The tour trucks rolled into North Carolina this week for the Wells Fargo Championship. With the second major of the season — the PGA Championship at the Ocean Course — just two weeks away, players are keen to fine tune (if things are going well) or find answers (if things are going…less well).

For example, searching for answers and 98th in strokes gained: putting, Jason Day was spotted grinding away on a Quail Hollow putting green with a SIK Flo C-Series putter in hand and an EyeLine Mirror at his feet. The long-time TaylorMade Spider devotee was acclimating himself to the flatstick’s unique Descending Loft Technology.

If you’re unfamiliar, the company describes the tech as follows

“We have four flat surfaces that are milled into our putter face. Each plane descends in loft by 1° from the top of the face to the bottom of the face. When your shaft is pressed at impact the ball contact will be higher on the face, same is true in reverse. DLT delivers consistent launch angles from putt to putt which lead to more consistent and predictable rolls.”

Beyond J-Day, also in the department of seekers, Rory McIlroy, who already reverted from P7MB irons to P730 this season, is rumored to be turning back the clock even further.

Specifically, the Ulsterman was spotted with his 2017 TaylorMade Rors Proto irons.

TaylorMade

As mentioned above, Rory McIlory returned to his 2017 Rors Proto irons. McIlroy began the season with P7MB irons before switching back to P730 blades.

Ryan Barath offered some context on the prototypes: “The Rors Protos were part of the custom series of irons made for a number of prominent TaylorMade staff players, including Dustin Johnson and (at the time) Justin Rose. They all featured slightly tweaked profiles of the TaylorMade P730 blade, featuring either a unique grind or blade length profile.”

Tommy Fleetwood has an eight-degree SIM2 in the bag with a Mitsubishi Tensei Pro White 1K 70 TX shaft.

Harry Higgs is into a 15-degree SIM2.

Beau Hossler put a SIM2 Max (10.5 degrees) in play.

Doc Redman put the 2021 TP5 ball in play.

Non-staffer Ryan Moore Ryan Moore has P7MB irons (5-PW) in play.

Non-staffer Keegan Bradley is now gaming a SIM2 Max 3-wood (15 degrees).

Titleist

Lanto Griffin is moving back to a TSi2 driver (from TSi3) for more launch and forgiveness.

Jimmy Walker is testing a TSi3 fairway wood (15 degrees) and a U500 2-iron.

Bill Haas is testing the Pro V1x Left Dash.

Non-staffer Rafael Campos is testing 620 MB irons with Mitsubishi MMT shafts.

Also a non-staffer, Scott Piercy is testing Pro V1x Left Dash.

Callaway

Phil Mickelson is testing a Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X shaft in his Mavrik Sub Zero 4-wood.

Tom Lewis had a 14-degree Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond built. Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X shaft.

Photo via Callaway’s Johnny Wunder

Cobra

Bryson DeChambeau has a modified RadSpeed Big Tour Bryson Prototype (pictured in the featured image) in the bag. While we originally thought it was a new prototype, per Cobra’s Ben Schomin, it’s the same head size and shape as the retail Big Tour, but it’s lower lofted (being played at 10.5 degrees) and features a glued hosel and is the same Proto BAD has had in play for a couple of months. Most apparently, however, the club features small rails, which were added after the fact for better strike consistency/less digging.

BAD has also returned to his Cobra King LTD driver (pictured below).

Jason Dufner was testing a prototype (presumably 3D printed) putter.

Rickie Fowler tested multiple Fujikura Ventus Red driver shafts on the range; was also working with a Fujikura MCI Practice shaft in an iron.

Ping

We got in-hand looks at new i59 irons and Glide Forged wedges from Ping.

Ping staffer Rob Oppenheim plans to put a two-driver setup in play. One is eight degrees in loft and the other is 10.5.

PXG

Also in the in-hand look department, we were able to check out the new Gen4 0311 T and ST irons.

More photos here. 

Pat Perez looks to have returned to his Gen4 0311 P irons after a detour to Gen2’s.

Free agents, others

Charl Schwartzel is testing a TwoThumb putter grip.

Rafa Campos reshafted his Mizuno MP-20 irons with KBS TGI 110 shafts.

Scott Garrison installed a LAGP putter shaft in Jhonny Vegas’ Cameron.