The right club can come from anywhere. I’ve been fortunate enough to be offered a few equipment deals, but they have never been lucrative enough for me to give up playing what I’m most comfortable with. I’m really picky about the clubs I play. I like to be able to test everything and play anything.
DRIVER
Ping G430 LST, 7°, Fujikura Ventus Blue 6X shaft, 45.25 inches.
I’ve played a driver with really low loft ever since I was a kid. I like my driver to look like a knife. If I play a higher loft, the ball shoots up into the sky like a rocket. I hit up on it a fair amount, so I have to stick with a low-lofted driver.
FAIRWAY WOOD/HYBRID
Callaway Mavrik, 13.5°, Fujikura Speeder 757TR 7X shaft; Callaway Apex 18, 16.5°, Fujikura Ventus Blue 8X.
Last year, my caddie convinced me to take the 2-iron out and put the hybrid in. I’d never liked the look of hybrids, and they always spun too much. But this Apex has a really nice compact head, and I don’t get crazy spin numbers with it.
IRONS
Callaway X-Forged UT 21 (4-iron); Callaway Apex TCB (5-PW); all KBS C-Taper S+ shafts.
I grew up playing Japanese blades, Fourteen and Miura. Those really small, super-clean heads have made it impossible for me to look at anything with a thick topline. The shape of these Apex irons fits my eye.
With its effective mix of classic looks and contemporary technology, the Apex CB is made for the demands of elite players. This is an iron that gets the details right, especially the features better golfers appreciate, like an improved sole design for more effective turf interaction, tweaked centers of gravity via the use of tungsten weights that are dialed in for each individual iron, and hitting the trifecta of shape, sound and feel that better players require.
WEDGES
Epon Tour (50°, 56°); PXG 0311 S.D. proto (60°); True Temper Dynamic Gold S200.
I go through wedges so fast. In my garage, I have a wedge that’s completely smooth from being hit so much. I carry two wedges when I practice: the practice wedge and the gamer. If I played only one wedge, it would last six weeks.
PUTTER
Angel Yin prototype; 32 inches, 3.25°.
Brian Tietz
I played a Bloodline putter and liked it but knew I could improve it for my game. My clubfitter connected me with a putter maker. I sketched out the design, and this is what we made. The smaller mallet head shape was key for me.
ALL ABOUT ANGEL
Angel Yin laughs during a press conference after winning the 2023 AON Risk Reward Challenge last November.
Michael Reaves
AGE: 25
LIVES: Los Angeles
STORY: Yin turned pro out of high school in 2016 and earned an LPGA card ahead of the 2017 season. She has competed three times for the U.S. Solheim Cup team (2017, 2019 and 2023), but hadn't claimed victory on the LPGA Tour until last October when she won the Buick LPGA Shanghai. In 2023, she also was the LPGA's winner of the year-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge, banking a $1 million for her effort.
SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Brian Tietz
I had a temper as a junior golfer. My mom started drawing a smiley face on my Titleist Pro V1 to remind me to be happy, and I’ve continued to do it.
SNACK PACK
Brian Tietz
I rely on protein for my on-course snacking. I’ve found jerky is good to gnaw on for consistent energy. You don’t want to eat anything too sugary; it can mess with your energy.
BRIGHT SPOT
Brian Tietz
My mom lost my favorite Hello Kitty ball marker. I was so disappointed, but she bought me this one in Japan. I don’t like this one as much as the one she lost, but it’s so bright, I can always spot it.
