Patrick Cantlay switches driver, irons at U.S. Open

Earlier this year at the Masters, Patrick Cantlay made a surprising switch into new Ping Blueprint S irons. Prior to the switch, Cantlay had been using his longtime set of Titleist 718 AP2 irons, which were first released to the public in 2017, and Cantlay had used the irons to win seven events on the PGA TOUR.

Well, it seems the Ping iron experiment was short-lived, since last week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, Cantlay switched back into his Titleist 718 AP2 irons.

Cantlay’s familiar 718 AP2 irons are unique because they have custom grinds on their leading edges, helping Cantlay achieve the precise turf interaction he prefers at impact.

Irons aren’t the only news coming out of Cantlay’s equipment setup this week at the 2024 U.S. Open, however.

Cantlay conducted lengthy driver testing on-site at Pinehurst this week between his older TSR2 driver model, and Titleist’s new GT2 model.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, he posted a photo of the new GT2 driver to his Instagram, likely confirming the winner of his driver tests. As an equipment free agent, Cantlay’s post on social media says a lot about how much he likes the new driver.

As per our previous Equipment Report, PGA TOUR pros are seeing increased distance, more consistent spin rates, and a more muted sound from Titleist’s new, unreleased drivers thus far. Additionally, Titleist Tour rep J.J. Van Wezenbeeck told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the U.S. Open that pros are gravitating toward the GT2 model due to its ease of launch, forgiveness, and overall head shape at address, in addition to the previously mentioned upgrades in the GT lineup.

Consider Cantlay’s switch another feather in the cap of Titleist’s GT2 driver.

Cantlay, an eight-time PGA TOUR winner, is looking for the recent equipment changes to help him break through to win his first major championship this week at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.