By ED TRAVIS
The PGA Tour season is over for another year and though 2024 will have fewer tournaments many of which will be “signature events” and the LIV Golf series will continue to be around, each week a winner will be required to do one of the dumb things photogs always ask for…kiss the trophy. Oh well, to take home the first prize check you have to do something.
We keep track of the equipment brands winners have played and not surprisingly most of our readers’ interest is in the ball and driver categories.
This is the place for our usual caveat. PGAT players are often paid handsomely for playing a club brand and consistent winners can take in more than a million dollars so just because your favorite is swinging a particular brand don’t put too much emphasis on that fact. It is important also to remember professionals want, indeed need, to have in their bags the clubs that work for them and many an endorsement deal has been scuttled due to a player’s lack of confidence in the results of the clubs he has to play.
Club manufacturers such as Titleist and Callaway fund dozens of toursters. In Callaway’s case their website lists 31 names and Titleist not only pays for playing their clubs but also the many pros who only play their Pro V1 golf balls.
The 2023 season saw the winning driver brands fairly equal with Titleist having 14, Ping 12, Callaway 11 and TaylorMade 7. The winners iron count was similar: Titleist 12, Callaway 11, Ping 10 and TaylorMade 6.
Putters were more lopsided having Callaway’s Odyssey brand used by 17 winners, Titleist’s Scotty Cameron brand by 10, Ping 9 and TaylorMade 7.
As everyone knows the Titleist Pro V1/Pro V1x is the most played and this year could claim 28 out of the 47 events. Callaway was a distant second with 9 just as they are in the retail golf ball market.
In case you’re interested, for the last season for drivers: Titleist 16 wins, TaylorMade 14, Callaway 9, Ping 7. Titleist also won the winners ball count with 32 victories to their credit, Callaway 7, TaylorMade 5 and Srixon 4.
