Equipment
9 Revealing Photos from the 2016 Dean & DeLuca Invitational
GolfWRX was live from the 2016 Dean & DeLuca Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. If you missed any of the photos from this week, make sure to browse the galleries below.
The “Who n’ Who Invitational?” you might be asking. You may recognize it better as the Crowne Plaza Invitational, which switched title sponsors this year. Or maybe you just know it as the Colonial Invitational and it doesn’t matter to you regardless.
What’s in a name, anyway. Let’s just reveal some photos.
Comin’ out hot
In its first year of sponsorship, Dean & DeLuca is already throwing its hat into the ring of creative tee markers. If you don’t know what Dean & DeLuca is, you can read more about the company here. If you’re too lazy and don’t want to click the link, it’s a chain of upscale grocery stores that started in Manhattan. I have to imagine vegans and foodies love it, but I’ll stick to Texas-style BBQ for this week.
Schwartzel switching it up?
While Schwartzel has played most of the year, and won at the 2016 Valspar Championship with a Nike Method Origin B1-01 in the bag, we spotted him testing the Nike Method Core Drone at the D&D Invtl. Most recently, he missed the cut at The Masters and finished T58 at the AT&T Byron Nelson, so maybe he’s looking to change it up.
Speaking of putter testing
John Huh is testing an entire rack of putters. Also, Huh showed us the essential tools for a proper putter test: a banana, five fresh golf balls, a handful of putters, and, of course, a fresh strip of lead tape.

A few other tinkerers on the prowl
The Flat Cat grips seem to have gained some steam on Tour, with names like Carl Pettersson and Louis Oosthuizen giving them a roll on the practice green.
Trying to get pros into new equipment for the week is a bit of a… cat-and-mouse game, if you will.
More than one way to skin a cat
There’s always discussion, especially in the GolfWRX forums, about swing philosophies and “Tour secrets.” Flip through the gallery of photos below showing different Tour players at impact and you’ll see there’s just no perfect way to swing a golf club.
Greg Owen seeking a new caddie for the week
His weekly loop was busted for possessing guns on the premises during the practice round. This photo reveals that Jason Gore was the rat who snitched.
Air ’em out, Timmy
Why is Tim Herron throwing golf balls? Well, when picking best-ball teams on the first tee, it’s common to throw four golf balls into the air; the two that land the closest together are teammates, and the two that are farthest apart are also teammates.
Of course, you don’t necessarily have to throw them as high as you can, but it’s the one time you get to actually throw something on the course without being judged. So I say, let ’em fly.
Ballin’
I don’t know much about “making it,” but I do know that casually texting on two phones is a sign that you’ve done it. I also know that Jordan Spieth can afford the double data plans. Here’s proof:
Let it rain!
Spotted: New Ping putters
The new flatsticks from Ping appear to offer old-school Ping looks, but with new face millings, sight lines and finishes… and zebra-striped weights on the toe and heel? We’ll learn more about those stripes soon enough.
When you’re done being awestruck, check out more photos of the Ping putters and join the discussion here.
Equipment
Neal Shipley, AKA, the “Big Fridge’s,” custom stamping
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.

“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
Equipment
From the GolfWRX Classifieds: L.A.B. Purple DF3 with Masters cover
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.

From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Whats in the Bag
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4

3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4

Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms

Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105

Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
































alexdub
May 28, 2016 at 11:37 pm
These Ping putters are a lot of things, but “new” isn’t one of them
Rich
May 28, 2016 at 11:22 pm
Holy crap those new Ping putters look incredible. Bring it on Ping!
Joey
Jun 6, 2016 at 10:12 am
YES