Last 3 Major winners using Persimmon

[freddiec]

Bella, maybe your in this pic...

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/tom-kite-watches-his-tee-shot-during-the-u-s-open-at-the-news-photo/72482955

[birly-shirly]

[quote name='ScooterMcTavish' timestamp='1416487590' post='10477127']

BS, I have a 975D, and is the perfect intermediate club for someone transitioning from a toaster to persimmon.
[/quote] And vice versa? [The horror... :-0]

You know, I feel there's an irony about Langer being the last major persimmon success. Or maybe not, depending on how you look at it.

What I mean is that Langer was, as I recall, one of the early adopters of metal woods in the 80s. I'm sure he used to lash one of the original, tiny-headed burners. It was just one more way, in addition to the bright clothes, the wiry athleticism, the doggedness and the flaky putting, that he distinguished himself from the other leading lights in Europe at the time.

Maybe it's ironic that he closed out the persimmon chapter. Or not, if you take him as the ultimate in form follows function.

[KevCarter]

[quote name='ScooterMcTavish' timestamp='1416487590' post='10477127']
[quote name='birly-shirly' timestamp='1416439261' post='10474821']
For me, that's a huge part of the allure of the 975D. Not the zillions of pros who played it on tour, or even the Tiger Slam, but that it converted the last 2 persimmon holdouts.

How many times has someone posted on here that if you want a classic-ish titanium driver that can rotate in and out of a persimmon bag - this is the one?


[Hopefully a threadjack is in order now that the OP's question seems to have been definitively answered.]
[/quote]

Great head Tom. Worth keeping in its pristine unhit condition imho. Guessing you may have already had some PMs about it.

BS, I have a 975D, and is the perfect intermediate club for someone transitioning from a toaster to persimmon.
[/quote]

It took me a few minutes to figure out why you were calling BS on Birly. I need another cup of coffee! :-)

[freddiec]

Birly,
You make a great point. I know a lot of guys between 1985 and the early 90s went to the TM Burner then went back to Persimmon for a while.

Lucky me owns the Wood Bros Texan than made Langer go back to Persimmon. (in 1987).

I met Tom Kite in 2002 during his Monday practice round for the US Senior Open. I walked about 13 holes with him and his caddy and a few members. I actually was the only person with him (besides his caddy) on the 18th tee , where I pointed out the right line. He hit 3 tee shots and never missed his mark. Amazing. He is the true meaning of a class act, he actually thanked me for walking with him that day. Great guy.

[CanadianCrippler]

Freddie, do you still have contact with Kite? It seems that you are connected with a bunch of touring (now senior) pro's! Who else do you know?

[NRJyzr]

[quote name='kevcarter' timestamp='1416491216' post='10477319']
[quote name='ScooterMcTavish' timestamp='1416487590' post='10477127']
[quote name='birly-shirly' timestamp='1416439261' post='10474821']
For me, that's a huge part of the allure of the 975D. Not the zillions of pros who played it on tour, or even the Tiger Slam, but that it converted the last 2 persimmon holdouts.

How many times has someone posted on here that if you want a classic-ish titanium driver that can rotate in and out of a persimmon bag - this is the one?


[Hopefully a threadjack is in order now that the OP's question seems to have been definitively answered.]
[/quote]

Great head Tom. Worth keeping in its pristine unhit condition imho. Guessing you may have already had some PMs about it.

BS, I have a 975D, and is the perfect intermediate club for someone transitioning from a toaster to persimmon.
[/quote]

It took me a few minutes to figure out why you were calling BS on Birly. I need another cup of coffee! :-)
[/quote]

Kevin, you just need to thaw out a little bit. The cold is seeping into your system too deeply....

[BIG STU]

[quote name='birly-shirly' timestamp='1416439261' post='10474821']
[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1416428490' post='10473803']
I quote PBrown from wrx on his post from 2010.

People tend to get a little confused about this, but here is the answer....

Justin Leonard and DL3 were the last two guys on tour to switch away from a wooden driver (DL3 was the latter of the two). Interestingly, they each switched to the Titleist 975D with an EI-70 shaft.

Leonard went on to win the British Open at Troon not long after and then DL3 won the PGA at Winged Foot the next month. Those are the facts.

Its a strange coincidence that the last two guys playing wooden drivers each switched to same model head and the same model shaft and then each went on to win their only major shortly after the switch.
[/quote]

For me, that's a huge part of the allure of the 975D. Not the zillions of pros who played it on tour, or even the Tiger Slam, but that it converted the last 2 persimmon holdouts.

How many times has someone posted on here that if you want a classic-ish titanium driver that can rotate in and out of a persimmon bag - this is the one?


[Hopefully a threadjack is in order now that the OP's question seems to have been definitively answered.]
[/quote]I think I had the dubious dishonor of that in post #9 but you can be the judge of that

[Shallowface]

[quote name='tstephen' timestamp='1416456930' post='10476417']
Anyone know what Senior Tour players, if any, used persimmon to the late 90's?
[/quote]

Not persimmon, but Jack Kiefer was using the Ping ISI Tour laminated woods around that time.

[tstephen]

[quote name='Shallowface' timestamp='1416519702' post='10479811']
[quote name='tstephen' timestamp='1416456930' post='10476417']
Anyone know what Senior Tour players, if any, used persimmon to the late 90's?
[/quote]

Not persimmon, but Jack Kiefer was using the Ping ISI Tour laminated woods around that time.
[/quote]

Thanks & those were my favorite laminated woods.

I just looked on Ebay and saw some fairway wood sets of the ISI tours.

I borrowed a 7 wood in the early 2000s and hit the best 220-250 out of the rough shots for me ever.

[oldschoolrocker]

The 975d is the only modern driver I still have.

[RobotDoctor]

[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1416493281' post='10477455']
Birly,
You make a great point. I know a lot of guys between 1985 and the early 90s went to the TM Burner then went back to Persimmon for a while.

Lucky me owns the Wood Bros Texan than made Langer go back to Persimmon. (in 1987).

I met Tom Kite in 2002 during his Monday practice round for the US Senior Open. I walked about 13 holes with him and his caddy and a few members. I actually was the only person with him (besides his caddy) on the 18th tee , where I pointed out the right line. He hit 3 tee shots and never missed his mark. Amazing. He is the true meaning of a class act, he actually thanked me for walking with him that day. Great guy.
[/quote]

That's an awesome story, Fred! I love it when athletes show appreciation to the fans who attend events! Class act by Tom Kite!

[majic]

Justin Leonard was probably using wood in 95-96. He stayed with wood for a long time.

[rex235]

Tad-

+1

If memory serves me, Justin Leonard was using a persimmon wood at the 1995 PGA Championship at Riviera CC

(won by Steve Elkington in a playoff over Colin Montgomerie)

[freddiec]

Great pic of Faldo's M85 used to win the Open

http://www.pga.com/golf-equipment/weeks-worth-tweets/weeks-worth-tweets-april-1-7-2013

[NRJyzr]

You know....

If you look at only the face dimensions of each club, the persimmon's face width isn't all *that* much shorter than that of the R11 pictured.

Something similar to what I noticed when comparing 260cc drivers to 360cc drivers, a dozen years ago....

Or maybe I was outside too long when shoveling the driveway.

[dcr147]

[quote name='CanadianCrippler' timestamp='1416441607' post='10474991']
Too bad there aren't any cool pictures of Kite swinging the Hogan! Love these woods! (not quite as much as my WB's however!)
[/quote]Golf Digest did an article on Kite, I think it was the '93 Annual that came out in January that has photos of his winning bag fro.m the Open at Pebble in '92

[bullrambler]

[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1417221962' post='10515591']
Great pic of Faldo's M85 used to win the Open

[url="http://www.pga.com/golf-equipment/weeks-worth-tweets/weeks-worth-tweets-april-1-7-2013"]http://www.pga.com/g...-april-1-7-2013[/url]
[/quote]

I have a M-85 but it's not as pretty as the one in the link. Still it's a keeper and does get some time in the bag.

[RobotDoctor]

This is one of my M85 drivers.

[tstephen]

Super looking M85 RobotDoctor. Do you know who did the refinish work?

Funny thing, I just hit mine yesterday for the 4th time since I bought it 6 years ago.

I usually get a good dozen "persimmon balls" in my bucket but only needed 1 for the M85.

It was a smashed dead straight liner carried to the 250 and only hit 1 modern 3 wood that came close.

I hit my 945TW for the 1st time ever but did not fair so well. The head felt 7/10 & shaft about a 6/10 unlike M85 10/10 both.

I don't know who refinished the MacGregor M85 but the True Temper NDS stiff shaft is the best feeling steel shaft I have ever hit.

[RobotDoctor]

I believe Dave Wood refinished it. This was one I got from Fred recently. It's fabulous! I'm looking to take it out soon with a Titleist 100 compression Tour Balata.

[Texsport]

I made a purchase this evening because:

(1) I have studied this thread about the last persimmon drivers used in major championships.
(2) I use an iPad to view this site.

The iPad is very useful for expanding posted photos for more detail. After expending freddiec's Getty photo of Tom Kite at the 1996 U S Open, and reading the freddiec, ws6, and Bella Woods posts, I suddenly realized that I may have an unusual opportunity, if nobody else notices!

Close inspection of freddiec's expanded photo, I noticed a few things:

1 - A Green Victory grip, which Mr Kite prefers.
2 - A black graphite shaft
3 - A darkly stained driver head, with a black Ben Hogan engraved signature on top.
4 - And this is what startled me - a distinctive Half U-shaped stain variation on the head right below the signature and to the back part of the head! This rarely occurs, but sometimes is unavoidable if the head has very dense, oil hardened grain, which prevent the stain from being obsorbed evenly.

ws6 posted an eBay image of one of Mr Kite's Ben Hogan Apex drivers previously sold by 2nd Swing, thru which Mr Kite sells lots of his old clubs.

I realized that the very wood was again for sale on eBay, and surprise of surprises - it has the same characteristics noted above in the 1996 U S Open photo!

Everything matched, so I thought, what are the chances that Tom Kite would have 2 drivers with exactly the same irregular stain in exactly the same place, with a black graphite shaft and a Green Victory grip?

I think I made a lucky find!

A persimmon driver used by a major champion, in the U S Open, at the end of the persimmon era, with province that Tom Kite owned the club, and I have photographic evidence! WOW!

Nobody noticed, and I even tried to get the seller to post a buy-it-now for substantially more money - but he didn't respond, probably thinking that others would bid on it. I decided to post multiple bids running up several times higher than the opening bid. Nobody bid but me!

So, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

I can't wait to get it into my collection and I must thank all you gentlemen who so freely share your information. I owe you guys this one!

[Texsport]

Check the evidence!

[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1416488986' post='10477207']
Bella, maybe your in this pic...

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/tom-kite-watches-his-tee-shot-during-the-u-s-open-at-the-news-photo/72482955
[/quote]

[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1416488986' post='10477207']
Bella, maybe your in this pic...

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/tom-kite-watches-his-tee-shot-during-the-u-s-open-at-the-news-photo/72482955
[/quote]
[attachment=2757462:image.jpg]
What grain!
[attachment=2757464:image.jpg]
[attachment=2757466:image.jpg]
[attachment=2757468:image.jpg]
[attachment=2757470:image.jpg]

Texsport

[freddiec]

Texsport, that sure is interesting... You might have the Golden Goose right there.. I also bought a few clubs from 2ndSwing in the fall of last year when they had a good stash of Tom Kite's old clubs. I spoke to the Sales Mgr over the phone and he assured me it was all legit and they have a good relationship with Tom. Here is the Hogan driver I acquired. Also has a black graphite shaft, green victory grip and a similar light stain spot in the same spot , although thin. Humm.....

[Texsport]

I've bought several Tom Kite clubs from them myself, including putters, MacGregor Super E-O-M driver and 3 wood, a Wilson Staff driver + irons, and wedges with his initials stamped into the backs.

I'm sure they're legit!

2nd Swing sells lots of Tour players' clubs.

I also bought a Rickie Fowler Vokey from them, with a dot punched mustache and Dick Fowler stamped in the back - from the time RF was doing the golf rules infraction on-course investigation commercials, as mustachioed detective "Dick Fowler",for the USGA.

He still has that dot punched mustache on his wedges now.

BTW - I've ordered the Tom Kite, 1996 U S Open, Getty photo for a closer look.

Texsport

[Blade Junkie]

Good luck with that one Texsport! I wonder if there is a sole plate shot of Kite using it at the US Open ... seems a bit odd that he would leave half the label on it, although maybe that is just me being a bit OCD lol. Certainly all the other evidence looks good!

Slight aside, I would love to see your Wood Bros collection alongside freddiec's one day ... that might be as close as you could ever get to persimmon heaven!

[Texsport]

The sticker is from 2nd Swing or a subsequent re-seller..

And, no matter if the photo proves it's a U S Open club or not, I do have a Tom Kite driver, just as freddiec does.

Texsport

[Texsport]

[quote name='toms1090' timestamp='1416443375' post='10475103']
Hey guys here is some information on the driver Freddie used to win the masters.

[attachment=2504761:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1416443282.512367.jpg]
[attachment=2504767:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1416443302.727360.jpg]
[attachment=2504769:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1416443320.221158.jpg]
[attachment=2504771:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1416443336.435841.jpg]
[/quote]


Interesting. I have a Lynx persimmon 4 wood that's identical to this driver - same stain, insert, sole plate, stamping, and signature.

Texsport

[EmperorPenguin]

[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1431658574' post='11561832']
Texsport, that sure is interesting... You might have the Golden Goose right there.. I also bought a few clubs from 2ndSwing in the fall of last year when they had a good stash of Tom Kite's old clubs. I spoke to the Sales Mgr over the phone and he assured me it was all legit and they have a good relationship with Tom. Here is the Hogan driver I acquired. Also has a black graphite shaft, green victory grip and a similar light stain spot in the same spot , although thin. Humm.....
[/quote]

Dude, there is a small chance that the driver you acquired was the actual driver Tom used to win the 1992 US Open. Why do I think so? Because in 1992 I was a relative newbie at golf, but I was fanatical about golf equipment at the time. I was very well aware that Tom was on Hogan staff when he played in the US Open, and at the time I was very big into persimmon. I had a Hogan Apex persimmon driver at the time and I used it a lot. When Tom was playing in the US Open in 1992 I was cheering a bit for him, because he was using Hogan clubs and I had the Apex driver. When I saw him on the 72nd hole of the US Open I instantly recognized by the head that he was swinging an Apex driver (I could tell by the shape of the head and the finish of the club). I still have that moment on videotape showing Tom taking practice swings with the driver, setting up to the ball. When the commentator (I believe Mark Rolfing or Gary Koch?) remarked that the club has a graphite shaft so it must be a driver he was teeing up with. As we all know, he hit a beautiful tee shot, passing the two trees in the fairway and finishing teed up on the edge of the 1.5" intermediate rough barely off the edge of the fairway, a drive of 295 yards. Reviewing the tape, the shaft was indeed black in color, but the grip I could not see, but at the time (1992) everybody used Golf Pride Victory grips, whether standard or cord, and I have a 1992 Tom Kite book ([i]How To [u]Play[/u] Consistent Golf[/i]) showing that he was using Victory grips then, so it is most likely that the driver he drove into 18 had a Victory grip, too.

Chances are that Tom may have kept the driver for himself--who wouldn't want to keep the driver that won you a US Open? Hence it is likely that it may be either a backup driver or a practice driver Tom had in his inventory. The best answer is from Tom himself, but I can attest through my videotape that the driver you have is identical to the one Tom used to win the 1992 Open.

Maybe your heart skipped a beat reading this?

[weeicemon]

[quote name='EmperorPenguin' timestamp='1416450992' post='10475891']
I don't know why, but I happen to have on VHS videotape the final round of the 1993 Masters which Langer won. Indeed he used a persimmon driver, and he wore a yellow shirt with a Hugo Boss logo on it. (He later said in an interview that he wore that yellow shirt because he wanted to be more color-coordinated when donned the green jacket, because in 1985 he looked tacky in the all-red and the green jacket on it looked horrid.) The coverage on Sunday at the time did not show all 18 holes of the leaders, so you didn't see Langer scoring a bogey on the first hole. Just before he tapped in his final putt to win, he pointed to it and laughed along with the gallery because he bogeyed the first and the last, and everything in between was spectacular, including the eagle on 13 (only he and Gene Sauers eagled that hole all week). It was fun to watch him putt the old Langer-style (i.e., left hand way low, right hand gripping left forearm).

Steve Elkington was in contention, and there is a shot of him on the 18th tee driving into the bunker with a 3 wood. Looked like a practice swing when he hit it! I wish I could somehow upload the whole coverage, given the limited technology of VHS.

I am very glad to have captured on videotape the very last persimmon driver used in the majors, especially the very last tee shot used in the majors with persimmon. Now if I could somehow upload the whole round to share with you guys.
[/quote]

There are a bunch of sellers on ebay with the 1993 Masters Tournament on VHS. Most are less than $10. Not sure if Langer's tee shot on 18 was the last tee shot hit in a major with persimmon. The '93 Masters is the last tournament won with a persimmon driver. Anybody know if Langer played in and used his persimmon driver a couple of months later at the 1993 U.S. Open?

[Texsport]

[quote name='EmperorPenguin' timestamp='1431918800' post='11576772']
[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1431658574' post='11561832']
Texsport, that sure is interesting... You might have the Golden Goose right there.. I also bought a few clubs from 2ndSwing in the fall of last year when they had a good stash of Tom Kite's old clubs. I spoke to the Sales Mgr over the phone and he assured me it was all legit and they have a good relationship with Tom. Here is the Hogan driver I acquired. Also has a black graphite shaft, green victory grip and a similar light stain spot in the same spot , although thin. Humm.....
[/quote]

Dude, there is a small chance that the driver you acquired was the actual driver Tom used to win the 1992 US Open. Why do I think so? Because in 1992 I was a relative newbie at golf, but I was fanatical about golf equipment at the time. I was very well aware that Tom was on Hogan staff when he played in the US Open, and at the time I was very big into persimmon. I had a Hogan Apex persimmon driver at the time and I used it a lot. When Tom was playing in the US Open in 1992 I was cheering a bit for him, because he was using Hogan clubs and I had the Apex driver. When I saw him on the 72nd hole of the US Open I instantly recognized by the head that he was swinging an Apex driver (I could tell by the shape of the head and the finish of the club). I still have that moment on videotape showing Tom taking practice swings with the driver, setting up to the ball. When the commentator (I believe Mark Rolfing or Gary Koch?) remarked that the club has a graphite shaft so it must be a driver he was teeing up with. As we all know, he hit a beautiful tee shot, passing the two trees in the fairway and finishing teed up on the edge of the 1.5" intermediate rough barely off the edge of the fairway, a drive of 295 yards. Reviewing the tape, the shaft was indeed black in color, but the grip I could not see, but at the time (1992) everybody used Golf Pride Victory grips, whether standard or cord, and I have a 1992 Tom Kite book ([i]How To [u]Play[/u] Consistent Golf[/i]) showing that he was using Victory grips then, so it is most likely that the driver he drove into 18 had a Victory grip, too.

Chances are that Tom may have kept the driver for himself--who wouldn't want to keep the driver that won you a US Open? Hence it is likely that it may be either a backup driver or a practice driver Tom had in his inventory. The best answer is from Tom himself, but I can attest through my videotape that the driver you have is identical to the one Tom used to win the 1992 Open.

Maybe your heart skipped a beat reading this?
[/quote]

Thanks for the info. Very interesting!

Of course I know that the chances that my Hogan Apex being the actual club used by Tom in 1992 or 1996 is improbable, but----

I know it's a Tom Kite owned club sold originally thru 2nd Swing.

And, since I collect such things, and needed a Tom Kite, Hogan driver to add to my collection, the evidence I posted convinced me that it was a good club to have - and a neat story to relate.

You don't know this, but I'm a ridiculous collector, and to date, have clubs used by 43 major tournament winners - totaling a couple hundred clubs.(I was an early member on GWX, but haven't posted much here lately. Posting more now due to the presence here of my friend freddiec)

Adding the T Kite Hogan Apex was a no brainer for me, because half the fun is finding and acquiring the clubs, and the other half is sharing them with others.

My Tom Kite used club list is currently-
1 - Hogan Apex driver
2/3 - MacGregor Super E-O-M driver and 3 wood
4 - Wilson Staff driver
5 - Hogan Apex PW
6 - Hogan SW
7 - Hogan LW
8 - Bullseye putter

Damned if I won't have to find videos of 1992 and 1996 now!

A new search begins!

Texsport