There was a dearth of intriguing Masters gear news until Bryson DeChambeau made a statement that made us all do a double take.
DeChambeau told ESPN on Wednesday that he intends to play the Masters with a 5-iron that he fabricated himself with a 3D printer.
“That’s the plan as of now,” DeChambeau said.
We have a lot of questions, but let’s back up for a moment.
It’s no surprise DeChambeau has been in the lab concocting something new. His “Mad Scientist” tinkering was standard fare during stints under contract with Cobra and LA Golf (he split with LA back in February).
His current bag is a wild mix.
- Krank Golf Formula Fire Pro LD driver (6°) with a Project X HZRDUS T1100 shaft
- Krank Golf Formula Fire Fairway Wood (10° & 13°)
- Avoda Origin Curved Face irons with LA Golf Prototype BAD shafts
- Bettinardi HLX 5.0 wedges (50 @ 49º, 56 @ 55º) with LA Golf BAD Prototype Rebar shafts
- Ping Glide 4.0 wedge (60°) with LA Golf BAD Prototype Rebar shaft
- SIK Pro-C Series Armlock putter with a JumboFlat 17 grip
The Avoda irons—you can read a full Tony Covey breakdown right here—are 3D printed with faces that have bulge baked in. They are, of course, all one length.
The Bettinardi wedges, which DeChambeau put in play earlier this year, are also a rare find at the highest level. He previously said they have “almost a bubble on the bottom” with more head weight.
Now we’re talking about a 5-iron that he designed and printed himself.
As for the timing of why he would do this at the Masters, DeChambeau said the irons are “finally ready” and hinted that the full set was an improvement on his Avoda set.
“We’ll see where it goes. We’ll see where it takes me,” DeChambeau said. “All I could say now is, if I don’t put them in the bag, it’s my fault now.”
But why only a 5-iron? Has the USGA approved this club? Who actually made them?
DeChambeau was pressed about the possibility of new clubs during his Tuesday press conference but didn’t offer many details. He said he was building his own full set of clubs, including a new driver.
When asked which manufacturer he was building the clubs with, DeChambeau reiterated multiple times he was building them himself and offered no manufacturer name.
As of this writing, there was no confirmation that the USGA has approved the club for competition.
Why a 5-iron? One guess is that the 5-iron is a particularly crucial club around Augusta National given how many key shots players face in the 200-250-yard range. Testing and comfort level may have been fast-tracked for the 5-iron (which, though a 5-iron in name, acts more like a 3-iron).
There is certainly no doubt DeChambeau is willing to bet on himself and take a risk, even if it means gaming a new club going into a major.
“There’s this nature that I have about myself where innovation is a habit of mine, and I really find and take pride in that ability to learn—even through failure, even through making a bad decision or a good decision —what I can get from that,” DeChambeau said.
Top Photo Caption: DeChambeau practices on Monday at the Masters. (GETTY IMAGES)
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