All the gear: Nicklaus outdrives Player after tips from Rory McIlroy
It was sad to only see Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player on the first tee as they got the 81st Masters underway.
But the spirit of Arnold Palmer was very much present during an emotional ceremony.
As the two legends stepped up to hit their tee shots, I was paying very close attention to what drivers they were using.
Both opted for the Callaway GBB Epic with Nicklaus using the regular, adjustable model and Player letting fly with the Sub Zero model.
But it was Nicklaus who had the edge over his great rival after Rory McIlroy helped him tweak his Epic driver by putting the sliding weight into the toe.
Nicklaus posted the below on Twitter…
Don’t get hot under the collar as Nike take style points
Nike may have pulled out of the hardware game but they are very much alive and kicking when it comes to apparel.
We think they took the style points on day one of the 2017 Masters with the likes of Rory, Jason Day, Paul Casey and Thomas Pieters rocking garments such as the the new Aeroreact collar-less polos, jumpers and zip-ups.
They don’t look like they are wearing traditional golf clothing which is probably why they look so good.
Bubba goes back to Pink
We reported in this column how Bubba Watson was set to use a green Volvik ball in his bid for a third green jacket.
Maybe he didn’t want to tempt fate so went back to the pink ball which we’ve seen him play so far in 2017.
Fred Couples staying casual
Fred Couples changed the face of golf footwear forever by strutting around Augusta in a pair of Ecco Street spikeless back in 2010.
And the 1993 champion kept it casual this year in a pair of Ecco Biom Hybrids.
Spiders taking over the greens
The likes of Dustin Johnson and Jason Day have sparked a bit of an outbreak of the TaylorMade Spider Tour putter.
Converts include Sergio Garcia, John Rahm, Ross Fisher and Vijay Singh.
All the gear: McIlroy and Garcia swap drivers in Masters practice round
All the gear: Rory goes to TaylorMade fairways for the Masters
All the Gear: Masters equipment special
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.