Three weeks ago, Chris Gotterup, currently Bridgestone’s #1 ambassador, looked like a golfer enjoying the best stretch of his career. Now he looks like one of the hottest players on the planet.
Gotterup’s game is built around elite speed and an underrated short game—but another part of his success deserves attention.
His equipment.
Unlike many Tour professionals, Gotterup hasn’t settled into a traditional driver, fairway wood and long-iron setup. Instead, he’s built one of the more unique bags on Tour, featuring a 7.5-degree driver, a mini driver, a 7-wood, muscle-back irons, and a four-wedge scoring setup that’s engineered for precision.
Every club has a purpose.
Every club fills a specific yardage window.
And after another Sunday charge, it’s hard to argue with the results.
At least for last week, this was his setup. But for those in the know, or just for those who have played links golf at Bandon or abroad, we know he’s about to pull that 7-wood out of his bag and drop in a driving iron. Guaranteed.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need Chris Gotterup’s 7.5-degree driver to play better golf—you almost certainly don’t. The real lesson is how intentionally his bag is built. Every club fills a specific purpose, every loft eliminates a yardage gap, and every piece of equipment complements his strengths. That’s exactly how every golfer, from scratch players to 20-handicaps, should approach building a bag.
Chris Gotterup’s Winning WITB (2026 John Deere Classic)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (7.5°)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70 TX
The first thing that jumps off the page is the loft.
Seven-and-a-half degrees.
That’s not just low—it’s exceptionally low, even by PGA Tour standards.
Most Tour professionals play drivers between 8.5° and 10.5°, but Gotterup generates so much clubhead speed that he doesn’t need additional loft to launch the ball. Instead, the lower loft helps reduce spin, creating the flat, penetrating ball flight that’s become one of his trademarks.
The Ping G440 LST is built specifically for golfers who create plenty of speed and want to keep spin to a minimum. Pair it with one of the stoutest shafts on Tour, and you’ve got a driver capable of producing absolute missiles off the tee.
For recreational golfers, this setup would likely be unplayable.
For Chris Gotterup?
It’s a cheat code.
Mini Driver (aka The Fairway Finder): TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver (13.5°)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 TX
One of the coolest clubs in Gotterup’s bag might also be one of the least understood.
The mini driver isn’t trying to replace a driver.
And it isn’t replacing a fairway wood.
It fills the space between them.
On tight driving holes where finding the fairway is more important than squeezing out another ten yards, the BRNR Mini gives Gotterup nearly driver-length distance with noticeably more control.
It’s a trend that’s quietly spreading across professional golf.
Players are realizing they don’t necessarily need another club for hitting off the deck. Sometimes they need a second tee club—and that’s exactly what the mini driver provides.
Considering how many modern golf courses demand precision over brute force, don’t be surprised if you continue seeing more of these on Tour.
7-Wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (21.0°)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana WB 83 TX
No 3-wood.
No 5-wood.
No driving iron.
Just a 7-wood.
If that sounds unusual, welcome to one of golf’s fastest-growing equipment trends. Dustin Johnson was one of the first pros to introduce this approach before he became a LIV monk, but it has definitely become a trend that is turning into a mandatory setup selection for pros.
Not long ago, 7-woods were viewed as clubs reserved for seniors and high handicappers. Today, they’re finding homes in the bags of some of the best players in the world. For someone like Gotterup, who already possesses elite ball speed, there’s little reason to chase extra distance. Instead, the 7-wood gives him something arguably more valuable: the ability to hit towering approach shots that stop quickly on firm greens.
Irons: Bridgestone Tour B 220 MB (4–9)
Shafts: KBS C-Taper 130 X
If the top of Gotterup’s bag is all about speed, the middle is all about precision.
The Bridgestone Tour B 220 MB irons are true muscle backs—compact, traditional and completely unforgiving. That’s exactly why elite ball strikers love them.
There’s almost no technology hiding poor contact. Miss the center, and the club lets you know immediately. But catch one flush? Very few irons in golf feel better.
Gotterup’s confidence with these clubs says everything you need to know about the quality of his ball striking. He’s not looking for forgiveness. He’s looking for complete control over trajectory, spin and shot shape.
Wedges: TaylorMade Milled Grind 5
- 46°, 52°, 56°, 60°
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Ask most Tour players where tournaments are won. They’ll usually point somewhere inside 150 yards. Gotterup clearly agrees. His four-wedge setup provides consistent distance gaps while giving him every shot imaginable around the greens.
One detail many golfers overlook is the loft progression. Rather than leaving awkward yardage gaps, his wedges create predictable carry distances throughout scoring range. That means fewer uncomfortable half-swings and more aggressive, committed swings into tucked pins. TaylorMade’s Milled Grind 5 wedges also feature precision-milled soles and grooves that produce consistent spin regardless of lie.
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X X1
You don’t shoot 62 on Sunday without making putts. Lots of them.
Many of the game’s best putters and most frequent trophy lifters play with a custom Spider putter. If you haven’t tried one yet, walk straight into Roger Dunn or PGA TOUR Superstore and give them a try. You owe it to yourself.
The Spider Tour X X1 has quietly become one of the most popular mallet putters on Tour thanks to its combination of forgiveness, stability and clean alignment. The high-MOI design helps keep the face square through impact, especially on pressure putts when even the best players can get a little quick.
Whether it was a six-footer to save par or a birdie opportunity that kept momentum rolling, Gotterup looked completely comfortable with the Spider in his hands.
Golf Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X
The golf ball might be the most overlooked piece of equipment in any Tour player’s bag. It shouldn’t be. Gotterup’s Bridgestone Tour B X is designed specifically for golfers with elite swing speed, producing low driver spin while maintaining exceptional control around the greens. That’s an ideal combination for someone who already launches it well over 300 yards.
The lower spin helps maximize distance off the tee, while the urethane cover still provides enough bite to attack tucked pins and delicate short-game shots.
It’s the perfect complement to the rest of his setup