Wilson's "JP Grind"

[Shallowface]

Awesome wedges and massively popular on European Tour, along with the old R90. Paul Broadhurst used an R90 and I caddied for Chris Moody when he was with Wilson and he swore by his JP wedges.

 

Broadhurst is still using a Wilson Sarazen R-20 from the 1980s, although it has a chrome steel shaft instead of the brown coated shaft typically seen in that club.

 

That version of the R-20 is a great low bounce wedge, and very heavy compared to most wedges one sees today.

[Shallowface]

Some more on the Sarazen R-20 mentioned above.

 

It's a cast club, not forged. No chrome plating. I used to know a fellow who worked for Fansteel, the California casting house that provided clubheads for a number of manufacturers back in the 70s and 80s. They made that clubhead (and the R-90 of that day) for Wilson, and he used to rave to anyone who would listen about that Sarazen wedge. It made him very happy when I gave him one out of my stash.

 

I guess I really don't understand how the USGA conforming irons and wedges policy works. The R-20 is a v-grooved club and should conform, but it's not on any conforming club list that I can find (haven't looked for a couple of months). Broadhurst has used this club on the Champions Tour and had a high finish in this year's USGA Senior Open, so I have to believe it's been approved, but JoAnne Carner wasn't allowed to use an R-90 wedge she owned in the USGA Senior Women's Open and I thought that club was of similar vintage (not absolutely sure about that, however). I'm just not sure how those rules are applied, or if a club can be approved on a club-by-club basis and not necessarily be on the conforming list.