Mark that as two wins in two weeks for TaylorMade staff players, but it’s also two wins in two weeks for players without a traditional 4-iron in their bags.
Like Collin Morikawa last week, Jacob Bridgeman also trusts a utility iron head for his 4-iron, going with a 12-year-old TaylorMade Tour Preferred UDI with the same Project X 6.5 iron shaft as the rest of his set.
Both Morikawa and Bridgeman use three different models in their iron, with Morikawa having a true split set of TaylorMade P7CBs and then P730 blades in addition to a P-DHY utility iron, while Bridgeman replaced his P7CB 5-iron with a P770 version to maintain peak heights throughout the set.
“The 770 5-iron was added to his bag to simply find a 5-iron that launched higher and landed softer into long par 3s and par 5s,” TaylorMade Senior Tour Rep Nick Springer said. “He found the 770 to be a versatile club that he could flight when he needed to.”
Using a utility iron in the 4-iron slot is likely done for similar reasons, as many pros now choose more forgiving options for either gapping or peak height purposes.
Gotta love that it’s now two winners in a row using a TaylorMade utility iron in place of a 4-iron.
This is becoming more and more common.
Funny thing about Jacob Bridgeman’s is that it’s from 2014, when he was still in high school.
That’s exactly why Morikawa, who experimented with a 9-wood last season, is the only player on the PGA Tour regularly using TaylorMade’s P-DHY driving iron, the larger of the company’s two utility iron options.
“He was looking for a 4-iron that goes up in the air easier,” TaylorMade Tour Rep Todd Chew said last week. “With the DHY, he doesn’t have to hit it as hard as he can to make it go up in the air. It also spins enough so he can cut it, whereas with previous 4-irons, it was hard to get the spin right to create that ball flight. We added a little more loft as well to get it to go high and cut and still spin when he takes something off of it.”
TaylorMade P-UDI Custom Utility Iron
Tour inspired shaping for a playable and balanced look at address. Strategically positioned CG for a penetrating ball flight with backspin for players who demand shot making with long irons.
INDIVIDUAL MASS OPTIMIZATION
Featuring advanced thick-thin back wall construction, sound stabilization bar, and deliberately distributed mass to maximize forgiveness. Each iron is uniquely designed with every gram strategically placed to achieve specific performance goals with premium forged feel.
OPTIMAL LAUNCH AND FORGIVENESS
Designed to deliver easy launch, increased forgiveness and enhanced consistency. The new internal weighting structure combines with proven technologies such as the forged 4140 OptiFace, Speed Pocket™ and up to 26g of tungsten.
THRU-SLOT SPEEDPOCKET
The Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ provides increased face flexibility while preserving ball speed and distance on low face strikes.
Shallower face height, increased sole width and longer blade length create a super forgiving and versitile long iron. Designed with a low CG for a mid-high launch and mid-range spin.
INDIVIDUAL MASS OPTIMIZATION
Featuring advanced thick-thin back wall construction, sound stabilization bar, and deliberately distributed mass to maximize forgiveness. Each iron is uniquely designed with every gram strategically placed to achieve specific performance goals with premium forged feel.
OPTIMAL LAUNCH AND FORGIVENESS
Designed to deliver easy launch, increased forgiveness and enhanced consistency. The new internal weighting structure combines with proven technologies such as the forged 4140 OptiFace, Speed Pocket™ and up to 26g of tungsten.
THRU-SLOT SPEEDPOCKET
The Thru-Slot Speed Pocket™ provides increased face flexibility while preserving ball speed and distance on low face strikes.
