I was at the practice round of the PGA Championship on Wednesday and like all of us gear nerds, I was more interested in seeing what everyone had in their bags. The practice rounds are where the stories of the equipment begin to be revealed. Sometimes it’s a real change and other times it’s just a tease. When a player sets and, more importantly, keeps something in the bag in a tournament, it tells you a lot more than a new tournament. After walking around Aronimink and taking pictures of what players had in-game, these are the three gear stories that stood out.
1. Justin Rose puts into play the Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond
Justin Rose has moved from Callaway Paradym He Smoke Triple Diamond THE Callaway Triple Quantum Diamond. Rose has been an accurate ball handler with Ai Smoke, which makes this switch especially interesting. As we all know, Rose debuted the McLaren Irons last week in the Truist Championship, with quite disastrous results. Now, a week later, he seems to have changed drivers as well. Despite his strong form this year, changing irons and drivers in the space of two weeks suggests he is looking for something. It’s clear that Rose is in the middle of a pretty big tin, and it will be fascinating to see if the changes are put in place this week at Aronimink.
2. Justin Thomas bags Cameron Young’s carrier
Like Rose, Justin Thomas made a pretty significant equipment change last week at the Truist Championship by switching to the Tour Prototype Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5R. Through 2026, Thomas is averaging -0.605 batting average: Setting and ranks 152nd in the tournament. While Thomas’ pitching has been poor, that change can be largely attributed to the rise of Cam Young. When asked about the immobilizer key, Thomas said, “Just give me Cam’s car.” If Thomas’ par on the 14th during Thursday’s opening round is any indication, it’s a change that may already be paying dividends.
3. Keith Mitchell is fully committed to the Two-Ball Odyssey
It’s been a confusing year for Keith Mitchell. We’re not even halfway through the year and he’s already sported a Scotty Cameron JAT Proto, a custom Scotty Cameron Napa, and a Scotty Cameron Kombi S. Throughout his career, putting Mitchell has definitely been his Achilles’ heel, and 2026 has clearly been the year he’s decided to banish them. After debuting the Odyssey EXO Two-Ball at the Valero Texas Open, it feels safe to say that the EXO Two-Ball has found a permanent home in Keith’s Cashmere bag. According to MyGolfSpy’s own Andrew Zanzig, the Odyssey Two-Ball is a first-ballot hall of fame club. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Mitchell’s performance this week.
