I have been covering the PGA Tour heavily for almost two years and obsessed with it for 25. I have never heard of anything like this, and at 2 under going into the weekend with rounds of 68 and 70, Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello may have the craziest equipment story of the year.

It’s not uncommon for a player to make a wedge change, metal wood tweak amongst a couple of other things on any tournament week—but a full bag fitting and immediately putting it all in play—on the week of a major? Unheard of in my travels.

Let’s just start with what Cabrera Bello showed up to Winged Foot with.

Driver: Titleist TS3 (8.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) *9.5 pictured from earlier in the year
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Yellow 75 6.5

3-wood: Titleist 915F (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X 10A2 100 7.0

5-wood: Titleist 915F (18 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X 10A2 100 7.0

Irons: Titleist 718MB (3-PW)
Shaft: Project XLZ 7.0 130

Wedges: Vokey SM7 Tour Chrome (48-10F, 54-08M, 60-04L)
Shaft: Project XLZ 7.0 130

Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat GSS Newport 2

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

I had to get the inside scoop, so I chatted with Titleist Tour Rep J.J Van Wezenbeeck to find out how this crazy scenario came to be. This is nuts—especially before a major.

Here’s what he had to say

“Rafa has always liked a lower ‘European’ ball flight and very stable shafts and through the years we have used statistics to move his ball flight up slightly but he likes all his club heads to match and with stable feeling shafts – see 7.0 LZ and 10A2 fairway wood shafts. 

“During TS launch Rafa realized his driver needed to come up and moved from 8.5 to 9.5 which increased lauch conditions substantially. 

“During the 620/T100 iron launch we discovered his long irons could be better and moved to U500.

“The last few weeks Rafa has struggled and with his swing coach on site this week he realized he needed to go farther. The first look was testing LZ 6.5 in his irons. He had better directional control and increased spin slightly which was needed. 

“He was so excited about the feel and results that he said “Let’s go! Show me woods!”

“He loved the look of the new driver and after some shaft testing saw Project X Hzurdus RDX Blue 60 increase ball speed, launch and carry. The RDX Black 80 in both fairways gave him the same feel through the set. 

“This was all done Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning.” 

The new setup is as follows

Driver: Titleist TSi3 (9.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS RDX Blue 60 TX

3-wood: Titleist TS3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS RDX Black 80 TX

5-wood: Titleist TS3 (18 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS RDX Black 80 TX

Irons: Titleist U500 (3,4) Titleist 620MB (5-9)
Shafts: Project X LZ 6.5

Wedges: Vokey SM8 (48-10F, 54-08M, 60-04L)
Shafts: Project X LZ 6.5

Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat Newport 2

Ball: Titleist ProV1X

He’s in contention and will perhaps be in the final group with Bryson come tomorrow afternoon. As a total gearhead, this story warms my heart and soul like very few do. I’m quietly praying he gets it done this weekend. That would be one hell of a story.