer look at what golfers can expect…
By Joe Ferguson Published
-
Why The New Odyssey Square 2 Square Range Is About To Seriously Disrupt The Putter Market
Take a deep dive into everything you need to know about the Odyssey Square 2 Square putter lineup
By Sam De'Ath Published