Equipment
WITB Time Machine: This week in 1998, Top 5 in the OWGR
No. 1: Ernie Els
DRIVER: TaylorMade Titanium Tour 8.5 w/ Bubble Shaft XMKP Tour Prototype X 44.5 Inches
3-WOOD: TaylorMade Ti Bubble 2 2-wood 13 degrees w/ Dynamic Gold X100 42.5 Inches
IRONS: TaylorMade Burner Tour 2-PW w/Royal Precision Rifle 7.0
WEDGES: Cleveland 588 (56,60) with Dynamic Gold S400
PUTTER: Ping Anser w/ Neumann Leather Grip
BALL: Titleist Professional 100
GRIPS: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
No. 2: Tiger Woods
AUGUSTA, : Masters’ defending champion Tiger Woods of the US points to his caddie on the 14th hole during the final practice round for the 1998 Masters golf tournament 08 April at the Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, GA. The tournament starts 09 April. AFP PHOTO/Roberto SCHMIDT (Photo credit should read ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
DRIVER: Titleist 975D 6.5 w/ Dynamic Gold X100 (tipped to length) @43.5 inches long
3-WOOD: Titleist PT15 bore thru w/ Dynamic Gold X100 (tipped to length) @42.5 inches long
IRONS: Mizuno MP-29 (2), 3-P Titleist T Grind Prototypes (HoffmanfForged) with Dynamic Gold X100
WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Prototype 56,60 with Dynamic Gold X100
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron Teryilium
BALL: Titleist Professional 90
GRIPS: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
No. 3: Greg Norman
DRIVER: King Cobra TI 8.5 with G. Loomis Prototype
3-WOOD: Maruman Conductor 13 degrees with Dynamic Gold X100 42.5 inches
IRONS: Cobra Norman Tour Blades (2-PW) with Dynamic Gold X100
WEDGES: Cleveland 588 (56), Titleist Vokey Proto (60)
PUTTER: Wilson 8802
BALL: Maxfli XS
GRIPS: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
No. 4: Davis Love III
DRIVER: Titleist 975D 6.5 with True Temper EI-70 X 45 Inches
3-WOOD: Titleist 970 13 degrees with True Temper EI-70 X 43 Inches
IRONS: Titleist Love/Bobka Proto CB with Dynamic Gold Sensicore X100
WEDGES: Titleist Bobka Prototype (54,60) with Dynamic Gold Sensicore X100
PUTTER: Ping Anser
BALL: Titleist Professional 100
GRIPS: Golf Pride Victory Green
No. 5: Phil Mickelson
DRIVER: Yonex Super ADX Titanium Prototype 7 degrees with Yonex Prototype Shaft XX 45 Inches
3-WOOD: Taylor Made Tour Spoon 13 degrees with Flex Twist X flex 42.5 Inches
IRONS: Yonex Super ADX Tour Forged with Yonex Tour Prototype Shaft X
WEDGES: Yonex Forged PM Grind (56,60) Yonex Tour Prototype Shaft X
PUTTER: Yonex ADX Forged Blade
BALL: Titleist Professional 100
GRIPS: Griptec
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...
Matt
May 2, 2020 at 9:30 am
crazy how much putters have changed, not much variety back… an 8802, an 8802 copy (Mickelson), two Ping Ansers and an Anser knockoff (Woods).
Benny
May 1, 2020 at 1:40 pm
Awesome! Thanks Johnny.
Martin
May 1, 2020 at 12:15 pm
Crazy to see how they were hitting drivers with 6.5 deg of loft on them.
jgpl001
May 1, 2020 at 4:41 am
Wow I’d love to see some picture of any of these…..PLEASE
ewfnick
May 1, 2020 at 8:02 am
Got to agree, pictures of all the bags would have made this the best forum post ever!
Gunter Eisenberg
Apr 30, 2020 at 11:26 pm
It is amazing how low the driver lofts were back in those days because of the wound ball spinning so high back in those days. Thanks to the Pro V1 and its competitors, lofts of 10.5 are pretty much the norm now.
James
Apr 30, 2020 at 3:28 pm
Well done.
Next research assignment please: WITB for Nicklaus, Trevino, Watson, Weiskopf, and Miller in 1975.