One of my favorite things about testing isn’t naming a winner. It’s seeing what the data teaches us.
Sometimes, the overall winner checks every box. Other times, a club stands out in one very specific area and that can be a more interesting story. That’s what happened with the Cleveland RTZ in our 2025 wedge test.
It didn’t win overall but it led the field in one category that gets the attention of some professionals.
The stat that jumped off the page
When we introduce moisture into wedge testing, some models lose a little spin. Some lose a lot.
The Cleveland RTZ did something different: it gained speed in wet testing.
From 50 yards:
- Dry spin: 6,454 rpm
- Wet spin: 6,795 rpm
- Retention rate: 105.3%
For comparison:
- Callaway OPUS SP — 84.8% retention
- PXG Sugar Daddy III BP Grind — 84.4%
- Wilson Infinite — 78.4%
- Bettinardi HLX 6.0 — 77.0%
Where it didn’t excel
What held the RTZ back was accuracy separation.
Accuracy accounts for 50 percent of the MGS Score and is based on Strokes Gained across full-swing, 50-yard dry and 50-yard wet shots. The RTZ posted an 8.2 in accuracy, compared to 8.8 for the Mizuno Pro T-3 and 8.7 for the TaylorMade Milled Grind 5. In a category weighted that heavily, that difference is significant.
Its spin performance was strong but without a top-tier accuracy score, it couldn’t overcome the wedges that produced stronger overall proximity and Strokes Gained results across all three testing conditions.
Why wet spin retention matters
It’s easy to focus on clean launch monitor numbers like the highest-spinning wedge. The problem is the playing conditions you face rarely set you up for a wedge shot where spin can be maximized. You’ll run into things like morning dew, slightly damp fairways, moist light rough and humid conditions.
When friction drops, spin drops and distance control struggles.
The wedges that maintain predictable spin in imperfect conditions allow you to trust a number inside 100 yards. Wet spin retention is about consistency when the environment changes.
Cleveland RTZ in Tour bags
The Cleveland RTZ appears in quite a few bags on the PGA Tour. Some of the notables include J.J. Spaun, Ryan Fox, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka and Andrew Novak.
Koepka, Lowry and Reed have excellent reputations for trajectory control and short-game performance in demanding conditions. Koepka and Reed are not included in PGA Tour 2025 Shot Link data due to LIV participation but we can look at the measurable results from the PGA Tour players carrying the RTZ.
Here’s how they performed in 2025 across key short game categories.
| Player | SG: ARG (Rank) | Proximity ARG (Rank) | Scrambling % (Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Novak | +0.155 (43rd) | 6’9″ (T9) | 59.42% (93rd) |
| Shane Lowry | +0.042 (78th) | 7’4″ (T55) | 62.17% (T37) |
| Ryan Fox | +0.021 (T84) | 7’8″ (T102) | 54.77% (166th) |
| J.J. Spaun | +0.017 (86th) | 7’5″ (T64) | 60.92% (54th) |
| Sepp Straka | -0.070 (119th) | 7’8″ (T102) | 59.31% (96th) |
The takeaway
A wedge doesn’t need to win Most Wanted testing to be good. It needs to solve a problem in your game.
If you play in humid conditions, deal with morning dew or struggle with shots that release when the turf is damp, that stat may matter more than total composite score.
WYBob
5 months ago
Cleveland builds excellent wedges and has done so for 3+ decades. I am glad to see Roger Cleveland back with the company he founded. It will be interesting to see what impact he will have going forward. That said, I think you have to take what’s in the bags of touring pro’s with a grain of salt. First, they may be under contract with a specific OEM and/or get paid to play particular clubs. Second, a touring pro spends countless hours practicing their short game in all types of conditions. Finally, they have access to tour trucks that can make modifications to grinds and bounce that are not available to the average golfer. Per your article last year, Ping, Mizuno, and TaylorMade all offer strong wedges for wet conditions. With so many good options, IMHO the key is to get properly fit, know your local conditions, and be brand agnostic.