Jordan Spieth made his return to competition following a lengthy post-surgical layoff at last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Understandably, the Texas was a little rusty — he finished tied for 69th and placed 70th in strokes gained: putting, losing 3.743 to the field average.

So, for as surprising as it is to see Spieth benching his famed Scotty Cameron 009 Tour Prototype flatstick at this week’s WM Phoenix Open, it’s not shocking the three-time major champion would be searching for answers on the green.

We spotted Spieth practicing with an old T.P. Mills putter ahead of the tournament but were unable to confirm whether he’d put the wand in play. However, as was apparent on the first-round telecast, Spieth has made the switch — at least temporarily.

It’s not the first time he’s flirted with other flatsticks (the 2017 AT&T Byron Nelson comes to mind), but seeing a raw TP Mills Trad II putter emerging from his home stash was not on our collective 2025 golf equipment bingo card.

(Photo from the WMPO practice putting green)

According to our Andrew Tursky, the putter has a slightly lower loft than his longtime gamer (2.5-3 degrees versus 4-ish).

Speaking to the media after his round, Spieth indicated he was exploring a couple of putters trying to “mess a little with how it sits on the ground,” paying attention to the “draft on the bottom of the putter.” Spieth mentioned he was looking for something that suited his eye from an alignment standpoint at address and seemed to indicate he was looking for something that would give him a smooth roll off the face.

Golf Digest’s Jonathan Wall spoke with David Mills, who presently oversees the business his father founded, said Spieth began testing the TP Mills Trad II while rehabbing his wrist and came away impressed by its stability. Spieth confirmed this after his round he had experimented with a number of putters in his basement during his rehab in search of the one that helps him “stroke it best.”

TP Mills was founded in 1963 by Truett P. Mills Sr., and has been manufacturing high-end putters since that time, calling its putters “Playable Works of Art.”

A final note: This may not be the putter in Jordan Spieth’s bag tomorrow as he said that he “may use a few options this week.”