It was an exciting weekend on the PGA and European Tours with one event ending in a playoff and a second ending in a joint tournament record low. Check out all the action from Phoenix and Malaysia below and see the gear the pros are winning with, available now at GolfOnline.
The Waste Management Phoenix Open is known for being a bit rowdy, especially at the 16th hole, but this year it was known for something else – a very worthy winner. American golfer Gary Woodland landed his third PGA Tour title here yesterday, his first win in five years, and his first since he and his wife lost one of their unborn twins last March. The response from his fellow golfers only goes to show the 33-year-old’s worthiness.
“Gary was that guy that was due (a win),” Matt Kuchar told reporters afterwards.
Beginning the day three-strokes off the lead, Woodland quickly set to work at TPC Scottsdale, birdieing five of the front nine holes before finishing with three straight birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th. Woodland and Chez Reavie both closed out the tournament at 18-under par but it was Woodland who was able to hold his nerve to win the first playoff hole.
Holding his young son, Jaxson after sinking the winning putt, Woodland remarked, “It’s really hard to put in words right now.” Adding, “I’m just so excited to share this with him (Jaxson) and my family, and hopefully it’s the start of something special.”
Here’s the gear Woodland used to claim victory for himself and his family in Phoenix:
Driver:
TaylorMade M3 440
Fairway Woods:
TaylorMade M2 Tour, TaylorMade M2
Irons: Titleist 716 MB
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 Raw;
Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Prototype
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X
Over on the European Tour, India’s Shubhankar Sharma proved he’s really one to watch this season, securing his second title in as many months at the Maybank Championship. The 21-year-old carded 10 birdies on the final day for an outstanding 62, a joint tournament record low, finishing at 21-under total, two-strokes ahead of Spain’s Jorge Campillo.
“I played pretty solid and it wasn’t easy because it was windy,” Sharma told reporters afterwards. Adding, “I kept pushing the whole day. I knew I had to make a lot of birdies to catch the leaders. I made a lot of birdies on the front nine and just continued on the back.”
With his latest win Sharma propels from 193rd to 72nd in the world rankings, the highest-ever for a male golfer from India. Here’s a look at Sharma’s bag:
Driver:
Callaway GBB Epic
Fairway Woods:
TaylorMade M2
Hybrid: Callaway Epic
Irons: Titleist 714 CB
Wedges:
Cleveland RTX-3
Putter: Scotty Cameron Red X
Ball:
Titleist Pro V1x
