What’s in his winning bag at the Houston Open

Gary Woodland is back in the PGA Tour winner’s circle for the first time since his US Open victory nearly seven years ago.

The 41-year-old recently opened up about his struggles with PTSD following brain surgery in late 2023. Now he’s back among the game’s elite, leading the tour in driving distance and club speed as he picked up his fifth PGA Tour win this week at Texas for Kids at the Houston Open.

His driving was one of the keys to his victory last week, as he tied for seventh in distance with nearly 322 yards off the tee while ranking 15th in Strokes Gained.

Woodland sports one of the more interesting driver setups on the PGA Tour, opting for Cobra’s prototype OPTM Max LS-K, something Cobra Tour Rep. Ben Schomin is described as a “living prototype” earlier this season. It’s essentially a lower-spin, slimmed-down version of Cobra’s retail Max K driver that was built specifically with Woodland in mind when he started playing Cobra’s DS-ADAPT Max-K driver last season.

“This is my 18th year on tour, and the drivers I’ve played when I’ve been driving the golf ball well have been back-weighted,” Woodland told GOLF in February, referring to the deeper CG of drivers designed for game-enhancing players. “Everybody wants the front weight to reduce spin and distance. But for some reason, I’m back with it and I started struggling with the spin last year. I went through all the drivers and got to their Max K driver last year, and for some reason it was low spin for me.”

With that deep CG, Woodland prefers a lower head, which is why its driver measures just 6.4 degrees of loft. He also pairs it with a telephone pole-like Ventus Black 8-X shaft.

Schomin and Woodland also made one big change this week shortly before his victory. Woodland made his second iron change of the season.

He started the year playing a softer Nippon Modus 130 X after falling in love with the feel when he added it to his bag last fall. But Schomin never saw it as the best option for him, and they turned to the Dynamic Gold X100 last month.

This was the shaft he first switched to from the KBS C-Taper 130X he used most of last year because he was trying to neutralize his heavy road.

“So he was trying to neutralize his delivery a little bit more and not swing as much left,” Cobra Tour representative Ben Schomin told GOLF. “Some dynamics change there, and as his swing is getting more neutral, the X100 was really good. He felt like he could hit the draw a little bit, he felt like he could hit a little bit.”

Woodland’s delivery dynamic puts a ton of spin on the ball, which is why he was in the C-Taper, but he felt the shaft was too crushed last year.

But for all the speed that Woodland has picked up this year, the X100s weren’t carving out enough spin, and Woodland was finding that his irons were giving out a bit.

“So the X100 is just starting to feel a little too soft. And again, going back to the C-Taper 130X is something he’s been toying with for a long time. Right off the bat, we knew at some point he’d probably go back to them.”

Schomin was so confident that Woodland would return to C-Taper that he kept a set of King MB axles on the Cobra Tour truck for Woodland. That group stayed in the Cobra truck for nearly a year until earlier this month when Schomin said Cobra technician James Posey sent them back to HQ because they were taking up space.

“He says, ‘Is the set still there?’ and I was like… ‘No, we just got them back.’ So I had to go build a new set of irons,” Schomin said. “We just did the 5-iron, 7-iron and 9-iron to do a quick comparison. Sure enough, he says, ‘Yeah, those feel good.’ Then I went and finished the rest of the set.”

As fast as Woodland has been gaining, he actually said the C-Tapers, one of the stiffest profiles out there, feel a lot better than before.

“Now he’s like, no, they actually feel good,” Schomin said. “They don’t feel the same as the X100, don’t get me wrong, but they definitely feel like I’ve got the speed now to move those things.”

Continue reading below for all of the Woodland’s detailed specs.

WITB Gary Woodland winner at Texas Children’s Houston Open 2026\

Driver: Cobra OPTM Max LS-K 9.0˚
FF33Cabin setting: F2
Current loft: 6.4˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus 8-X
Tip: 2″
Length: 44.75″

Custom Cobra OPTM Max-K driver

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Fujikura Ventus Black Wood Shaft (Velocore+)

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3-Wood: Ping G440 Max
Attic: 15˚
Shaft: Accra Tour Z XTreme 4100 M5

PING G440 Max Custom Fairway Wood

The G440 family of fairways (MAX, LST, SFT) advances PING’s reputation as a Tour favorite through a redesigned face structure and low CG system. The face is longer for more safety from the tip while maintaining a CG location that provides high launch performance from the ground. The MAX model (which fits most golfers) is available in five lofts (including a new 4-wood) to offer more hole options. HIGH MOI Easy to launch, durable design increases forgiveness. FLEXIBLE FACE Maraging steel face flexes for more ball speed, optimizes spin. HIGHER FACE PROFILE Improves tip-off performance, keeps CG low. FREE TIE DESIGN Saves weight to lower CG, optimize launch/spin and increase forgiveness.

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Utility iron: Wilson Staff Model Utility
Attic: 18˚
Shaft: KBS Tour C-Taper 130 X

Wilson Staff Model RB Utility Iron

The new Staff Model RB features a high-strength C300 steel face that delivers a forged feel to help you redefine your long game performance. This club helps players fill the gap between their shorter wood and longer iron. The versatility it offers around the golf course makes it a perfect solution for long threes, reachable two-par-fives and even fairway tees.

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Irons: Cobra King Tour Chrome (4), King MB Chrome (5-9)
Shaft: KBS Tour C-Taper 130 X

Cobra KING UK Custom Handcuffs

Built for blade enthusiasts, traditionalists and those who aspire to nothing but the best possible ball-striking experience. 5-STEP FORGED Crafted and 5-step forged from 1025 carbon steel for exceptional feel and compact shape TOUR INSPIRED SHAPING Using tour feedback, the design has been refined to deliver smooth muscle back and hollow shapes that inspire precision and workability. in the 4-6 iron, in a more applicable muscle back in the 7 through the pitching wedge. Complete MB and CB kits available to order

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Wedge: Cobra King RAW (48-56), Cleveland RTZ Tour Rack Proto (60)
Attic/Gallery: 48D, 52C, 56C, 60
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Cobra KING custom wedge

Crafted from 8620 steel using MIM (Metal Injection Molding), KING Wedges are one of the smoothest feeling on the market. Choose from four new shutters (DROP, WIDELOW, WIDELOW, TOUR) for enhanced green creativity and optimized CG with Flight Window Technology (FWT) for tour-inspired launch. The redesigned Cobra speed notch, 67% larger than before, provides better slide and speed on open face shots. MIM (METAL INJECTION MOLDING) Experience precision with MIM technology, offering 50% tighter tolerances than traditional molded wedges. Each head is heat treated to nearly 1400°C, providing a tighter grain structure for a smoother feel and increased longevity, while resisting groove degradation for consistent performance. COBRA SPEED NOTCH Discover the newly redesigned Cobra Speed ​​Notch, with a smoother, blended shape that complements our new grinds. Now 67% larger, it glides smoothly across the ground while maintaining speed and delivering high spin shots.

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Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo Touring Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke

Scotty Cameron Style Studio Fastback OC Putter

An extension of the popular Studio Style Fastback design, the Studio Style Fastback OC is a low-torque model that features the same ring-weight, high-stretch, multi-material design of other Fastback models, but with Scotty’s tour-proven OC technology package. Featuring the initial placement of the center axis behind the leading edge of the throwing face, the straight axis is positioned exactly in line with the CG location of the thrower’s head and tilted 1° forward. This allows for low-torque performance and face alignment that stays square with the trail. STUDIO CARBON CARBON (SCS) FACE INSERT The STUDIO Style Fastback OC features a chain-milled Studio carbon steel (SCS) insert for smooth sound and feel, treated with an electroless nickel coating for added durability with aerospace-inspired vibration damping for tuned sound, feel and performance. CUSTOM BLACK SHAFT Custom designed for the new OC machines, each model includes a special KBS x Scotty Cameron black shaft with optimal flex, unhindered reach and precise feel. CUSTOM MATADOR GRIP With an integrated chainlink texture, each new OC gauge includes a custom 11-inch midsize Matador grip in black with bright red and cool gray accents.

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BALL: 2025 Titleist Pro V1

Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls

The ultimate combination of Speed, Spin and Feel Pro V1 golf balls are the optimal premium performance choice for most players and the most played model in golf. Why play Pro V1? The Pro V1 is recommended for players looking for mid-trajectory flight, very low long game spin and maximum short game spin, with a softer feel. Pro V1x Comparison Due to its unique dimple pattern, the Pro V1 has a lower flight than the Pro V1x. A softer gradient core produces a smoother feel and slightly less spin than the Pro V1x.

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Gloves: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align

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