Then and now: A look inside Davis Love III’s bag today and in 1992
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U.S. Presidents Cup captain won the first of his three Wyndham titles 30 years ago
Born in Charlotte and an alumnus of UNC, Davis Love III is a Tar Heel through and through.
North Carolina has been the site of on-course success for Love, as well. He’s a three-time winner of the Wyndham Championship, claiming the trophy in three different decades.
The 2015 Wyndham Championship, which he won at the age of 51, was the last of his 21 TOUR wins. He also won the Wyndham in 2006 and 1992. Only Sam Snead, who won the event a record-tying eight times, has had more success in this event. Next month, Love also will captain the U.S. Presidents Cup team at Charlotte’s Quail Hollow Club. In preparation for that role, he’s competing for the second consecutive week on TOUR – a luxury afforded him as a life member – to get a closer look at prospective players.
“I'm thrilled to be back,” Love III told the press on Tuesday. “(I) won it at Forest Oaks across town, and won here (at Sedgefield Country Club), so it always gives me good vibes when I come back to a place that I played well. … I always do play better when I get to North Carolina for some reason.”
In celebration of the 30-year anniversary of Love’s first Wyndham first win, we wanted to look at what’s changed in his equipment setup between now and then. As you can expect, the changes have been drastic. He was still using a persimmon wood when he first won in Greensboro, as well as two classic equipment lines, the Tommy Armour 845 irons and Ping Eye 2 wedges. Love used a 2-iron back then, when he was one of the longest hitters on TOUR, but now a 4-iron is the longest iron in his bag.
Love’s 1992 driver was a far technological cry from what he uses now: a weight-adjustable Titleist TSi3, equipped with a graphite Fujikura Ventus Red shaft. He was one of the last players to wield a persimmon driver, using a Cleveland Classic until 1997.
“The Cleveland has been in my bag since 1985,” Love III wrote in his 1997 book, “Every Shot I Take.” “It was given to me by a good friend, Bob Spence. I experiment with metal drivers often; I find – for me, and not necessarily for you – they go marginally longer than my wooden driver, but they don’t give me any shape. I find it more difficult to create shape to my drives off the metal face, which is important to me. …I also love the sound my ball makes as it comes off the persimmon insert of my driver.
“I’m no technophobe,” he added. “My fairway ‘woods’ have metal heads … but when it comes to my old wooden driver, I guess the only thing I can really say is that I enjoy golf more with it, and I think I play better with it…golf is somehow more pleasing to me when played with a driver made of wood.”
Love III changed his tune later in 1997, though, when he switched into a Titleist 975D driver made of titanium instead of wood. Flash forward to this year’s Wyndham Championship, and Love III still has a Titleist driver in his bag.
Check out the full specs below from Love III’s win in 1992 versus what he has in the bag this week!
DAVIS LOVE III WITB 1992
Driver: Cleveland Classic Oil Hardened RC85
3-wood: TaylorMade Tour Spoon
Irons: Tommy Armour 845 (2-PW)
Wedges: Ping Eye 2 (SW, LW)
Putter: Ping Anser
DAVIS LOVE III WITB 2022
Driver: Titleist TSi3
3-wood: Titleist TS3
Utility: Callaway Apex UW
Irons: Titleist AP2 718 (4-9 iron)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (46-10F, 50-08F, 56-14F and 60-10K)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Masterful
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1 2021