There was a dearth of intriguing news about Masters gear until Bryson DeChambeau made a statement that made us all do a double take.
DeChambeau told ESPN on Wednesday that he intends to play the Masters with a 5-iron. that he fabricated himself with a 3D printer.
“That’s the plan as of right now,” DeChambeau said.
We have a lot of questions, but let’s back up for a moment.
No wonder DeChambeau has been in the lab concocting something new. His “Mad Scientist” lyrics were standard fare during stints under contract with Cobra and LA Golf (he parted ways with LA in February).
His current bag is one wild mixture.
- Krank Golf Formula Fire Pro LD Driver (6°) with a Project X HZRDUS T1100 shaft
- Krank Golf Formula Fire Fairway Wood (10° and 13°)
- Avoda Origin Curved Face Cuff with BAD Prototype LA Golf Shafts
- Bettinardi HLX 5.0 wedge (50 @ 49º, 56 @ 55º) with LA Golf BAD Prototype Rebar shafts
- Ping Glide 4.0 wedge (60°) with armor shaft Prototype LA Golf BAD
- SIK SIK Pro-C Pro-C Series armlock barrel with JumboFlat 17 grip
Avoda irons-you can read a full review of Tony Covey here– They are 3D printed with faces that have mature bulges. They are, of course, all one length.
The Bettinardi points, which DeChambeau put into play earlier this year, are also a rare find at the highest level. He previously said they have “almost a bubble at the bottom” with more head weight.
Now we’re talking about a 5-iron that he designed and printed himself.
As for the timing of why he would do it at the Masters, DeChambeau said the irons are “finally ready” and hinted that the full set was an upgrade on his Avoda set.
“We’ll see where it goes. We’ll see where it takes me,” DeChambeau said. “All I can say now is, if I don’t put them in the bag, it’s my fault now.”
But why just a 5-iron? Has the USGA approved this club? Who actually made them?
DeChambeau was pressed on the possibility of new clubs during his Tuesday press conference, but did not offer many details. He said he was building his full set of clubs, including a new driver.
When asked which manufacturer he was building the clubs with, DeChambeau repeated several times that he was building them himself and did not provide any manufacturer names.
As of this writing, there has been no confirmation that the USGA has approved the club for competition.
Why a 5-iron? One guess is that the 5-iron is an especially important club around Augusta National given how many key shots players face in the 200-250 yard range. Testing and comfort level may have been fast-tracked for the 5-iron (which, although it has a 5-iron in the name, acts more like a 3-iron).
There’s certainly no question that DeChambeau is willing to bet on himself and take a chance, even if it means playing for a young club headed to the bigs.
“There’s a nature that I have about myself where innovation is a habit of mine, and I really find and pride myself in that ability to learn — both through failure and through making a bad decision or a good decision — what I can take from that,” DeChambeau said.
Top Photo Caption: DeChambeau practices Monday at the Masters. (GETTY IMAGES)
