Two years ago, Phil Mickelson won The Masters with two drivers in his bag. Unconventional, yes, but it worked, so you can't really point and gawk. Philbert also toyed with the idea last year, using his square-headed Callaway FT-i driver for distance and the conventionally shaped FT-5 for workability. Well, another Masters means another chance Mickelson goes with two drivers. But this year, he'll also have multiple driver shafts.
Callaway's I-Mix technology, the company's new interchangeable shaft system, is making an appearance at Augusta National this week. ...Well, currently, the course is wet and playing long, but with only a chance of isolated thunderstorms this weekend, the fairways and greens should be plenty fast. That said, Mickelson knows Augusta as well as anybody, and if he thinks his chances are better with two drivers instead of an extra wedge, it's hard to argue with him.
"I did have two drivers in the bag today," Mickelson said in his press conference Tuesday. "The nice thing about that is I have been able to interchange shafts and put a longer shaft in if I want to get more distance. I'm hoping I only need one driver because I want to put an extra wedge in. But if I feel like distance is going to be a bigger factor, I'll stick a second driver in. I don't know. It will be day-to-day. I have two or three different game plans."
Of course, 15 years ago, drivers were less than 200 ccs, there were no such things as hybrids or belly putters, and golf balls were actually wound. A lot's changed since Bernhard Langer won The Masters. Although, thankfully, his wig remains as awesome as ever.
