Then and now: Tiger Woods’ equipment at U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, 2000 vs. 2019
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Tiger Woods' swing comparison 2000 vs. 2019
Nearly two decades after his annihilation of the U.S. Open field at Pebble Beach in 2000, when he won by a record 15 strokes, Tiger Woods will once again tee it up in a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2019.
A lot has changed for Woods in those 19 years, and for golf technology in general. While Woods has been known throughout his career to keep his equipment the same or similar – as covered in-depth recently by PGATOUR.COM – Woods has taken advantage of technological innovations.
Woods’ new TaylorMade M5 driver in 2019, for example, has an adjustable hosel for loft and lie settings, rather than the bonded hosel Woods used in 2000. The M5 also has adjustable weights for CG (center of gravity) placement to help dial in flight characteristics. Additionally, while Woods used a 120+ gram True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 steel shaft in 2000, he now uses a significantly lighter 60-gram Mitsubishi Diamana graphite shaft. Back in 2000, Woods also used a driver face that was scratched with sandpaper to prevent slippage at impact, a technique that is now illegal.
Another notable change from 2000 to 2019 is the addition of a 5-wood. According to Rick Nichols, who worked closely with Woods on his equipment as the Director of Field Operations for Nike, Woods used to refer to 5-woods as “senior clubs,” opting instead for a 2-iron. Later, after continued guidance from Nichols to give it a try, Woods realized the versatility of a 5-wood, and it has been in and out of his bag ever since. While Woods still goes back and forth between a 5-wood and a driving iron, depending on course conditions, it’s likely he’ll opt for the TaylorMade M3 5-wood this week at Pebble Beach.
Woods’ irons and wedges in 2000 and 2019 may have a similar look, and the lofts, lie angles and grinds may be quite similar, but there are a few notable differences. Woods began using irons with Tungsten plugs added to the sole while at Nike, and he continues using Tungsten in his TaylorMade P-7TW irons in 2019. Also, he now uses irons and wedges made with TaylorMade’s Milled Grind technology, which allows him to change irons and wedges more often than ever. Woods talks in-depth about using Milled Grind products here.
As for the golf ball, his 2000 and 2019 golf balls are more similar than what appears on paper. While Woods used a Nike Tour Accuracy TW golf ball in 2000, and he now uses a Bridgestone Tour B XS golf ball (Nike golf balls were always manufactured by Bridgestone). Of course, technological advancements have been made when it comes to golf balls over that time period, but Woods still uses a Bridgestone-manufactured golf ball.
And then, there’s the putter. Nineteen years later, Woods is still using the same putter he used to win the U.S. Open in 2000 by 15 shots. Amazing.
Check out Woods’ full bags of equipment in 2000 versus 2019 below:
2000 Pebble Beach U.S. Open
Driver: Titleist 975D (7.5 degrees)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
3 Wood: Titleist 970 (15 degrees)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Irons: Titleist 681 Forged (2-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design (258-08 bent to 56 degrees, and 260-06
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS prototype
Ball: Nike Tour Accuracy TW
2019 Pebble Beach U.S. Open
Driver: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 60TX
3 Wood: TaylorMade M5 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70TX
5 Wood: TaylorMade M3 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70TX
Irons: TaylorMade P-7TW (3-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind (TW-12 56 degrees and TW-11 60 degrees)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS prototype
Golf Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS
For more on Tiger's equipment, visit his page at the PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE.