In many cases, 10 years does not sound all that long. When it comes to golf equipment, however, it can feel like a different era.
With the CJ CUP Byron Nelson back on the PGA Tour schedule, it’s a good time to look at the bag Sergio Garcia used to win the 2016 AT&T Byron Nelson. Throwback WITB stories are fun because they show what was available, what Tour players trusted and how much the setup blueprint has changed.
A few details in Garcia’s bag jump out, including an 80-gram driver shaft, a traditional 3-PW iron set and a simple two-wedge setup.
Sergio Garcia’s 2016 Byron Nelson bag at a glance
Garcia beat Brooks Koepka in a playoff that week. The bag worked but compared to many modern winning setups, it also shows how much Tour fitting has changed.
| Club | Sergio Garcia’s 2016 Winning Setup |
|---|---|
| Driver | TaylorMade M2, 9.5°, Mitsubishi Kuro Kage S TiNi 80X |
| 3-wood | TaylorMade M1, 15°, Mitsubishi Kuro Kage S TiNi 80X |
| 5-wood | TaylorMade M1, 19°, Mitsubishi Kuro Kage S TiNi 80X |
| Irons | TaylorMade PSi Tour, 3-PW |
| Wedges | TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF, 52° and 58° |
| Putter | TaylorMade Monte Carlo Prototype |
| Ball | TaylorMade Tour Preferred X |
The 80-gram driver shaft stands out
Garcia used an 80-gram Mitsubishi Kuro Kage S TiNi X shaft in his driver, 3-wood and 5-wood.
Garcia’s 80-gram driver shaft stands out next to many current winner bags. Several winners this season are listed with 6X driver shafts, which are typically in the mid-60-gram range, while Gary Woodland is one of the few listed with an 8X driver shaft, a weight class much closer to Garcia’s 2016 setup.
The takeaway is not that Sergio’s shaft was too heavy. It fit him. The takeaway is that modern Tour bags are more specialized by club. Driver, fairway woods and long-game clubs are each being fitted for a specific launch window, spin window and shot pattern.
The 3-iron may be the biggest difference
Garcia’s TaylorMade PSi Tour irons ran from 3-iron through pitching wedge. For me, that was the clearest “10 years ago” detail in the whole bag.
A 3-iron has not disappeared from professional golf but it is no longer the default choice. Current winner bags show far more variety at the top. You’ll see utility irons, 7-woods, 9-woods, hybrids, blended iron sets and long-iron replacements.
Scottie Scheffler had a Srixon ZU85 4-iron before moving into P7TW irons from 5-PW. Collin Morikawa used a TaylorMade PDHY 4-iron before his blended iron setup. Alex Fitzpatrick won with 7-wood and 9-wood options above a Titleist T100 set that started at 5-iron.
The wedge setup was simpler
Garcia carried TaylorMade Tour Preferred EF wedges in 52 and 58 degrees. EF stood for Electroformed, a face and groove design TaylorMade used to help maintain spin performance.
Compared to many modern bags, two specialty wedges feels simple. Today, it’s common to see three or four wedge setups with tighter gapping and more attention paid to bounce, grind and turf interaction.
Top Photo Caption: Sergio Garcia hits a drive during the 2016 Byron Nelson. (GETTY IMAGES/Scott Halleran)
Golfmiburk07
3 weeks ago
Great article, love looking back at retro style bags even if they are more modern. My only critique is that this is not a “2 wedge” set up it’s three wedges. It really frustrates me when people discount the pitching wedge as an actual wedge in the back.