Keegan Bradley managed to hit all of the right shots at the right time to overcome 75 gruelling holes of golf and win his first Major in this year’s PGA Championship.
The Atlanta Athletic Club’s par-70 layout was long and tough, but Bradley only endured one bad hole the entire day when he triple-bogeyed the lengthy par-three 15th hole. Birdies followed on the next two holes and the rest is history. Let’s look at what Bradley used in his first Major triumph and second victory this year as a rookie on the PGA Tour.
Cleveland driver
UltraLite equals extra distance
Keegan used the Cleveland UltraLite TL310 10.5° driver with a Miyazaki Kusala 61 shaft, and boy did he hit the ball long with this golf club. He even managed a 360-yard missile on the par-five 12th hole, which left him a long-iron in, which he hit to just a few feet from the hole and brought him straight back into contention at the time.
The UltraLite series of drivers has proved to be quite successful in adding yards to anyone’s game (just ask our Ed, who received one a few weeks ago and hits it absolute miles). The Miyazaki shafts have also been a great hit with new technology that has allowed the shaft to become lighter yet maintain the stiffer flex required by tour professionals.
Cleveland fairway wood
Another long hitter even from the fairway
Keegan used a Cleveland FL 14° fairway wood with a Miyazaki Kusala 83 shaft. This club came in handy on the longer par-5s and off the tee when the driver was too much club, something rather unusual these days.
The golf club is 30-grams lighter than most other fairway woods and therefore offers more clubhead speed for added distance.
Cleveland hybrids
Playing it safe with two hybrids
Keegan carried two hybrids in his victorious bag, a Cleveland Launcher DST 18° with a Project X XHB6 shaft, and a Cleveland Mashie TM3 20.5° with a Miyazaki C Kua 105 shaft.
The two hybrids came in handy out of the rough especially on the longer par-fours. Bradley also used them as other options off the tee, with the 20.5° hybrid replacing his 3-iron in the set.
Cleveland irons
Forgiveness, workability and feel in one set
Keegan used the Cleveland CG7 Tour irons (4-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts. The tour issue shafts are slightly heavier and stiffer than regular issue and suit players who like to manipulate their ball flight and trajectory, which was an advantage on the tough layout.
Cleveland wedges
The No 1 wedges in golf
Keegan carried two Cleveland CG14 wedges with lofts of 52° and 58°, also fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts.
The CG14’s are in fact older wedges that have been brought back into the market due to high demand by professionals and amateurs alike. They feature slightly larger heads with a cavity-back design and a soft plastic insert behind the impact area.
Keegan has obviously had his wedges for quite a while as they were rather rusted, a factor that adds more spin off the clubface.
Odyssey putter
The first Major triumph with a long-putter
Keegan used the Odyssey White Hot XG Sabretooth putter, which was most noticeably a long-putter. The soft face insert offers more feel especially on long putts and Bradley used this to his advantage when he was one of the only players all day to drain a lengthy downhill putt on the par-three 17th for birdie.
Srixon ball
Another Major win for the Z-Star
Keegan’s win with the Srixon Z-Star ball, the softer of the two options, ensured that four different ball brands won Majors in 2011. This ball is really long off the tee yet incredibly soft around the greens and is the biggest reason why 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell switched equipment brands from Callaway to Srixon at the beginning of the year.
Keep watching this space for more winner’s bags as the season is far from over, and perhaps we may see Tiger’s bag on here before the end of the year.
