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 MICKELSON'S NEW HYBRID GOLF CLUB        

A new Callaway hybrid golf club that Phil Mickelson helped design, played a crucial role in his bid to claim the US Open title recently.  The prototype rescue-style club proved particularly versatile from heavy, wet rough which was a feature of the Bethpage State Park Black course.

The club has the distinctive sole shape to help the World Number 2 hit the ball from various types of rough with more consistency, but has a more iron-like trajectory, a wedge-style grind and grooves that run up the total face.

Mickelson's hybrid developed for rough lies

Apparently the world's best left-handed golfer has been working closely with Callaway engineers since the start of the year to develop the club.

Jeff Colton, the California-based company's head of research and development revealed: "We spent time with Phil in Los Angeles at the Riviera Club and talked to him about his needs from different types of lies, and the demand for more consistency with distance out of the rough.  He wanted his hybrid to play more like an iron, as to where the centre of gravity is placed.  And a unique, shallower sole shape allows him to use it out of a variety of different lies in the rough by hitting down and minimising turf interaction".

The grooves on the 18-degree head also conform to the USGA's new regulations for V-grooves in competition, due to be introduced in 2010.

"Phil really led the design process", says Colton.  "He told us what he wanted and what he wanted it to do and our designers translated that and from sketch to finished product, he's been involved".

It was Mickelson's fifth time as a runner-up in the US Open - a title that has always eluded him, but he was pleased by the way his prototype performed in the wet conditions and Callaway will be guardedly keen to roll out a club golfer's version of the distinctive club.

Mickelson with his caddie Jim 'Bones' McKay at the US Open

"It's a good example of how we listen to the Tour players", Colton said.  "There are no plans to commercialise this product but we might, given the way it performed for Phil.  We still have some learning to do about who it is best for and how it behaves and we plan to build a broader set of prototypes for testing.

"Phil configures his bag depending on the venue.  He has different driver shafts that he uses, he's got different hybrids that he pulls in and out, mixes with long irons and fairway woods, so it's all course dependent.  I would imagine that any place where the rough is of decent length, this would be in the bag".

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NIKE SQUARE DRIVER WINS US OPEN

Golf's first major for 'square head' technology

Just when you thought square drivers were maybe fading in popularity among club golfers, like a 28-handicapper's slice into the hay, up steps Lucas Glover to win the US Open.

The Nike Sasquatch Sumo 2 Tour driver is a club with a distinctive sound and futuristic look that's built for accuracy as well as distance and without the use of interchangeable weights and an adjustable face, will undoubtedly be given a boost by Glover's triumph.

Glover becomes the first player to carry a square-shaped driver to victory in a major, averaging 291 yards off the tee despite the wet and heavy conditions at the Bethpage Black Course.  It underlines his position as Number 1 on the PGA Tour in total driving distance.

Nike Sasquatch Sumo 2 Tour driver in the hands of Lucas Glover

Glover also carried Nike SQ2 Tour fairway woods, Nike CCi forged irons and Nike SV Tour wedges.

Another key to his success was his use of the Nike's prototype putter also played by Paul Casey, Stephen Ames and Justin Leonard.  Since switching to it at the Bob Hope Classic earlier in the year, he has jumped from 116th in putts per round to 23rd and 107th in putts per greens in regulation to 32nd.  He also used the Nike One Tour D golf ball.

What's in Glover's Bag

Driver: Nike SQ Sumo2 Tour (9.5 degrees; Matrix Apache Ozik shaft)

Fairway Woods: Nike SQ2 3-wood (13 degrees); Nike SQ2 5-wood (19)

Irons (3-PW): Nike CCi Forged

Wedges: Nike SV (54 and 59 degrees)

Putter: Nike prototype

Ball: Nike One Tour D

Footwear: Nike Air Zoom Elite II

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TIGER TINKERS WITH EQUIPMENT

New Irons and a driver with more loft

Tiger Woods rarely makes changes to his equipment, but ahead of the US Open at Bethpage Black he had been tweaking his driver and had changed his irons.

And it has paid off with a stunning victory in the Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour, chasing down the overnight leader's four-stroke advantage with a closing 65 and 12-under par total.

He has added half a degree of loft to his exclusive 380 cc 9.5-degree Nike SQ Dymo driver and switched back to the tried and tested Mitsubishi Diamana Whiteboard 83-gram shaft.

"I went with a little more loft", said Woods.  "As my release has changed over time with Hank (Haney), I needed a little more loft to get the ball in the air; so a little more steam.  I'm still hitting it just as far but probably in a different way".

Woods averaged 298.4 yards off the tee - 12th longest during the Memorial Tournament, and was second in driving accuracy (87.5%) which included hitting every fairway in the final round.

Tiger chips in for eagle at the 11th hole during the final round of The Memorial Tournament

The figures don't quite tell the whole story however, as Woods also used 3-wood and 5-wood off the tee on key driving holes and admitted he can hit either, up to 300 yards!  "I used it a lot more once the fairways got faster", Woods said of his Nike SQ2 3-wood.  "As the fairways got faster and faster, a low 3-wood and even a low 5-wood at times would go almost 300 yards.  My 5-wood down the 17th fairway reached 290.  I don't normally hit it that far".

A set of Nike Forged Blades - as opposed to the Nike Victory Red TW blades he used to win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March - are also likely to stay in his bag for the US Open in New York.  "As of right now, I think I'm going to stick with the same set of clubs, all 14", he said.

What's in Tiger's Bag

Driver: Nike SQ Dymo 380 (10.5 degrees; Mitsubishi Diamana Whiteboard 83g shaft)

Fairway Woods: Nike SQ2 3-wood (13 degrees; Mitsubishi Diamana Blueboard 103g shaft); 5-wood (19 degrees; Mitsubishi Diamana Blueboard 103g shaft)

Irons (3-PW): Nike Forged Blades (True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts)

Wedges: Nike Victory Red (56 degrees) and Nike SV (60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Newport 2

Ball: Nike One Tour

Footwear: Nike Air Zoom TW 2009 (Champ spikes)

Clothing: Nike Golf Tiger Woods Collection