When did the 1-iron phase out of the PGA Tour?

[Oliver Klozoff]

I think it went out for the majority of players when courses started having double line irrigation. Maybe mid 1990s. The reason being in most of the US and UK you could hit a 210 1 iron and it would go 260 unless you landed it in a soft spot. And the rough used to be thinner. Now it's very thick in most parts of the world. Now that everything is so manicured, my 1 iron still goes 210 but only rolls 10 yards (unless you live in Texas, the desert, or play links golf). Sure a tour pro can carry it 240. But for the average player, the hybrid was born out of the need to keep a ball airborne rather than roll it along the ground. And to be able to hit a 200+ yard shot from heavier rough. Making the 1 iron less desirable.

I still have my Ping 1 iron (16 degrees). It goes shorter than my TM TP 2 iron (18 degrees). Neither see the course unless the ground is irock hard

[Jwin323]

Someone once told told me that every time you smoke a cigarette, God takes 5 minutes off of your life and gives it to Keith Richards.

[Jwin323]

When Davis Love was a rookie I saw him reach 17 at Riviera in 2 with 1 iron-1iron. Hole is 600 + yards and that was with a balata.

[denvergolf]

Not to mention Tiger...

[bladehunter]

Persactly!! Tigggeerrrt!!

[golfer07840]

@bscinstnct I actually read this at first as if YOU had spoken to Tiger about it

[k3rr1sd4l3]

When I was in my teens (1960s) I played Golfcraft irons 1-PW and didn't think twice about it. Then moved on to other things, but never got rid of the clubs.

Somewhere in the late 80s, for some reason I put that 1-iron in my bag and carried it around without using it for a month or so.

Finally one day I took it out and hit a tee shot with it that wound up going about 245 total. One of my playing partners said, "That was a hellacious 1-iron." One shot. At the end of the round I took it out of the bag and put it away. It could only go downhill from there.

No idea where that club could be now.

[bscinstnct]

Ha! Yeah, me and TW hang out in China, play some golf, drink some beers on the Great Wall and eat dumplings.

 

Actually, here I am trying to hit a 1 iron ; )

 

 

 

 

 

[jus711]

It was Baltusrol and it was 630https://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/19/sports/sports-of-the-times-john-daly-reaches-the-unreachable-green.html

[Steele47]

 

That looks like Crossfield's driving range.

[Kjboisen]

1-Irons went extinct as soon as social media brainwashed and Beta males became the majority. Elevated estrogen levels for many tour players and the inability to cope with the pressure to hit one knowing if they don't strike it perfectly it will result in the loss of a few fingers and potentially even worse their ego

[jus711]

Gee, I wonder who you voted for ?

[smashdn]

Thank you.

[Kjboisen]

honestly I was just incredibly bored when typing that lol

[3jacker]

Wait, some of these posts are talking about teed-up 1-irons. Those shouldn't count. Any club is easy off a tee, including those old knife 1-irons from the 80s and before.

There is no need for a 1-iron today (wasn't really much of one, ever).

[REJ]

I actually liked your comment

[PhlashPhace]

The last sets I can remember them being readily available with was the Ping Zing 2. I remember them being in some bags up until 1996ish.

[NRJyzr]

 

Bought some of the Kirkland 3 pc balls, in part because of the higher spin reputation. A fun experiment.

Planning on carrying a 1 iron when I bag one of my Golden Ram sets.

[tannyhoban]

Pretty sure John Daly carried a 1 iron into the 2000's.

[Oh Hi Carl]

I love my U510 1iron, but I'm not exactly on the tour.

[iBanesto]

Only Nicklaus could hit a 1 iron.

Still not sure how he did it though.

[johnseg]

This thread points out the whole hypocrisy of clubs and the manufacturers. We are told that we are not good enough to carry a 3-iron but now your 5-iron is almost as strong so you get the big distance gain. So now you have a set that is 5-9 with at least 4 wedges. Now add in a putter and driver and you have 3 more clubs to fill out your 14. So you grab a 3-Wood and a couple of hybrids and you end up with a set that costs you some extra cash and the long clubs are all at lofts that they just told you you weren't good enough to hit.

 

 

[1puttTUT]

Or the term "squeeze" ?

[PhlashPhace]

A U510 isn't a traditional 1 iron either.

[BBE12]

I recently bought a 16* Mizuno Hitogami 1 iron. In Texas wind, it is the best golf purchase I have made in a long time. However, far from the butter knife 1 irons of old.

[smashdn]

Better watch out for black suv's out front and copters circling your house. You may be on to something.

[TimK1]

With that swing he would have topped a wedge

[Oh Hi Carl]

True, it's practically a hybrid.

[dlygrisse]

It’s weird, I honestly thought Hunters S Thompson would outlive him.

[dlygrisse]

If you touch my fax machine I’m going to smack you with my floppy disk.