Two major champions swap putters in prep for Open Championship

There are two solid tournaments going on this week, with the Rocket Classic in Detroit and LIV Dallas at Maridoe Golf Club in Texas. While these two tournaments might feel miles apart, they both carry the same pressure with Open Championship exemptions and Ryder Cup consideration on everyone’s minds.

Not to mention, both events have top players making some very interesting putter changes.

Collin Morikawa takes it back to college

Let’s start with Collin Morikawa, who had been using a beautiful Taylor Made Olson 1.0 that, to the putter geeks, is a work of art. But for Morikawa, it saw very limited field time this week as he sidelined it after the first round and swapped it for a one-of-one TM Spider Tour “Collin Proto” that gave him a look that he saw great success with in his time at Cal Berkley. At first glance it looks a lot like the classic Ardmore platform that even Tiger Woods dabbled with in 2018, but this particular blade has some mods that can’t be ignored.

Collin Proto Specs
Length: 34.5”
Loft: 2.5°
Lie: 70.5°
Swing weight: E0
Insert: Pure Roll
Align: Sight dot
Grip: Superstroke Tour 2.0
Shaft: Diamana 1.0P 105g- tip 1.5″

It seems to be doing the trick as after Round 1 he was 156th in Strokes Gained: Putting and made a herculean leap to 11th after Round 2.

Rahmbo pulls the Odyssey White OG outta the closet

If I’m being super honest about Jon Rahm’s game, I’d say this: the guy is out hitting pretty much everyone and not making a thing to take advantage of it. This has been the case for the past two seasons, to be honest. He’s had moments of good putting, but ultimately, the only thing that has kept him from winning multiple times is the putter.

After a visit to the Ely Callaway Performance center last Friday, Rahm and the tour Team at Callaway noticed something about his Ai-One Rossie S. Not a technology thing but a variable that nobody could have predicted. The blue finish of the Ai-One marks up when you put it in the bending vice to check loft and lie, resulting in two distinct marks at the top of the cavity (right behind the top line) that Rahm would constantly focus on.

As a player who prefers putters with no alignment aids, having to parallel lines (although subtle) can throw the train off the tracks.

The solution? Go back to the putter he won two major championships with.

This week in Dallas, Rahmbo showed up with his old Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S (not the 2021 U.S. Open and 2023 Masters blade but an exact copy), and from what I have seen this week — both walking with him during a Wednesday practice round and Friday’s first round — he seems to have that confidence back. Not only was the speed control pristine, but he also made a number of 20-plus footers to get him within earshot of leader Patrick Reed.

The grainy Bermuda greens at Maridoe Golf Club will test anyone’s speed control, and after two rounds, it’s apparent that his feels seem to be coming back. That’s perfect timing, of course. The Open Championship is just around the corner, and Rahm showing up anywhere with a confident putter is a terrifying prospect for his competition.