With the start of the PGA TOUR’s Opening Drive and the first event of the 2025 FedExCup season, there’s plenty to talk about regarding golf equipment. Those teeing up at The Sentry showed off shiny new clubs, golf balls and apparel to hit the ball farther, straighter and make marginal gains off last season. But arguably, the one that made the biggest difference came from “just somebody that nobody knows.” At least that’s how champion Hideki Matsuyama landed on a new flatstick to start the year with victory at The Plantation Course at Kapalua and the PGA TOUR’s 72-hole scoring record.
Matsuyama claimed the season-opener in Hawaii, his 11th win on TOUR, by three strokes over Collin Morikawa. Although elusive about the new putter the change was made after spotting one out in the wild.
“I saw somebody else using it and I thought, ‘Oh, this looks good,’ so I had them make one, and I’m using it this week,” Matsuyama said.
After a less-than-stellar season on the greens in 2024, ranking 121st in Strokes Gained: Putting on TOUR, Mastuayama ended the week at The Sentry gaining 5.42 strokes on the greens. He made close to 400 feet worth of putts and one-putted 35 times, including a run of six in a row from hole Nos. 8-13 in the final round.
It’s not the first time Matsuyama has played a center-shafted putter, but it’s certainly been a stint since he’s had one in the bag. Previously, the Japanese star has used a Scotty Cameron Kombi S mallet with a center shaft.
Center-shafted putters have made a return on the PGA TOUR with companies looking to create zero-torque putters. L.A.B., Callaway and Bettinardi all released new face-balanced designs towards the end of 2024. The benefits of centering the shaft help evenly balance the weight across the face as well as the ease of alignment.
Grayson Murray (Sony Open in Hawaii) and Jhonattan Vegas (3M Open) both won in 2024 with a center-shafted L.A.B. Golf Link.1 putter, while Matthieu Pavon claimed his first victory on TOUR at the Farmers Insurance Open with a Ping Cadence TR Tomcat. Taylor Pendrith, who made albatross in the final round, won THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson last season with an Odyssey Versa Jailbird 380 CS.
Although claiming victory this week in Hawaii to start the season, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Matsuyama using a different putter next time he steps onto the greens on TOUR.
