Welcome to Fully Equipped’s weekly Tour equipment report. Every Friday of PGA Tour weeks (plus other times, if news warrants), GOLF equipment editor Jack Hirsh runs you through some of the biggest news surrounding golf clubs on Tour, including changes, tweaks and launches.
The Presidents Cup is usually one of the quieter weeks on the PGA Tour calendar for gear switches, and for the most part, that’s held true this year.
Except for the fact that two of Team USA’s biggest stars arrived at Medinah with new putters.
Both Cameron Young and Justin Thomas seemed to have been locked in on the Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5R for most of this season, with Young’s success popularizing what’s become one of the hottest shapes on the PGA Tour.
This week, neither showed up with that gamer, with Young making his second putter switch in as many appearances.
Young’s flatstick fluidity is surprising given his career-best season in 2026, when he won twice, including the Players Championship and finished runner-up at the Open Championship.
But after Young finished seventh a year ago in SG: Putting and peaked as high as 37th this season, his putting took a bit of a downturn over the summer. He lost strokes in his last three starts entering the Tour Championship and had recorded positive strokes gained putting in only two events (not counting majors) since his last win at the Cadillac Championship.
That led him to make the sudden move away from the Phantom 9.5R at the Tour Championship to a Scotty Cameron 10.5 Xperimental prototype mallet.
That putter featured what looked like an aluminum face insert, intended to remove weight from the face and then redistribute that weight further back to boost MOI and forgiveness. Aluminum inserts are something the Scotty Cameron Tour team has used a lot more in 2026, with J.J. Spaun and Robert MacIntyre testing different options throughout the year.
At the Travelers Championship, Young tested the aluminum-faced Phantom 12 before the tournament as well.
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Young concluded the FedEx Cup season with his best putting performance since the Cadillac at East Lake (+.870) in a T11 showing, using the 10.5.
But this week, Young has pulled a different model. He has a new Phantom 5.5 mallet, a putter shape he used previously, notably firing a 59 at TPC River Highlands with a black version in 2024.
The new 5.5 is similar to the retail edition of the putter, with a single sightline along the top rail, except without the Studio Carbon Steel face insert. Young’s appears to also have an aluminum insert, like his 10.5 Xperimental.
The short sightline and the centering alignment lines of the Phantom 5.5 are what led Young back to the shape this week. He’s had this putter for a few weeks, and he found he lined it up better than either the 9.5 or 10.5 in testing at home.
Justin Thomas, Young’s partner in foursomes on Friday at the Presidents Cup, has also moved out of his Phantom 9.5R, a putter he started using because of Young.
His new wand this week? He’s taking a page from Young again, going with another 10.5 Xperimental prototype.
Thomas used the 9.5R for most of the season after requesting a copy of Young’s putter and putting it in play at the Truist Championship.
Once again, he’s opting for a putter shape most recently used by Young, but Thomas’s version has a couple of notable differences from Young’s 10.5.
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore, Titleist
Instead of a slant neck, Thomas’ putter has a flow neck, which still produces a lot of toe hang and is similar to the Futura X 5.5 with which Thomas picked up his early-career victories.
The putter also has what looks like a steel face bolted to an aluminum body. The steel face should produce more of a feel Thomas is used to, while the lighter aluminum construction is something that allows Cameron, again, to spread the weight out ot the perimeter and increase MOI.
While there’s no sign of a Phantom 10.5 coming to retail, those clamoring for one should take solace. Scotty Cameron wouldn’t put a new head shape
This section is dedicated to cool photos we’ve snapped recently on Tour, but haven’t had a reason to share yet. This week, check out Tom Kim’s Scotty Cameron Newport 2 prototype putter.
Some other gear changes and notes we’re tracking this week.
Jackson Koivun had some creative wedge stamping for his U.S. Presidents Cup team debut … Cameron Young switched to a TaylorMade Qi4D fairway wood.
A selection of GOLF content from the past week that may interest you.
Amid golf-ball rollback debate, USGA and R&A propose 3 new rules – The USGA issued another notice to manufacturers this week outlining three potential “near-term” solutions for distance on the PGA Tour as golf’s rollback debate rages on.
Srixon rethought its whole process for new ZXi RKT metalwoods – Srixon’s new ZXi RKT woods were developed with direct feedback from Srixon’s Tour team and the creation of a new Tour Prototype team.
What in the world is Tony Finau’s hockey-stick putter grip? – Last week in this space, we chronicled the debut of both Caliber Golf and Hanna Golf Co. on the PGA Tour.
The author welcomes your comments at Jack.Hirsh@golf.com.
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