When seeking to defend the title he won last year, Brendan Steele returned to a club that helped him to victory at the 2016 Safeway Open – his Scotty Cameron by Titleist Futura X7 putter. In his last event of the 2016-’17 season, Steele used a Cameron T5 model, but used his Futura X7 expertly in winning the Safeway for the second year in a row and the third title of his US PGA Tour career.
For the week Steele – a player who used an anchored stroke until it was banned in 2016 – was on the plus side of the ledger in strokes gained/putting at 0.556. Although that only ranked 26th, he was particularly effective in the final round, posting a 1.717 strokes-gained mark, including crucial two-putts on 16 and 17 (the former for birdie to bring his cushion to two strokes) before knocking in a three-footer for birdie at the last for the clincher. The putt that Steele said was “huge”, however, was the seven-and-a-half-foot putt for bogey on the 14th hole.
The Futura X7 features a similar wingback design to Cameron’s X5 putters, but offers a 10 percent larger head shape and a higher moment of inertia (MOI). That stability is enhanced through affixing a lightweight aircraft grade aluminium sole and face piece to a heavier stainless-steel top and frame.
Steele also used the same Wilson FG Tour 100 muscleback blade irons that he employed at the Safeway last year. The irons, made from 8620 carbon steel, were inspired by the 1971 Wilson Staff Button Back model, including the company’s hallmark Fluid Feel bore-through hosel insert. It seems safe to say that familiarity with his clubs is comforting to Steele in the clutch.
The clubs Brendan Steele used at the Safeway Open:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: TaylorMade M2 2017 (Aldila Rogue Black 70 TX), 9.5 degrees
3-wood: TaylorMade M2 2017, 16.5 degrees
Irons (3): Callaway Apex UT; (4): Wilson FG Tour V4; (5-PW): Wilson FG Tour 100
Wedges: Wilson FG Tour PMP (50 degrees); Titleist Vokey SM6 (58, 60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron by Titleist Futura X7
