Davis Love III WITB: Shot at the 2014 Humana Challenge

[atursky]

[drbonesvt]

His putter is sick,

Wonder what that SLDR loft is - Bridgestone please bring those irons to the US

[Staff_Blades]

I love the 400 series Vokeys, and man there are lots of SLDR's in play this week

[drbonesvt]

[quote name='Loopieinlasvegas' timestamp='1389756876' post='8463027']
I love the 400 series Vokeys, and man there are lots of SLDR's in play this week
[/quote]

TMAG pays big time Tee-up Money - welcome to WRX SIR

[drbonesvt]

DLIII rockin the 80 gram driver shaft @ 50, he's the man

[Cochese23]

Never get tired of seeing those irons.

[shakey]

I like the Mizzy 2 Fli-Hi.

[heels1]

Won't irons now!!!!

[blonday]

13 clubs?? or did I miss one??

[pga43]

[quote name='blonday' timestamp='1389800528' post='8465083']
13 clubs?? or did I miss one??
[/quote]

He was practicing with one of his wedges while I was shooting the bag.


Greg

[drbonesvt]

Driver, 3w, 2 iron....Doesnt look like he's loosing too much @ 50

[j_king]

J40 blades?! Those things are beautiful

[speeder717]

ProClubs had a set of those irons on the bay a few months back, I kick myself everytime I see these for not picking them up!

[15th Club]

[quote name='drbonesvt' timestamp='1389757126' post='8463071']
[quote name='Loopieinlasvegas' timestamp='1389756876' post='8463027']
I love the 400 series Vokeys, and man there are lots of SLDR's in play this week
[/quote]

TMAG pays big time Tee-up Money - welcome to WRX SIR
[/quote]
I have zero doubt that almost any club manufacturer would be willing to pay a PGA Tour player to put the manufacturer's driver in play in a tour event. Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Callaway, Nike, Mizuno, Bridgestone, Cleveland, Wilson; they all pay. All of them. Some make deals that absolutely REQUIRE the player to use their driver. Is THAT any less pressure, than offering money for individual clubs? Your insinuation seems to be that paying cash is the reason that so many tour players use TM drivers, and now particularly the SLDR. So, question; how much money does it (would it) take, to get a tour player to use an inferior driver instead of one that is made by the player's regular sponsor?

Re: DLIII's 400-series Vokeys. Obviously, they are tour-only custom creations for Davis by Bob. Voke has said many times that his own personal favorite products are the 400-series wedges. Mine too.

I am guessing that when the bag photos were taken, Davis was practicing with a 60-degree -- 400 series?.

Re: DLIII's SLDR 460 with no loft. It looks like a T------ serial number. Does no loft-marking identify the clubhead as one of the early prototype clubs that got snapped up the first week that the club was brought to the tour?

[drbonesvt]

[quote name='15th Club' timestamp='1389817758' post='8466921']
[quote name='drbonesvt' timestamp='1389757126' post='8463071']
[quote name='Loopieinlasvegas' timestamp='1389756876' post='8463027']
I love the 400 series Vokeys, and man there are lots of SLDR's in play this week
[/quote]

TMAG pays big time Tee-up Money - welcome to WRX SIR
[/quote]
I have zero doubt that almost any club manufacturer would be willing to pay a PGA Tour player to put the manufacturer's driver in play in a tour event. Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Callaway, Nike, Mizuno, Bridgestone, Cleveland, Wilson; they all pay. All of them. Some make deals that absolutely REQUIRE the player to use their driver. Is THAT any less pressure, than offering money for individual clubs? Your insinuation seems to be that paying cash is the reason that so many tour players use TM drivers, and now particularly the SLDR. So, question; how much money does it (would it) take, to get a tour player to use an inferior driver instead of one that is made by the player's regular sponsor?
[/quote]

I really do not think any of the drivers currently are inferior, being .830 COR & 254 CT max, in addition to Tour Van customization, endless shaft choice, hot melt weighting options, etc, those players have the luxury of a total customized driver, even thought IT MAY START OUT AS AN regular joe off the shelf driver, but through tour van customization the OEM's can make it work per player and and match various individual swing's.

Just like Titleist bread and butter is ball count per week, so is TMAG's driver count, TMAG's driver equipment, when released for the most part is always heavily played by staffers and non staffers. In today's modern world, I would caution reading into adaptation on tour, as its marketing 101 to convey a message to the playing public. Not to say its NOT good driver TMAG produces some excellent equipment.

Im only intimating that for those guys not getting a full bag deal, TMAG pays nicely for tee up money - and TMAG 's marketing strategy is Driver numbers on tour.. As for how much $$$, ive seen numbers through around but I dont want to guess as I cannot remember the amount, nor can verify the source.

[Mob]

As above. While all manufacturers pay the tours to play a certain club, or all clubs, TMAG pays more for drivers than other OEM's. The reason was quite simple. 2-3 years ago, their driver was quite easily distinguished on t.v. to the average golfer, as it was the only white headed driver out there. It made no sense for any other OEM to offer the same amount of money to play their driver, since it was an indistinguishable black headed driver. Marketing at it's best. None of this implies that the SLDR is a bad driver; but if a tour pro can choose between 10 drivers, 3 of which play similarly for him, and TMAG is offering the most tee money, why wouldn't he play the SLDR?

[15th Club]

[quote name='drbonesvt' timestamp='1389820070' post='8467145']
[quote name='15th Club' timestamp='1389817758' post='8466921']
[quote name='drbonesvt' timestamp='1389757126' post='8463071']
[quote name='Loopieinlasvegas' timestamp='1389756876' post='8463027']
I love the 400 series Vokeys, and man there are lots of SLDR's in play this week
[/quote]

TMAG pays big time Tee-up Money - welcome to WRX SIR
[/quote]
I have zero doubt that almost any club manufacturer would be willing to pay a PGA Tour player to put the manufacturer's driver in play in a tour event. Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping, Callaway, Nike, Mizuno, Bridgestone, Cleveland, Wilson; they all pay. All of them. Some make deals that absolutely REQUIRE the player to use their driver. Is THAT any less pressure, than offering money for individual clubs? Your insinuation seems to be that paying cash is the reason that so many tour players use TM drivers, and now particularly the SLDR. So, question; how much money does it (would it) take, to get a tour player to use an inferior driver instead of one that is made by the player's regular sponsor?
[/quote]

I really do not think any of the drivers currently are inferior, being .830 COR & 254 CT max, in addition to Tour Van customization, endless shaft choice, hot melt weighting options, etc, those players have the luxury of a total customized driver, even thought IT MAY START OUT AS AN regular joe off the shelf driver, but through tour van customization the OEM's can make it work per player and and match various individual swing's.

Just like Titleist bread and butter is ball count per week, so is TMAG's driver count, TMAG's driver equipment, when released for the most part is always heavily played by staffers and non staffers. In today's modern world, I would caution reading into adaptation on tour, as its marketing 101 to convey a message to the playing public. Not to say its NOT good driver TMAG produces some excellent equipment.

Im only intimating that for those guys not getting a full bag deal, TMAG pays nicely for tee up money - and TMAG 's marketing strategy is Driver numbers on tour.. As for how much $$$, ive seen numbers through around but I dont want to guess as I cannot remember the amount, nor can verify the source.
[/quote]

Fair points.

So let's take the Titleist ball count. That is a good example, I think. Titleist guards that number -- with payments to pros -- just as assiduously as you suggest. Titleist may in fact make the best golf balls, or they may make balls that are just as good as any other balls, but payments help make the choice. You decide.

For me, the next thing to look at is[i] "So what are top amateurs playing with? You know, guys who are not allowed to take payments..." [/i]In the case of Titleist balls, it is pretty freaking overwhelming, the numbers favoring Titleist. I don't know what accounts for that; maybe it is universal availability, and just the notion of getting used to one consistent golf ball. Maybe something else.

Indeed, the Titleist-ball dominance in am golf is stronger than the TM-driver dominance. There may be other things at work as well. It may be that, like Cameron putters, it is not just the club but also the phenomenal tour-van and studi-fitted service that goes along with TM drivers.

I don't honestly know. But I'd bet my very last dollar that the reason that Davis Love III (Bridgestone), Luke Donald (Mizuno), Fred Couples (Bridgestone), David Toms (Cleveland) and many others are using the SLDR is first and foremost because they think it is the very best driver that they have tried. And that "tee up" money is accepted, but is largely just an afterthought. Does anybody suppose that Couples, or Brant Snedeker got "tee up" money for playing TM drivers that were more than three years out of production? Because they did play with drivers that old. As did lots of tour players.

[chiguy]

LOVE those irons!

[TripleGrindSole]

[quote name='speeder717' timestamp='1389815898' post='8466711']
ProClubs had a set of those irons on the bay a few months back, I kick myself everytime I see these for not picking them up!
[/quote]

Pretty sure those were the j38 blades (some of the sickest blades ever created ).

Link: [url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Tour-Issue-BRIDGESTONE-J38-BLADES-ENDO-FORGED-IRONS-3-PW-w-KBS-V2-Shafts-/350805285150?nma=true&si=5fY6fTUODcyQhBH4RRQf%252Bq9RAFA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557"]http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Tour-Issue-BRIDGESTONE-J38-BLADES-ENDO-FORGED-IRONS-3-PW-w-KBS-V2-Shafts-/350805285150?nma=true&si=5fY6fTUODcyQhBH4RRQf%252Bq9RAFA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557[/url]



I dont think I have ever seen a set of j40 stamped blades for sale anywhere. I'd love to see what someone would ask for a set of those.

[kekoa]

What sets the j40's apart from the j38? amazing bag.

[TripleGrindSole]

[quote name='kekoa' timestamp='1389827359' post='8467803']
What sets the j40's apart from the j38? amazing bag.
[/quote]

They are basically the exact same shape and size but the design of the muscle back sets them apart. The bulk of the muscle is a bit more centered on the j40 blades.



Check the link that I posted above and you can view some decent pics of the j38 blades to see what makes them different.

[TJCDAS]

[quote name='TripleGrindSole' timestamp='1389825284' post='8467599']
[quote name='speeder717' timestamp='1389815898' post='8466711']
ProClubs had a set of those irons on the bay a few months back, I kick myself everytime I see these for not picking them up!
[/quote]

Pretty sure those were the j38 blades (some of the sickest blades ever created ).

Link: [url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Tour-Issue-BRIDGESTONE-J38-BLADES-ENDO-FORGED-IRONS-3-PW-w-KBS-V2-Shafts-/350805285150?nma=true&si=5fY6fTUODcyQhBH4RRQf%252Bq9RAFA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557"]http://www.ebay.com/...=p2047675.l2557[/url]



I dont think I have ever seen a set of j40 stamped blades for sale anywhere. I'd love to see what someone would ask for a set of those.
[/quote]

Tourstage X-Blade 905

[^m9]

What a cool bag Davis has. I really like the Bridgestone staffers bag setups because you get to see a few different OEMs in there and they all set their bags up to what works best for them (e.g. Snedeker, Kuchar, Couples).

BTW, the last few days on WRX have made me dizzy with the amount of content and pics.

Incredible job WRX, thanks for the pics and keep it up!

[GamecockGolf]

Classiest bag on tour, End of Story.

[vjswing]

Regarding the tee-up money that TMAG pays to play their drivers - I attended the Champions Tour event in Minnesota last season, and noticed that TMAG drivers were totally dominant on that tour as well. I can't imagine they shell out huge bucks (compared to the main tour) for those guys. When was the last time you saw an ad which listed "We lead the (fill in the blank) club/ball count on the Champions Tour"?

[cz13X4]

Even though I have seen his bag a thousand times, I always click on it to see the irons again and again and again and again and again….. you get the picture.

[tembolo1284]

Dude has a classy bag.

[GamecockGolf]

[quote name='vjswing' timestamp='1389905888' post='8473093']
Regarding the tee-up money that TMAG pays to play their drivers - I attended the Champions Tour event in Minnesota last season, and noticed that TMAG drivers were totally dominant on that tour as well. I can't imagine they shell out huge bucks (compared to the main tour) for those guys. When was the last time you saw an ad which listed "We lead the (fill in the blank) club/ball count on the Champions Tour"?
[/quote]

Its not the amount that they pay, it's the fact that they pay when others wont...

They just need consumers (not GOLFWRX'ers) to see TMAG bags, hats, headcovers all over the TV. We are the 5% or less of the market share that truly understands equipment, whats in play and why. Joe-Schmoe at Dick's wants the new Taylormade Driver and he's not leaving without it!

I also think they advertise as #1 Driver in Golf, because they also dominate the Euro tours and Senior tours.

[Blakester]

DL3 is a freakin' stud. That bag is SWEET.

[pga43]

Guys, please stay on topic with comments about DL,III's WITB. Take the pay for play comments to another thread in another forum.


Thanks



Greg