Equipment Insider

WGC events show variety in players equipment

By Adam Barr
Jul 1, 2009 1:59 PM ET

DORAL, Fla. – One of the great things about WGC events is the opportunity to see more overseas players, the ones who ordinarily come just for these things and the majors. On the range Monday at Doral: Lee Westwood and South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen, who recently lost to teenage sensation Rory McIlroy in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

A brief survey up and down the range revealed that as far as long-game equipment is concerned, the 2-iron is still in play on the PGA Tour. Westwood is of this camp. But like a lot of players, he favors a cavity back model (his is from long-time equipment partner Ping) over a more blade-like design.

"The idea is to get it up in the air, after all," Westwood said of his i10 2-iron.

Oosthuizen (I got a pronunciation lesson: Loo-ee WEST-hoizen) goes the hybrid route, as so many recreational players have done. (His is also from Ping - a Rapture hybrid, 18 degrees.)

"Even out of rough lies, I can hit it high or low," Oosthuizen said.

Options keep the game interesting.

SEEN in the gym, doing things with weights that you and I shouldn't try: Retief Goosen. If you can do a floating-leg twist-crunch with a dumbbell held between your ankles, by all means, don't let me stand in your way.....