Equipment
Louis Oosthuizen switches to Ping iBlades at The Players
When the best golfers in the world change equipment at high-profile tournaments like The Players Championship, they’re generally adding a course-specific club they’ve tested extensively before the event, as Jason Day did with his 2 iron. That wasn’t the case for Louis Oosthuzien, who decided to replace eight clubs in his bag this week. He added Ping’s new iBlade irons (3-9, PW), becoming the first PGA Tour player to use the clubs in competition.
Oosthuzien kept the shafts (True Temper Dynamic Gold X100, standard length) and grips (Golf Pride Tour Velvet Ribbed 58) the same, as well as the swing weight (D1), meaning the only new variables were the eight new iron heads.
Related: See in-hand photos of Ping’s new iBlade irons
It’s not clear how much time Louis Oosthuizen spent testing Ping’s new iBlade irons before he arrived at TPC Sawgrass, where the clubs were officially debuted to Tour players, but he obviously liked what he saw on the range. The No. 13-ranked golfer in the world didn’t challenge for the tournament, but he did finish T8 in Greens in Regulation at The Players. A more important stat: his T28 finish in the event earned him a little more than $68,325.
Ping isn’t saying anything about the new irons right now, but the iBlades appear quite similar to the company’s S55 irons, which Oosthuizen was previously using. He’s not one to change equipment as quickly as some other players on the PGA Tour, so it has to be assumed that he liked something better about the new irons.
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.
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
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
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
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...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
TheCityGame
May 17, 2016 at 9:40 am
No, it doesn’t have to be assumed he liked something better about the new irons.
It’s can be assumed he didn’t think they were worse than his old ones because he’s a Ping shill and is in the business of selling golfers new clubs. As are you.
S
May 21, 2016 at 11:44 am
Ping Shill? Dude is using Callaway Wedges and was using an I25 driver more than a year into the G30 series. Check your facts.
Nick
May 17, 2016 at 8:17 am
I saw Bubba made/was about to make the change too cmyktaylor. Don’t know what happened there?
These do look great, don’t they? Really nice and clean, like s55 but better! Can’t wait to give them a hit when they become available.
cmyktaylor
May 16, 2016 at 10:10 am
PGATour ran an article six days ago stating that Bubba was making the change at The Players. Did he end up not putting them into play?
http://www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2016/05/09/golf-equipment-bubba-watson-ping-iblade-irons-players-championship-tpc-sawgrass.html