Patrick Reed was struggling. By the end of April 2013, he’d entered 13 PGA Tour events and had missed the cut eight times. Save for a 7th place finish at Pebble beach in February, his first full season on Tour was horrific. In fact, from mid-march through the end of April, Reed had missed the cut in 5 of 6 tournaments and finished t71st—almost dead last--in the only event in which he’d managed to play the weekend. With the truncated 2013 season half over, Reed made the switch to Callaway in May. Since then, he’s missed only one cut and garnered 4 top ten finishes, including his first ever victory at the Wyndham Championship, and earned over $1.6 million and enough FedEx Cup points to begin the playoffs at number 22 in total points earned. Reed’s change to Callaway in May resulted in stellar play ever since, and in July he added the new FT Optiforce 440 Driver and Mack Daddy 2 Wedges to his bag. Entering the FedEx Cup playoffs, he’s one of the tour’s hottest players with top tens in his last three starts. In winning the Wyndham Championship, Reed was 1st in Greens in Regulation, 5th in putting and 11th in driving distance. We can’t tell you definitively that Reed’s game turned the corner with Callaway, but the stats don’t lie…and they would indicate the equipment change propelled his season in a new—and highly lucrative—direction. Here’s Patrick Reeds Bag; DRIVER: Callaway FT Optiforce 440 (9.5 degree) with an Aldila Rogue shaft IRONS: Callaway X Forged (2-iron bent to 15 degree, 2- and 4-irons) and Callaway Razr X MB (5-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts WEDGES: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (50, 56 and 60 degree) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts PUTTER: Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 BALL: Callaway Hex Chrome+ You'll find Patrick Reed's Callaway equipment and much more at DGW.

Jim Furyk attributes his first round lead at the 2013 PGA Championship to his improved putting and his driving accuracy. Furyk needed just 29 putts, including a 40 foot bomb, en route to his first round of 5 under par 65 at Oak Hill Country Club, site of the year’s final major. Furyk made six birdies on the day against a lone bogey on his final hole. His 65 leaves him tied at the top of the leader board with Adam Scott.   Furyk used an Odyssey Versa No. 1 Wide Putter to fashion his best opening round at a major since 2009. Critical to his success on the greens was his play from the tee. Oak Hill is brutal on the best of days, and next to impossible if you’re playing from the rough. Furyk featured the new Callaway FT Optiforce 440 Driver to “hit a bunch of fairways,” which led to hitting 15 greens in regulation. That, in turn, offered an abundance of birdie opportunities.   You’ll want to watch all the action today from Oak Hill Country Club, and while you’re at it, you can check out Furyk’s FT Optiforce Driver and Odyssey Versa No. 1 Wide Putter at DGW.

It’s August. It’s hot. It’s humid. And it’s the PGA Championship. The professional golf season’s final Major Championship gets underway today at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York and Nike athletes are prepared to weather the, er, weather in an array of lightweight, breathable, moisture wicking shirts pants and hats. Nike has always been at the forefront of creating performance apparel technology, utilizing technical fabrics that enhance athletic performance, and those technologies will be on full display at Oak Hill.  At the PGA Championship, Nike athletes will be wearing designs from the Fall 2013 collection featuring Dri-FIT UV for protection from the sun and Dri-FIT Stretch for superior mobility. Thirteen Nike Tour players will be competing at Oak Hill and you can find all their apparel, shoes and accessories at the DGW PGA Championship 2013 Collections page. Here’s a glimpse of some of the apparel featured.   Tiger Woods Tiger will be wearing items from, what else, the Nike Tiger Woods TW collection, featuring polos with laser-perforated collars for enhanced breathability and both the iconic posture performance kimono chassis and the mobility chassis for increased range of motion. Thursday through Sunday, Tiger will wear: the TW Designer Print Polo in Light Armory Blue; the TW Emboss Polo in Gamma Green; the TW Print Polo in White/Black; and, the TW Engineered Stripe Polo in Hyper Red. TW’14 Golf Shoes will be on his feet.   Rory McIlroy McIlroy will defend his title from 2012 while sporting looks from the Nike Tour Performance Fall 2013 collection, which offers innovative technical fabrics featuring lightweight breathability. Thursday, we’ll see Rory in the Fashion Bold Stripe Polo in White/Game Royal and Modern Tech Pants, coordinated in Game Royal. Friday, the defending champ will wear the Fashion Gradient Polo in Gamma Orange and Saturday the Mobility Stripe Polo in Black/Gamma Green.. The Mobility Polo offers the most stretch in the Nike line and is extremely lightweight. Rory will finish the championship on Sunday wearing the Light Weight Tech Polo in Gamma Blue. Each day, he will be traversing Oak Hill in Nike Lunar Control II Golf Shoes.   Charl Schwartzel   The 2011 Masters Champion will compete this week wearing the sophisticated designs of Nike’s Fall 2013 Tour Premium Collection, as well as looks from the Tour Performance Collection on Saturday. To begin the tournament, Schwartzel will wear the Nike Precision Polo in Black on Thursday, and the same model Friday in Cherrywood Red. On Saturday, Schwartzel will go with the Team Nike look, wearing the Bold Stripe Polo in Distance Blue from the Tour Performance Collection. He hopes to contend for the Championship on Sunday while wearing the Nike Premium Tartan Pocket Polo in Light Gridiron Heather.   Nick Watney Watney looks to capture his first Major title while relying on the Nike Tour Performance Collection to stay cool and comfortable under the immense pressure of the competition. Thursday’s first round is critical, and Nick looks to post a solid first round number while pairing his Light Weight Tech Polo in Sonic Yellow with Nike Flat Front Tech Pants in Light Armory Blue. On Friday, Watney will wear the Embossed Pattern Polo in Gamma orange. For the weekend, he’ll sport the Nike Mobility Polo in Black/University Blue on Saturday and the Light Weight Heather Polo in Black/Stadium Grey on Sunday. Watney will wear the Nike Flat Bill VR_S Tour Cap and Lunar Control II footwear all four days.   Check out all your favorite Nike athletes, their apparel and accessories, at DGW.    

Nike recently unveiled a new line of foul weather golf gear designed to deliver superior waterproof and windproof protection combined with flexible breathability. According to Nike, the new HyperAdapt Storm-Fit Jacket, available in both Full-Zip and ½-Zip versions, and HyperAdapt Storm-Fit Pants offer golfers unsurpassed comfort, protection and mobility. These claims were immediately bolstered when Paul Casey, winless in over 2 years, claimed the Irish Open while wearing both the HyerAdapt Jacket and Pants during the 35 mph winds and heavy showers that plagued the event.   HyperAdapt is 100% waterproof, but it’s the flexibility that sets it apart from other rain gear. Nike began the design process from the inside out, testing and tweaking the technology along the way, utilizing comprehensive feedback derived through on-course testing from Nike athletes. "Inspired by our athletes who demand the best in performance, our team set to work to create a jacket built to change the way golfers feel in unfavorable weather conditions," said Merritt Richardson, Nike Golf Vice President of Global Golf Apparel. "We are always working to minimize distractions. From reducing sound to enhancing stretch, the HyperAdapt Storm-FIT Jacket is the ultimate in protection and performance."   HyperAdapt Storm-Fit fabric has sweater-like stretch, combined with an impenetrable outer layer, to deliver the best of both comfort and protection. Nike incorporated no-sew technology throughout to minimize chafing, and added a new stretch component to the fabric. Four-way stretch incorporated in the shoulders and arms creates maximum flexibility and eliminates restrictions during the swing. Nike also focused on creating a garment that is quiet during the swing and has the feel of a sweater, without sacrificing weather protection performance. The HyperAdapt Jacket and Pants are seam-sealed and have adjustable cuffs for a custom-like fit.   Get ready for Fall and Winter golf with the ultimate in comfort and weatherproof design. The HyperAdapt Storm-Fit Full-Zip Jacket, HyperAdapt Storm-Fit 1/2-Zip Jacket and HyperAdapt Storm-FitPants are now available at DGW.

The adjustable driver has been around for awhile, and every major manufacturer has embraced the technology, at least to some degree. TaylorMade has been committed to adjustable drivers and moveable weight technology since 2004, but the benefit of adjustability has been lost to a vast number of golfers who have no desire to delve into the complexities of tinkering with loft, lie, face angle and weighting. Taken to its extreme, adjustability for the average golfer may seem just a bit gimmicky. For those who haven’t embraced the adjustability craze, and just as importantly, for those who have, the new TaylorMade SLDR (“Slider”) Driver offers quick and easy adjustability that just about anyone can understand—and from which everyone can benefit.   The SLDR has a weight track running from the heel to the toe near the front of the sole that can be moved into one of 21 positions for more or less draw or fade bias. The beauty of the design is in its simplicity. Using the included torque wrench, you merely twist to unlock, slide the weight into the desired position, and twist to lock in place. It takes about 15 seconds, so you can tweak your settings on the range every time out, if that’s your desire, or you can simply set it and forget it. Either way, the slider weight makes it incredibly easy to adjust for right to left or left to right bias. Whether you do so to enhance your preferred ball flight, or to correct your errant tendencies, the SLDR is simple and intuitive.   The adjustments to weight are made with the same wrench used to adjust the loft. The SLDR features TM’s Loft Sleeve technology allowing 3 degrees of adjustment (1.5°+/-) to the four available stock lofts of 8, 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees. The club head is 460cc, which is larger than some tour models available in other drivers, but players might note that some 20 Tour pros have already bagged the SLDR in its first 2 weeks of availability.   The weight track is not really new. Mizuno offered a similar system years ago.  The difference, and it's a big one,  is that the Slider weight and track is placed forward in the sole, near the face. This is designed to deliver optimal CG. A low and forward CG promotes faster ball speeds, higher launch, more forgiveness and lower spin, all keys to adding distance to your tee ball. Moving the CG low and forward has the further effect of moving your sweet spot lower in the club face, which is more in line with where most golfers strike the ball.   As for aesthetics, the club head is a dark gray with minimal, subtle graphics and has a classic pear shape. It comes equipped with a stock Fujikura Speeder 57 shaft and is also available in a Women's SLDR and TP SLDR versions. Order yours today from DGW for delivery beginning August 9, 2013.

By his own admission, there was a time when even Phil Mickelson, not one known for self doubt, questioned his ability to ever win a British Open. That changed Sunday with his victory at Muirfield. Phil’s first Open Championship and fifth Major title was much more dramatic than the three shot margin of victory would indicate. Starting the day 5 shots off the lead, Mickelson was steady, if not spectacular through the first 12 holes on a day when steady looked, well, spectacular compared with the rest of the field. Pars were at a premium and birdies were scarce. So it was remarkable that Phil played the last 6 holes in 4 under par, sealing the victory and ending a tournament that looked as if it were anyone’s game until that final, fateful hour. How did he do it?   Phil is known for changing up his equipment, for experimenting (see, e.g. The Phrankenwood) and for tailoring his equipment to the venue and conditions, even more so than your average tour pro, who does a fair amount of all of the above. For the Open Championship, Phil packed five wedges and no driver, opting to tackle the lengthier tee shots with a Callaway X Hot Pro 3Deep Three Wood. In the end, he credited his three wood and his Odyssey Versa #9 Putter for his finish as the only golfer in the field to break par. And Mickelson is nothing, if not gracious, so it was no big surprise, really, when he thanked the Callaway design team and technical folks for outfitting him with the perfect set to fashion what he claimed to be his best round of golf ever as a professional.   Here’s Phil’s Bag:   Fairway Wood: Callaway X Hot 3 Deep (13°) Hybrid: Ping Anser (17°) Irons: Callaway X Forged (4-PW) Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 2 (60°, 64°); Callaway X Series Jaws (52°, 56°) Putter: Odyssey Versa #9 Ball: Callaway Hex Chrome+   For a limited time Callaway and DGW are commemorating Mickelson’s winning score of 281 with a celebratory sale on Callaway Hex Chrome+ Golf Balls for $28.10. We have all of Phil’s Callaway equipment at DGW.

Nike athletes will be featuring the newest from the Nike Fall wardrobe lines as they tackle the oldest championship in golf this week at venerable Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland. Foremost among participating Nike athletes is World Number 1,Tiger Woods, who is joined by World number 2, Rory McIlroy,  former Masters Champion, Charl Scwartzel, Nick Watney and rising European star, Thorbjorn Olesen.   Tiger will be wearing select items from Nike’s Fall 2013 Tiger Woods Collection, including polos featuring a laser-perforated collar that increases ventilation and reduces garment weight. The TW Ultra Polo in White, TW Saturated Color Polo in Light Armory Blue, TW Trajectory Polo in black and the TW Stripe Polo in Hyper Red are all in Tiger’s rotation as he seeks his 4th Open Championship and 15th Major title. These polos also feature a kimono style back design that offers full range of motion. Of course, Tiger will wear his Nike TW’14 Golf Shoes all four days.   Rory McIlroy and Nick Watney are sporting looks from the Nike Fall 2013 Tour Performance Collection. Today, Rory is wearing the Vent Tech Polo in white, and Friday will see him donning the Fashion Bold Stripe Polo in Black. If weather demands another layer, you’ll see Rory in the ½-Zip Banded Tech Cover-Up in Orange. The Fashion Print Polo in black and the Lightweight Tech Polo in Game Royal are on deck for Rory’s weekend rounds. Nike Lunar Control footwear are McIlroy’s golf shoes of choice each day.   As Charl Schwartzel goes after his second Major he’ll rely on the classic look of Nike’s Fall 2013 Tour Premium Collection. For rounds one and two, Schwartzel will be clad in the Nike Premium Precision Polo in Summit White Thursday and then in Black on Friday. For the weekend, look for Schwartzel in the Nike Embossed Polo in Game Royal Saturday, followed by the Fashion Jacquard Polo in Hyper Red for the final round. If the weather warrants a cover, you’ll see him wearing the Nike Performance V-Neck Sweater in Carbon Heather.   Get used to hearing the name Thorbjorn Olesen. You may see a great deal of this young, Danish player over the course of the next several days. Unknown to many in the States, Olesen is seen as one of the many bright lights on the horizon of the European PGA Tour. Watch for him sporting the youthful look of the Nike Sport Collection, featuring a slimmer cut and edgy designs. “Thunderbear,” as he is sometimes known, will be seen in the Nike Sport Swing Polo in Fusion Pink on Thursday and the same polo in Light Blue on Saturday. Friday and Sunday, Olesen will be wearing the Lightweight Tech Polo in Electro Orange and the Color Block Polo in Gamma Green. He’ll top off his look with the Nike Flat Bill VR_S Tour Cap.   This is but a sampling of what the Pros will be wearing at The 2013 Open Championship. Check everything in the Nike Open Championship Apparel Collection at DGW.            

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, while expecting a different result. By that definition, Ken Duke is quite insane. For the better part of 19 plus years he plied his trade on various professional golf tours without success—without winning--until Sunday when, at age 44, he won his first PGA tournament at the Travelers Championship. I’m fairly certain Ken Duke is not insane, but he has been remarkably persistent—doggedly so-- in his pursuit of a PGA Tour victory at an age beyond which most would have long ago given up and gone to selling sweaters or insurance. Winning golf tournaments among the 40 year old set is commonplace these days, but winning your first tournament at age 44? Nope. By that age most guys have either given up the dream or they are already established winners on Tour.   In the Tiger Woods era, winning has become harder, but with purses and endorsement money having skyrocketed, making a very good living without doing so has become commonplace. Ninety-nine PGA Tour players made over $1 million in 2012. So it’s not as if Duke has been scraping by and living out of his car (although that would make for an even cooler story). In fact, Duke has done rather well for himself since undergoing a swing change in 2006, having snared two Web.com wins before finally making it to the PGA Tour where he collected $1.5 million in official money last year. Life has been ok for Ken Duke of late. But still, those who play golf for a living dream of PGA, not Web.com, wins and that remains an elusive dream for all but a small percentage of players. It was, for Ken Duke, just a dream as well…until Sunday. .  

Heading into the US Open at Merion Golf Club there was talk that someone might shoot 62, breaking the 18 hole scoring record that has been in the books since 1973. It became obvious early in the tournament that no scoring records would be broken at this particular Open, but there was one record that was established. When Justin Rose tapped in for par on the 72nd hole for what would be a 2 stroke victory, he became the first golfer to win a Major championship while wearing spikeless golf shoes. He did so wearing a version of the Ashworth Cardiff Golf Shoe.   Golfers everywhere have embraced the spikeless golf shoe, and cleat-less shoes are turning up at Tour events on a regular basis, as well, despite the fact that golfers tend to hold tight to tradition. As club technology has proven, however, golfers don’t care one whit about tradition if they can gain a competitive edge. When it comes to our feet, that edge has to do with the comfort and performance afforded by a less rigid shoe. Thus, sales of spikeless shoes were up 136% in 2012 and estimates of their current use among all golfers ranges between 38% and 43%.   The spikeless shoe itself has undergone a technological transformation since CBS obligingly introduced the world to Ecco Golf Street casual golf shoes via repeated shots of the king of cool, Fred Couples, looking bored, indifferent, and in contention at the 2010 Masters. Today’s styles feature a variety of innovative design elements geared toward enhancing the natural motion of the foot, while also delivering the stability a golfer needs to swing with power and confidence. From the new sneaker-like Adidas adicross Tour Spikeless Golf Shoe to the classic-looking Ecco Men's Tour Hybrid GTX, there are styles and colors available for every taste.   Check out the Ashworth Cardiff and all our spikeless golf shoes at DGW today.

In the end, the recently concluded US Open staged at Merion Golf Club resembled the Opens of yesteryear during which brutal rough and nasty greens eliminated pretenders first, then contenders, until there was just one guy left. What’s remarkable is that the “one guy” who conquered the treacherous Merion greens and the USGA’s diabolical hole placements was Justin Rose, a guy who just weeks ago ranked 158th in putting on the PGA Tour. What changed? Well, Justin Rose switched to a 34” TaylorMade Spider Blade Putter at the Player’s Championship in May, and then switched again at the Memorial, opting for a 37” version of the same model. The results were that he ranked 13th in putting at the US Open. That huge leap in the putting stats, arguably, made the difference between winning a Major title and, well, not winning one.   The TaylorMade Spider Blade is the highest MOI blade putter ever produced by TaylorMade, delivering twist-resistance comparable to high-MOI mallet putters. TaylorMade also incorporated “counterbalancing” properties first introduced with their Daddy Long Legs mallet putter. The idea behind counterbalancing is to offer increased stability through additional weight in the shaft and butt end of the putter. You’re going to see a lot of counterbalancing in putter design in the near future because it is said to offer stability similar to an “anchored” putting stroke, which the USGA has banned effective 2016. Consequently, those who struggle a bit on the greens are looking for a new method, and the major club manufacturers will most assuredly accommodate through innovation. Even if you don't struggle, you can always improve on the greens.   So, if you are looking for a way to make more putts, take a page from the playbook of Justin Rose, the number 3 player in the world and newly-minted Major Champion, and give the TaylorMade Spider Blade a try.  You may just win your own version of the US Open. Order yours today at DGW.