WITB: The gear used by Open winner Cam Smith

Cameron Smith took full control of the back nine in the final round of the Open to secure his first major.

Helped by an incredible six under back nine – the lowest nine-hole score all-time by an Open champion – his final round 64 was the lowest Sunday ever for a winner at St Andrews.

The new world No.2 hit 12 out 16 fairways, and found 17 out 18 greens in regulation. He had just 29 putts, averaging 1.61 per hole and 25 birdies for the week.

These stats are amazing, so let’s look at the equipment that made it possible.

Cameron Smith – What’s in the Bag

Driver: TSR3 10.0°, Fujikura Ventus Blue 60 X
Fairway woods: TSi2 15.0°, Fujikura Ventus Blue 80 X
Irons: T100 5-9, KBS Tour 130 Custom Matte Black X
Wedges: Vokey Design SM9 46.10F, 52.08F, 56.08M, 60T, KBS Tour 130 Custom Matte Black X
Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M tour prototype
Golf Ball: Titleist ProV1x

Titleist was the No.1 ball at the Open, with 70% of the field teeing up a ProV1 or ProV1x, more than five times the nearest competitor.

The brand was also the most played driver, with Smith gaming the new TSR3 driver.

“Cam loves everything that TSR has brought to the table in terms of ball speed and consistency,” said J.J. Van Wezenbeeck, Titleist’s director of player promotions.

“He’s done a bunch of testing with both the TSR2 and TSR3 models, but when it comes to windy conditions, he really likes the feeling of being able to work the ball more. 

“Going with TSR3 in St. Andrews not only helped him flatten his trajectory, it gave him that added workability versus the higher-MOI TSR2, providing him the versatility to shape shots and take advantage of the different winds on different holes.”

Its TSi3 hybrid was the most popular hybrid in the field, as was the T200 utility iron.

The Vokey SM9 wedges were also the most-played in the field at St Andrews.

On his prototype Scotty Cameron putter, Smith said: “It just feels great in the hands. I feel like I’m able to hit really good lag putts with it, which is a big thing out here. We leave ourselves some pretty nasty putts sometimes. 

“I feel like I’m able to get the ball rolling real good. And the biggest thing for me is the strike. So I just feel like I hit lots of good putts with it out of the middle and it feels so good.”

Smith’s victory means all four majors this year have been won using either Titleist’s ProV1 or ProV1x, while the last three have been claimed by through-the-bag Titleist staffers.