💀 The 3-Wood is DEAD!

Try THIS instead.

MyGolfSpy
June 11, 2024

Hi Golfer,

We’re still two days away from the start of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst and already players are talking about the speed of the greens and the general difficulty of the course.

Are we headed towards a bloodbath (here’s hoping) or is this a Jedi mind trick designed to manipulate the USGA into making changes before the first balls are in the air?

For once, I agree with Sean. The more difficult the setup, the better the Championship.

📰 TODAY’S SPY NEWS

▶️ Is THIS a 3-Wood Killer?
▶️ These look amazing! (CLICK HERE)
▶️ Would you EVER wear these?
▶️ ICYMI: Best Golf Balls (EXPERT TESTED)
▶️ Best gear for the US Open?

⚙️ GEAR NEWS & OPINION

A 3-Wood Killer?

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver

Callaway just announced this Mini Driver. It’s the company’s first entry in the reemerging mini driver category since the Big Bertha Mini 1.5. That one was released in time to compete with the TaylorMade AeroBurner mini which, if nothing else, helps to explain why the entire category went on hiatus for a few years after.

Regrettable, if not forgettable, times.

The Callaway offering is interesting because of the questions it raises.

1️⃣ How biggie before you isn’t mini no more?
2️⃣ Do I even need a 3-wood, bro?
3️⃣ Does every Callaway product name need to be excessively long?

Let’s table the third one indefinitely and focus on the other two as we examine whether Callaway’s latest could fundamentally reshape the contents of your golf bag.

👀 WOULD YOU PLAY A MINI DRIVER? (CLICK HERE AND COMMENT)

⚙️ GEAR NEWS & OPINION

Evnroll Triple Black 38 Tour Spec Putters

They look badass!

When Evnroll released their these counterbalanced putter line in May, more than a few of you wondered why they didn’t release versions with the black ceramic finish.

Your question is valid since all of the models in the 2024 Evnroll Neo Classic line are available in satin or black finishes. At the time, it seemed a bit odd that the 38 Tour Spec putters were offered only in satin.

As it turns out, all we had to do was wait about a month for the black finish.

👀 WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE?

👟 FOOTWEAR & APPAREL

adidas OG black samba golf shoe

A cult classic returns

Before the adidas Samba became the hottest sneaker of the 2020s, it was a football (or fútbol) shoe designed to provide grip in icy conditions.

But that was 1950. Fast forward to this century, the Samba as been worn for just about anything and everything. This streetwear icon has even made its way to the golf course, a fitting “return” to its performance roots of providing multidirectional grip.

👀 WOULD YOU WEAR THESE? 👍 or 👎

🏌️ TOUR TUESDAY

Pinehurst No. 2 is Scruffy Around the Edges

After Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw's 2010 restoration, the course saw dozens of acres of rough removed in favor of sandy areas with wiry clumps of grass.

It completely changed the aesthetic of the layout—and it also changed the strategy.

Missing a fairway at No. 2 doesn’t necessarily mean a player is in jail. It’s a crapshoot. There could be no issue at all. You could find yourself in a tough spot. You could, on rare occasions, find a lie nasty enough to be unplayable.

Normal U.S. Open rough at other hosts like Oakmont or Merion is the exact opposite. Missing a fairway puts players in heavy rough where you more or less know what you are getting. It’s thick everywhere and often requires a simple hack out to the fairway.

I prefer the Pinehurst native areas to the thick rough. Give players a chance for a spectacular recovery shot. Bait them into taking on too much risk. Make the game a little unfair.

Not finding a fairway in the U.S. Open is supposed to be a penalty. At Pinehurst, that penalty isn’t uniform. You might get lucky, you might not. And a player might turn their good fortune into something worse just because they got greedy.

The real joy of Pinehurst is all of the approaches and the many terrible places a ball can end up around the domed greens if a player isn’t careful. We want to see players take on that risk. We want to see them attack holes with longer clubs from uncomfortable positions.

Chopping out into the fairway isn’t much fun to watch. It’s not a skillful shot. Strategy is limited.

When you flip that on its head, you get Pinehurst No. 2.

-Sean Fairholm