Tiger Woods Adds Putter and 2-iron for British Open

According to various sources, Tiger Woods has made a few equipment modifications recently, but all of them are not British Open specific.

For example, before the 2019 Masters, Tiger Woods switched to lighter shafts which helped him attain faster clubhead speeds. And, as all golfers know, faster clubhead speed equals more distance.

But, specifically for the British Open, Woods added a 2-iron. According to Golf.com, it is a TaylorMade P790 UDI prototype with 17 degrees of loft. In the past, Woods has occasionally used an older model of this club.

"“Quite a few guys have put in 1-irons and 2-irons into the golf bag to try and drive the golf ball,” Woods said to media about modifications in the bag. “You make a few changes here and there on equipment, but it ( Royal Portrush) opens up for anyone to win this championship because it’s not overly long.”More from Pro Golf NowGolf Rumors: LIV set to sign Masters Champion in stunning dealFantasy Golf: Grant Thornton Invitational DFS Player SelectionsBrutal return leaves Will Zalatoris looking towards 2024Stars You Know at World Champions Cup Starts Thursday at ConcessionFantasy Golf: An Early Look at the 2024 Masters Tournament"

He contrasted that with the recent PGA which Woods said was set up specifically for those who were near the top in driving distance.

"“The PGA was set up so that it was more advantageous to bomb it,” he noted. “Look at Brooks, what he was doing. DJ, what he did at the end. It was set up more for those type of players.”"

However, sometimes, it pays to have a trusty 2-iron. For example, at the 2006 British Open, which Woods won, he never used a driver. It may have shocked some people, but Woods was trying to do what he had to do to win. His goal was to stay out bunkers and out of the gorse bushes. That may be part of his strategy with the 2-iron this week.

What is really interesting this week is that Woods was seen using a new putter in practice that has changeable weights in the sole. It is the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 prototype. Whether the putter makes it to the first tee, is a wait and see type of situation.

In past British Opens, Woods has often complained about the slow greens. This week, according to Darren Clarke in his pre-tournament press conference, the greens are expected to be at about 10.5 on the Stimpmeter. That is significantly slower than typical PGA Tour greens that are more likely to be at 12 or even higher, depending on the tournament.

Having a heavier putter may allow Woods to overcome the issue of slow greens. It will certainly put more oomph into each putting stroke.

Apparently, the putting surfaces at Portrush are a challenge. According to Woods, the greens repel the ball more so than at other British Opens he has played. That means that just because a ball lands on the green is no guarantee that it will stay there as Frank Nobilo demonstrated on Golf Channel.

"“You’re going to have a lot of either bump-and-run chips, chips, or quite a bit of slow putts coming up the hills,” Woods said."

Short game, he thinks, will be affected by the lay of the land. He noted that many in the field will probably play with different wedges than normal.

"“Chipping is different,” he said. “The lies are tighter. Guys are changing their wedges all the time trying to go less bounce, trying not to get the skid like they normally would.”"

However, Woods added that the nature of the links courses at the British Open can actually allow more golfers to be competitive, particularly older golfers who may have lost some distance.

"“It allows the players that don’t hit the ball very far or carry the ball as far to run the golf ball out there,” he explained. “Plus, there is an art to playing links golf. It’s not — okay, I have 152 yards, bring out the automatic 9-iron and hit it 152. Here, 152 could be a little bump-and-run pitching wedge. It could be a chip 6-iron. It could be a lot of different things.”"

He cited Tom Watson’s near-victory at the tournament at age 59 as an example. Watson lost to Stewart Cink in a playoff.

As far as the overall state of his game, Tiger Woods said his touch around the greens is where it needs to be.

"“I still need to get the ball — the shape of the golf ball — a little bit better than I am right now, especially with the weather coming in and the winds are going to be changing,” he said. “I’m going to have to be able to cut the ball, draw the ball, hit at different heights and move it all around.”"

If he is able to hit all the shots and trajectories that he wants to, Woods may not be that far away from being truly competitive. As everyone has learned by now, it’s foolish to count him out.