Wilson Sporting Goods has been in business a long time, actually since 1914. And in that long history, the company has signed some of the game's greats, introduced new technology from the sand wedge to advances in the golf ball, and now has amassed 60 major titles.
Padraig Harrington's victory at the 137th British Open playing Wilson Staff clubs marked the company's 60th major title win.
Harrington used the Wilson Staff Dd6+ driver, a European version of the Dd6 that is sold in the U.S. He also had a combo iron set with Ci7s and Pi5s, and two of the company's newer Tw9 wedges.
His 5-wood - with which he hit the 17th green Sunday for an eagle to ensure his victory - is also a Wilson club, a FYbrid.
PUTTER DOES THE TRICK: U.S. Bank Championship victor Richard S. Johnson boasted a new putter for the week, a Scotty Cameron Newport Fastback design.
Johnson said last week he was ready to throw his previous putter in the lake. But he said that besides the new flat stick, he had a new approach to performing on the greens in Milwaukee.
"I've been very technical in my putting and trying to make everything square and make it look good. Whereas I think I've been - I am more of a feel putter," he said. But last week he started "just aiming at a spot and just trying to putt more with feel."
Johnson was fourth in the field in putts per green in regulation (1.643) and T-10 in putts per round (28.3).
So what happened to his old putter?
"I gave it back to the manufacturer," he said. "I don't break clubs."
NEW TITLEIST PLAYER: Webb Simpson made his debut on the Nationwide Tour at the Price Cutter Charity Championship last week. The 22-year-old Wake Forest grad turned professional two months ago and finished second in the event, four shots behind Colt Knost.
Simpson is a Titleist staff player who used the company's newest 909D3 driver in his debut. He also had a 909F2 fairway wood, 585.H hybrid, AP2 irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled sand and lob wedges and a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball.
Simpson has also played in a handful of PGA Tour events since June, with his best pro finish a T37 at the Travelers Championship.
BATTLING THE WIND: With 35-plus mph winds at the British Open, using an umbrella - to block rain or wind - could get tricky.
GustBuster president Steve Asman was proud to say that his umbrella stood up to the elements without flipping inside out or being destroyed.
"The wind and rain was relentless, but GustBuster did its job," Asman said. "If it's good enough for the best players in the world, under these kinds of conditions, it has to be good enough for the average everyday player.
The GustBuster is designed to withstand 55 mph wind gusts by using a special flow-through design and polycarbonate construction that won't turn inside out.
STREAKY PUTTING CONTINUES: John Daly says that he's always been a streaky putter.
Despite a change to a new putter, streakiness continued for the two-time major champion during the British Open. Daly, who missed the cut after shooting 80-89, tried a new TaylorMade Spider putter for the week.
"I was working with the guys from Adidas TaylorMade yesterday," Daly said Wednesday. "(The Spider is) just something totally different that I'm not accustomed to. I'm not used to seeing anything that big behind the putter face. But it's something different, and maybe it's time I look at something different."
Unfortunately, the putting didn't improve for Daly, who had 31 and 37 putts, respectively, in his two rounds.
"This is a tournament that you've just got to putt decent," he said. "You can win by six or seven shots if you putt really, really great."
ODDS AND ENDS: Jim Furyk finished the British Open tied for fifth using a new Titleist 909D2 driver and Scotty Cameron putter. He's had both in play before in recent weeks, but had been experimenting with an Adams driver as well. ... U.S. Bank Championship runner-up Ken Duke had a bag full of Cleveland equipment: HiBore XLS Tour driver, CG Red irons, 588 DSG wedges and a Never Compromise Milled Series putter. ... Phil Mickelson didn't try any new tricks with his equipment at Royal Birkdale. He said that deciding between a 2-iron and a hybrid was as different as he wanted to get in the conditions. ... In a press conference at the British Open, the R&A's Peter Dawson said an announcement on grooves would be coming in the next three to four weeks.
