“I tried his putter and it felt really good” – Wyndham Clark reveals how Rickie Fowler’s putter helped him win the Wells Fargo Championship
Rickie Fowler, a professional golfer with five PGA TOUR titles, appeared at The American Express tournament in January, brandishing a unique putter: the Odyssey Versa Jailbird.
This putter stood out because it was an older model from 2014. According to the report, Rickie Fowler had ordered a copy of the putter held by his new caddie, Ricky Romano.
Rickie Fowler, who was once considered as one of the best putters on the TOUR, had been experimenting with different putters and frequently switching them out in recent years. Unfortunately, his prior season performance in terms of Strokes Gained: Putting rated 161st. Despite his diligent pursuit, he was unable to find a putter that fit his game.
The new Odyssey Versa Jailbird, on the other hand, offered a potential answer. It had a longer 17-inch SuperStroke grip and an additional 20 grammes of lead tape on the putter head.
Rickie Fowler: five-time PGA Tour champion
“[In] the back of my mind, I was like, I wanna try the putter," Wyndham Clark said on Tour Validated.
The putter Clark is referring to is owned by none other than Rickie Fowler, a five-time PGA Tour champion. But let's be clear, Clark did not steal one of Rickie Fowler's putters. Instead, he chose the next best option and asked Odyssey to construct an exact replica for him.
Rickie Fowler was eager to purchase something identical after experimenting with his new caddie, Ricky Romano's Odyssey O-Works Jailbird mallet putter. This putter, which had a sleek blacked-out Microhinge face insert and a bit of lead tape affixed to its sole, was crucial in his career rebirth. In just 14 starts this season, Fowler has ten top-25 finishes.
Clark was originally attracted by the putter during a money game at the Medalist Golf Club after witnessing Rickie Fowler's outstanding putting ability, particularly within ten feet of the hole.
Strong possibility Rickie Fowler switches to an @odysseygolf Versa Jailbird mallet this week. Tested a few putters on Wednesday but left with the Versa. https://t.co/bn3D2PY9V0
Clark said on the Tour Validated podcast:
“(We were) out of Medalist playing the money game and he was putting with it and didn’t miss inside 10 feet. When anyone’s putting that good, you’re typically like, ‘Let me take a look at that.’ We practiced afterward and I was putting with (my putter), and then I tried his a little bit and it felt really good.”
Clark was initially hesitant to make the transition, but circumstances changed following the Players Championship. Clark, according to Toulon, indicated a desire for an exact reproduction of Fowler's putter setup, down to the expanded SuperStroke Tour 3.0 grip and the placement of more over 20 grammes of lead tape on the sole.
The only noticeable difference is that Clark chooses a slightly higher loft of 2.5 degrees, as opposed to Fowler's 2.25 degrees. Apart from this minor distinction, their putters are virtually alike.
Clark said:
“Gotta give a shoutout to Rickie Fowler. The head is pretty heavy and you don’t feel like you can miss it offline. As far as short putts, it’s so dialed that you feel like you’re going to make it every time.”
Clark's performance on the greens has been revitalised by the Fowler-inspired putter, or possibly the Romano-inspired putter. Over his last six events, he has consistently finished no worse than T29, with an amazing four top-6 results.
Following his triumph in Charlotte on few days back, when he ranked third in Strokes Gained: Putting with an amazing plus-7.465, Fowler may humorously consider seeking royalties if Clark's outstanding putting run continues.
Fowler told GolfWRX at The American Express:
“I was very shocked, because I never really looked into anything that was longer, counterbalanced, or anything like that. It’s very interesting, but it’s kind of freeing me up in a way. I’m not changing stroke-wise, or setup, not gripping anything differently than my normal length putter. I just feel like it’s, I don’t know, kind of helping me do some things, and I don’t have to think about it.”