Two years ago, Patrick Cantlay was just starting his comeback from a career-threatening back injury. The PGA TOUR’s first team event in decades was fast approaching. “I wasn’t sure if anybody would really want to play with me. I hadn’t played very many tournaments in three years,â€� said Cantlay, who played just six TOUR events from 2014-16. He decided to phone a friend from his amateur days. Cantlay was a high-schooler when he played a practice round with Patrick Reed at one of the country’s top amateur events, the Western Amateur. Now Cantlay wanted to team with him at TPC Louisiana. Related: Why Tiger chose Tiger … and 15 other things Reed accepted, and the partnership has lasted through all three team editions of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Cantlay and Reed are even the rare team that coordinates outfits. The partnership could make its way to Australia next month. With Jordan Spieth not on this year’s roster and all 11 players clamoring to team with Tiger Woods, it could make sense for the Patricks to pair at the Presidents Cup. Cantlay and Reed, two iconoclasts who are known to keep to themselves, are kindred spirits. Reed stays firmly ensconced in the tight circle known as Team Reed, while the quiet Cantlay is an old soul who can speak more easily about classic rock than college football. “We’ve always enjoyed each other’s company and enjoyed each other’s competitiveness,â€� Reed said. “We are both pretty intense and like team competitions.â€� They finished T14 in the 2017 Zurich and improved to T7 the following year. They missed the cut this year. TPC Louisiana is a much different test than Royal Melbourne, though. The Alister Mackenzie design in Australia promises to play firm and fast. That plays into the hands of Reed and Cantlay. Cantlay, winner of this year’s Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, has long expressed his preference for classic venues, especially those with fast, sloping greens that require players to calculate the perfect combination of speed and line. “I feel like the golf courses, as far as I’m concerned, the rough can’t be long enough, the fairways can’t be narrow enough, the greens can’t be fast enough. I love golf like that,â€� Cantlay said after his win at Muirfield Village. Reed, of course, already has one win at a Mackenzie masterpiece. Their games ostensibly fit well together, with Cantlay known for his strong ball-striking and Reed’s short game being his strong suit. Cantlay said the stats didn’t influence his decision to pair with Reed, though. “You just want to play with the best player that you can,â€� he said. “If you’re good and they’re good, you’ve got a better chance to win than most everybody else.â€� Cantlay finished second to Rory McIlroy in Strokes Gained: Total in 2019. He will be representing the United States for the first time since the 2011 Walker Cup. Reed is the only player to play in every TOUR Championship and qualify for every U.S. team since 2014. This was the first time Captain America needed a captain’s pick, though. In the wake of his 2018 Masters victory, Reed struggled with the changes that come with a maiden major victory. A family vacation to the Hamptons after this year’s PGA Championship helped him regain his form. He’s finished in the top 25 in 13 of his past 14 worldwide starts. His win at THE NORTHERN TRUST was his first since his victory at Augusta National. Reed’s last appearance on a U.S. team, at the 2018 Ryder Cup, ended in controversy, however. He said he was “blindsidedâ€� by not being paired with Spieth. Reed went 1-2 in Paris, losing both his team matches with Woods. Reed said in the same interview that Woods, who won the previous week’s TOUR Championship, apologized for his performance. Reed used to emulate Woods by wearing red-and-black, and they forged a strong bond when Reed was an assistant captain at the 2016 Ryder Cup and 2017 Presidents Cup. Reed insists that last year’s controversy has “been put to bed,â€� however. “I could see myself playing with any one of the guys,â€� he said recently. Cantlay could be a good start.

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SEA ISLAND, Ga. – The 2019 RSM Classic is the last full-field event in the United States in 2019, so it’s no wonder a slew of new products have been unveiled this week. Companies are gathering feedback from PGA TOUR players on new pieces of equipment for 2020, and giving players a chance to test out and get fit into some never-before-seen products. Along with the new Titleist Vokey SM8 wedges, which started undergoing the TOUR seeding process this week, a number of other companies brought out new equipment for the first time, too, including Mizuno, Accra, Project X, Callaway, Axis1, Bettinardi, and SuperStroke. Check out the new equipment below, and what we know so far about each product. Axis1 Rose Black putters In 2019, Justin Rose finished 3rd in overall putting average for the year using an Axis1 Rose prototype putter, which was a two-toned mallet putter initially designed for him. Eventually, that Rose prototype became available to retail. This week, Axis1 unveiled a new Axis1 Rose Black putter that’s modeled after Rose’s putter, except it has an all-black colorway that’s black ion-plated. Made from 303 stainless steel and CNC-milled, the Axis1 Black is also available at retail. SuperStroke Traxion 1.0 PT putter grip Possibly adding onto SuperStroke’s extensive line of Traxion putter grips, which are played by a number of top players on the PGA TOUR, is a new Traxion 1.0 PT grip. It has a smaller diameter than most of the Traxion grips, and it has different textures throughout the grip that are designed to fit different locations on your hands, according to a company representative. The putter grips are currently being tested on TOUR, but they’re still in the prototype phase. Mizuno ST 200 and ST 200G Mizuno unveiled its new ST 200 and ST 200G drivers that are the likely replacements for its ST 190 and ST 190G drivers that were popular on TOUR in 2018-2019. A number of players were spotted testing the new prototype driver models on the range, including Luke Donald, Adam Schenk, Chris Kirk, and Rhein Gibson, among others. Gibson, who was recently an equipment free agent, has officially signed with Mizuno. He’s currently using the new Mizuno ST 200 driver, a TaylorMade fairway wood, a Srixon driving iron, Mizuno JPX 919 Tour irons, Mizuno and Titleist wedges, and a Swag Golf putter. He’s also wearing a Mizuno hat and has a Mizuno staff bag. Callaway Apex MB prototype short irons Aaron Wise was spotted testing “Apex MB� short irons on Monday. While they are early prototypes, according to several sources, the irons appear to have raw faces,milled back cavities, and what appears to be some kind of weight that sits behind the face in the cavity. Unfortunately, that’s all we know so far about this new iron design. Project X EvenFlow Riptide CB Adding to its line of EvenFlow shafts, Project X unveiled a new Small Batch Riptide CB shaft that has a counter-balanced construction for greater stability. Accra Prototype steel shafts True Sports, a company that owns True Temper, recently acquired Accra Golf Shafts, so both shaft companies now exist under the same umbrella. Early this week, Accra unveiled a new prototype steel shaft. While it’s still early in the process, PGA TOUR players are putting the shaft through the paces this week in testing. Bettinardi new TOUR prototypes Bettinardi recently announced a retail line of 2020 BB and Inovai series putters, but it seems the company’s TOUR selection has gotten an upgrade, as well. On the putting green this week, Bettinardi was showing a number of new prototype designs, including an Hexperimental mallet, an Hexperimental DASS blade and a BBBW prototype blade. 

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