ORLANDO, Fla. – I put a lot of miles on my car in March, and heard a lot of things during the PGA Tour’s Florida swing – chiefly about April. It seems a lot of guys are thinking about their putters with The Masters in mind. Phil Mickelson mentioned it at the WGC-CA Championship, as did Boo Weekley at Transitions. It’s about getting soft.
A softer putterface helps slow the ball down just after impact, and that can make a big difference on super-fast greens like those we expect to see at Augusta National. Mickelson, in particular, sets great store by this approach – he tried it out Tuesday of Doral week on a trip to the National; more than likely, he’s returned to Georgia since then and may be doing so as we speak (he opted out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational). And it seems to be working – Phil’s putter, and 8802-inspired, heel-shafted wand made specially for him by Odyssey, was sterling at Doral, as was his entire short game.
As for His Booness, he’s not usually as tech-minded as Phil, but he knows his stuff. His Never Compromise model fits with his feel expectations when used with the Srixon golf ball he now has in the bag.
“I don’t worry too much about how it does it,” Boo said to me on the 18th hole during pro-am day at Transitions. “I just like it.”
Bring on the greens of Augusta.
