What’s in the Bag: Presidents Cup – US Team

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Louis Pringle
Sep 22, 2022
6 minutes

The Presidents Cup is one of the most renowned golf competitions in the world. Pinning the best male golfers from the United States against the world’s best, excluding European nations, the team competition is played in a format similar to the Ryder Cup. Today, we’re looking back at the bags of the most recent Presidents Cup champions ahead of this year’s edition.

The United States team added an eight consecutive victory at the conclusion of the 2019 edition, which was played at Royal Melbourne Country Club in Melbourne, Australia. The 12-man Tiger Woods-led team featured some of the sport’s biggest names, and their bags were full of amazing golf clubs.

The clubs listed below were selected from the bags of the different players of the US team. On top of highlighting which players used the clubs listed, this guide will also provide feedback on each of these clubs for the average golfer, while also discussing the performance of these golfers at the 2019 event.

This Presidents Cup Winners retrospective will cover:

  • The different golf clubs used by the United States team members
  • The various golfers who played these clubs at the 2019 tournament
  • The performance perks each of these clubs can provide

 

TaylorMade M5 Driver

Club of choice for Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson

The TaylorMade M5 driver was used by Tiger Woods, the United States team captain, as well as Dustin Johnson. Perfect for long-hitters like Woods and Johnson, the M5 allowed for maximized customizations through its adjustable weights located on the sole of the club head.

Fitted with the Twist Face technology from TaylorMade, the M5 will deliver decent ball flight even on off-centered strikes off the club face. Two channels run along the sole of the club head allowing players to adjust spin levels at launch which will optimize their ball flight.

What you’ll like about the TaylorMade M5 driver:

  • Plenty of adjustability with the dual track system
  • Still delivers on off-centered strikes
  • 3 points of adjustments allowing you to fit the club to your playing style

Shop the TaylorMade M5 Driver

 

TaylorMade M5 Fairway Wood

Club of choice for Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson

The TaylorMade M5 fairway wood is a miniature version of its driver counterpart. Woods’ and Johnson’s bags both featured the M5 driver and fairway wood as both players have powerful golf swings and need to be able to maximize their control over the golf ball.

Much like the driver version, the M5 fairway wood also features an adjustable weight mounted on the sole of the club. This weight allows players to adjust the left and right bias of their ball flight in the air. It can also serve to correct a slice or a hook in some cases.

What you’ll like about the TaylorMade M5 fairway wood:

  • Adjustable weight on the sole to correct ball flight
  • Adjustable loft sleeve above the hosel to adjust loft angle on the fly
  • Extra static weight on the sole, near the club face to lower spin level

Shop the TaylorMade M5 Fairway Wood

 

Titleist TS2 Fairway Wood

Club of choice for Gary Woodland and Webb Simpson

The Titleist TS2 fairway wood was featured in the bags of Gary Woodland and Webb Simpson during the 2019 tournament. While the M5 fairway wood can be seen as the club that will help experienced players maximize their performance, the TS2 fairway wood acts as more of an insurance policy on the course. It's the ideal club for golfers who struggle with their fairway wood swing.

The TS2 fairway wood is built to maximize forgiveness on every strike. Its clubhead has a slightly larger profile than the M5 making for a larger surface at impact. Additionally, its adjustment weight is static as it is meant to help promote a better launch off the ground at impact.

What you’ll like about the Titleist TS2 fairway wood:

  • Large club head making for a bigger target at impact
  • Ideal for golfers who struggle to get the ball off the ground
  • Can generate plenty of distance even for golfers with a slower swing speed

Shop the Titleist TS2 Fairway Wood

 

Cobra King F9 Speedback Utility Iron

Club of choice for Rickie Fowler

The Cobra King F9 Speedback utility iron was Rickie Fowler’s club of choice in lieu of a hybrid. The King F9 utility iron provided Fowler with the best of both worlds. On the one hand, this club allowed him to have more control over the ball flight, on the other, it also offered a decent level of forgiveness.

The King F9 Speedback utility iron would fit right in along with the rest of the King F9 Speedback iron set. Much like the rest of the set, the utility iron features a thick club head and a cavity back that allow for a better rebound off the club face at impact, which ultimately produces more distance.

What you’ll like about the Cobra King F9 Speedback utility iron:

  • Larger club head promoting more forgiveness at impact
  • Cavity-back design which generates more power off the club face
  • Larger bounce on the sole prevents you from digging in the ground

Shop the Cobra King F9-S Irons

 

Ping Blueprint Iron Set

Clubs of choice for Tony Finau

The Ping Blueprint irons were, and are still, Tony Finau’s iron set of choice when he’s out on the course. The Blueprint irons are built to perform like blade irons by providing a lot of feel for the ball at impact as well as allowing players to have more control over the golf ball.

The profile of the Blueprint irons is slightly thicker than most blade irons, which may lead some golfers to believe that these clubs are designed as a game-improvement model. However, this would be wrong as the Blueprint irons are built as forged irons, but they deliver slightly more forgiveness.

What you’ll like about the Ping Blueprint Iron Set:

  • Forged clubheads that provide plenty of feel for the ball
  • Thicker clubhead than most blade irons, providing more forgiveness at impact
  • Allows players to control the ball off the club face

Shop the Ping Blueprint Iron Set

 

TaylorMade Hi-Toe Wedge

Club of choice for Dustin Johnson, Gary Woodland, and Matt Kuchar

The TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedge is designed to help players improve their short-game skills regardless of the position of the ball on the ground. It was popular amongst many players on both squads, including Johnson, Woodland, and Matt Kuchar on the US side.

As the name indicates, the main feature of this club is its high toe surface on the clubface which allows players to open the club face and still generate spin on the golf ball, even if you just hit the ball off the high part of the club face.

What you’ll like about the TaylorMade Hi-Toe Wedge:

  • Grooves that run across the surface area of the club face
  • Can be used from any ball position on the course
  • Maximized spin on every strike because of the high toe and full-face grooves

Shop the TaylorMade Hi-Toe Wedge

 

Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedge

Club of choice for Justin Thomas, Webb Simpson, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau, and Gary Woodland

The Titleist Vokey SM7 wedge was featured in the bags of Titleist-sponsored athletes like Simpson, Justin Thomas, and Patrick Cantlay, but it could also be found in Finau and Woodland’s bags. Following in the footsteps of other Vokey wedges, the SM7 was another high-quality offering from Titleist.

One of the SM7 greatest perks is the wide variety of options it offers when it comes to picking the right grind for you on the sole of your wedge. Each of the grinds will be suited to fit the swing of all kinds of golfers. From traditional grinds to more advanced ones, whatever your need is, you’ll find something for you.

What you’ll like about the Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedge:

  • A wide variety of options when it comes to choosing the grind of your sole
  • Simplistic design that allows you to focus on the shot and not on the look of your club
  • Heavier clubhead allowing for more bounce off the club face at impact

Shop the Titleist Vokey SM7 Wedge

 

Scotty Cameron Phantom X5 Putter

Club of choice for Justin Thomas

Thomas roared alongside Tiger when he sunk the putt that allowed him to secure their match against Hideki Matsuyama and Byeoung-Hun An. The Scotty Cameron Phantom X5 putter was the club that Thomas had in his hands at that moment.

The Phantom X5 is the ideal putter for Thomas’ back-and-forth swing motion which is always in a straight line from back to front. The mallet head of the X5 allows him to make the most of his straightforward motion, while also providing plenty of forgiveness on off-centered strikes.

What you’ll like about the Scotty Cameron X5 putter:

  • Large clubhead that allows for more forgiveness on off-centered strikes
  • Mallet head which is ideal for golfers with a straight-forward swing path
  • Decent feel for the ball at impact, despite the larger clubhead

Shop the Scotty Cameron Phantom X5 Putter

 

The golf clubs listed above are not only suited for the players on Team USA, but they can also suit the game of the average weekend golfer. With the highlighted perks from each of these clubs, you should be able to find the ones that will be best for you.

If you’re unsure which of these golf clubs is best for you, be sure to book a call with one of Golf Avenue’s experts to receive detailed advice in a one-on-one session. They’ll be able to help you find the right golf clubs for you from this list and any other clubs we have in stock.

Until next time,

The Golf Avenue Team

Further reading

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Find out what were the best clubs used during the U.S. Open over the past five years by golfers like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Gary Woodland, and Bryson DeChambeau.

Find out what were the best clubs used during the PGA Championship over the past six years by golfers like Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and Justin Thomas.

Take a look at what golf clubs Tiger Woods used to secure his 2019 Masters title. Find out in this new feature of What's in the Bag: Masters Winners 2019 edition.