This club is trending at the U.S. Open after 1 week on Tour

June 14, 2024

Cantlay and Scott switched to Titleist’s GT2 driver at the U.S. Open.

Jonathan Wall/GOLF

If you want to know what gear is trending in professional golf, look inside the bags of the select few untethered to an equipment manufacturer. That’s gearspeak for “free agents.” If you’re willing to play something without compensation, then it’s generally assumed the club beat out all comers during testing. There’s no reason to force a switch.

Testing at the highest level of professional golf takes time. Clubs must be vetted on the course and range before ever gaining a permanent spot in the bag. Of course, some clubs buck the testing timeline.

Last week at the Memorial Tournament, Brandt Snedeker, Denny McCarty and Patrick Rodgers put Titleist’s GT driver straight in the bag. They were three of the 13 to do so ahead of the opening round at Muirfield Village Golf Club. They also happen to be free agents.

titleist gt2 driver — Titleist’s GT2 driver debuted at the Memorial.
Jonathan Wall/GOLF

While 13 driver converts might not seem like a significant number, it’s important to point out Titleist saw 18 switch to TSR two years ago at the Memorial — and that was before it turned into a limited-field event.

It’s always difficult to pinpoint club trends when a product has only been around for one week, but it’s safe to say GT is already making waves, even with the minimal sample size. The trend continued this week at the U.S. Open where Adam Scott (a gear “free agent”) and Patrick Cantlay added their names to the list by putting GT2 in play.

The Aussie’s gear habits are well-documented, but the change still raised some eyebrows. A pro rarely feels comfortable enough to change drivers at a major championship, let alone the U.S. Open on a punishing layout like Pinehurst No. 2. For Scott, an extra 2 mph ball speed and a tighter spin delta on mishits sealed the deal.