Tom Watson WITB

[Foozle]

Does anyone have details of Tom Watson's set up from his 80 - 82 era? I am thinking specifically of Muirfield or Troon Open victories.

I have posted before about my beloved Tour Grinds from this time - I appreciated these may not be the specific model played by Tom but am looking to recreate a classic Ram Tour bag around them.

I have a TP Mod 1 driver which I believe was his driver if the Lanny Wadkins story is true. Looking at videos his fairway woods look to have brass back weights so possibly Ram woods? Firing pin insert?

I had heard that the famous chip in at 17 on Pebble Beach was with an old 1958 Wilson sand wedge? Any truth there?

Putter looks like Ping Anser?

It will be a pastiche set up but keen to get the main elements right.

I am doing something similar for an early Jack Nicklaus set up with my PT1's standing in for Jack's SS1's along side my Tommy Armour 693's and TA Ironmaster putter. Not authentic but "representative".

Any help appreciated.

 

[NRJyzr]

Watson was a Ping Pal user.  He used the 8813 at Turnberry, but aside from that, I think that Pal was in his bag for most of his prime.

 

I'm not exactly sure which model Tour Grinds he would have been using in 1980-82, but I suspect they may have been something similar to the TW Custom Grinds, or the TW282 set that came out in 1992 (very square toe).

[Hawkeye77]

Irons should have been Ram Tour Grinds.  Wedges were Rams.

 

Edit:  not all, lol, see below!

Edited August 30, 2020 by Hawkeye77

[Steele47]

I've heard the same regarding the Wilson wedge at Pebble.    Ram Tour Grind irons as mentioned.   The time frame you mention is quite possibly the same as when he collaborated with Mario Cesario of Redlands CA to design his woods.   I recall hearing their 'collaboration' was wee bit tense.   I saw very nice Mario driver on Ebay last year and wish I had bought it.   Was a barely hit persimmon with no screws in the insert which was common for his woods.

[Hawkeye77]

The Pebble wedge was indeed a Wilson Dynapower. From an old article about Watson not ready to give it to the USGA museum:

 

"Nevertheless, the club has just too many good memories for Watson to give it up just yet. He got the wedge out of DAVID GRAHAM's garage in the late 1970's, and stopped using it around 1983 when it became too worn down."

 

[Foozle]

On 8/30/2020 at 3:09 AM, Hawkeye77 said:

The Pebble wedge was indeed a Wilson Dynapower. From an old article about Watson not ready to give it to the USGA museum:

 

"Nevertheless, the club has just too many good memories for Watson to give it up just yet. He got the wedge out of DAVID GRAHAM's garage in the late 1970's, and stopped using it around 1983 when it became too worn down."

 

Thanks for the replies and information.

With Lanny Wadkins driver and David Graham's wedge it sounds like you need to keep an eye on your clubs if Tom comes to visit! ?

Looks like I am in the market for a Ping Pal and Dynapower wedge. I think I might struggle with Mario woods here in the UK - don't  think I have ever seen an examples and so may have to improvise there.

Thanks again.

[James the Hogan Fan]

It's frustrating because at the 2010 US Open they had his wedge on display. I looked at it, and I could have sworn it was a Ram. But now that I think about it all I ever saw was the face and knowing Watson was a Ram player, made the assumption. I could have had the answer but just didn't pay enough attention.

[Foozle]

Doing a little more research, I found a series of articles about the Ram irons used by Tom to win the Masters and British Open in '77  being illegal. Apparently the grooves were too wide due to poor quality control in Ram's casting process. Ray Floyd and Gary Player were also affected. Only some of Player's irons were illegal which shows really inconsistent tolerances particularly given the clubs were destined for staff players!

The players themselves were entirely unaware and would have gained no advantage. The problem was discovered just before the PGA allowing the players to modify or, in Tom's case, ship in a back up set before play started. Previous results were not questioned and stood.

Possibly common knowledge in these circles but news to me.

 

[Shallowface]

On 9/3/2020 at 9:38 AM, Foozle said:

Doing a little more research, I found a series of articles about the Ram irons used by Tom to win the Masters and British Open in '77  being illegal. Apparently the grooves were too wide due to poor quality control in Ram's casting process. Ray Floyd and Gary Player were also affected. Only some of Player's irons were illegal which shows really inconsistent tolerances particularly given the clubs were destined for staff players!

The players themselves were entirely unaware and would have gained no advantage. The problem was discovered just before the PGA allowing the players to modify or, in Tom's case, ship in a back up set before play started. Previous results were not questioned and stood.

Possibly common knowledge in these circles but news to me.

 

The Ram irons in question were forged, so the problem wasn't with casting tolerances but instead with what they used to stamp the grooves.

My first sand wedge, in 1974, was a cheap Ram model that I bought at a discount store for $2.99.  It was a forged head, and the grooves on that club were exceptionally wide. I remember the controversy you mentioned, and wasn't surprised at all given that wedge and other store line Ram irons I had seen from that era.  I also was unaware at that time about rules regarding grooves.  I'd bet there were a lot of non-conforming clubs in play at all levels of the game.  

 

I also remember thinking when the first square grooved Ping Eye 2 irons came out that the grooves on those weren't as wide as the ones on that forged Ram wedge.  

 

EDIT:  Here are a couple of examples of a Ram wedge very similar to the one I had.  I believe the rule at the time was you had to have three groove widths of ungrooved clubface between each groove.  It didn't matter how wide or narrow the grooves were as long as you had that spacing.  I don't believe there is three groove widths of space between the grooves on those old Ram wedges. 

 

That's where Karsten ran afoul of the rules with the Eye 2 as I recall, as when he modified the orginal grooves by rounding the top edges they no longer had the required spacing between them, in the USGA's point of view anyway.  It seems there was some dispute about that.

 

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by Shallowface

[T308]

On 8/29/2020 at 7:09 PM, Hawkeye77 said:

The Pebble wedge was indeed a Wilson Dynapower. From an old article about Watson not ready to give it to the USGA museum:

 

 

 

 

Indeed, a 56 degree 1960 Dynapower sand wedge ground and reshafted by David Graham.

[Foozle]

As this old thread has had a bump, here is the update pastiche bag.

Penna Mod1 driver, Ram 3&5 Fairways, Tour Grind Tom Watson Grind 3-Pw and (replica) Dynapower SW.

I will need to retake as I do also now have the Ping Pal to complete the bag.

[T308]

1 hour ago, Foozle said:

As this old thread has had a bump, here is the update pastiche bag.

Penna Mod1 driver, Ram 3&5 Fairways, Tour Grind Tom Watson Grind 3-Pw and (replica) Dynapower SW.

I will need to retake as I do also now have the Ping Pal to complete the bag.

 

Great stuff!

[MrFlipper]

7 hours ago, Foozle said:

As this old thread has had a bump, here is the update pastiche bag.

Penna Mod1 driver, Ram 3&5 Fairways, Tour Grind Tom Watson Grind 3-Pw and (replica) Dynapower SW.

I will need to retake as I do also now have the Ping Pal to complete the bag.

 

Gotta love those TW Custom Grinds. Even my daughter knows that isn't Tiger Woods lol

 

Was recently perusing Ebay, saw some TW 276's, by Northwestern! WTF? TW is also Tom Weiskopf, who knew there were 2 completely different TW 276 golf clubs?

[naval2006]

I've heard that in those days players were sponsored by a brand but things were not that strict so they would have a set of the sponsor's brand but then they'd complete the set with whatever they find useful: woods, putter, wedge, driver.  They only made sure to use the big tour bag for TV.