Cameron Champ carries two PING 4-irons in his bag

Cameron Champ is known for his incredible distance off the tee, and rightfully so. In 74 rounds last season on the Web.com Tour, the 23-year-old led the way in driving distance, averaging 343.1 yards. It’s been more of the same this week at the Sanderson Farms Championship for the PGA TOUR rookie, who tops the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee while averaging 306.7 yards over three rounds. Given Champ’s impressive clubhead speed — he leads the TOUR at 129.6 miles per hour — and length, he’s been forced to get creative with the rest of his setup to ensure proper gapping. Case in point: When Champ first tested PING’s i500 3-iron, he was averaging 280-285 yards with the hollow-body club — a number that was too close to his G400 3-wood. Champ chose to go down one club to the i500 4-iron and found a more suitable gap at 270-275 yards. From there, Champ added another 4-iron to the bag, this time a solid construction iBlade version that went between 240-245 yards. While a 30-yard gap at the top of the bag might seem significant with long irons, Champ is able to back off the i500 to fill in the gap if he has a shot in the 250- to 260-yard range. Of course, Champ isn’t the first TOUR player to employ two irons with the same number stamped on the head. During the 2013 TOUR season, Keegan Bradley carried two 4-irons (Cleveland CG7 and 588 MT) en route to an opening-round 60 at the AT&T Byron Nelson. Jon Rahm used a similar strategy this year at the PGA Championship with TaylorMade RSi TP UDI and P750 4-irons. While the strategy might seem odd, the rise in forgiving long irons and utility irons has made it feasible for players, even those who carry a TOUR card, to throw two sticks with the same number in the bag to fill certain gaps and needs. PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE: Buy equipment here  

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