Top 10 in 2013: Equipment items

In late April, the first-ever man to shoot 59 on the PGA Tour, Al Geiberger, auctioned off the clubs with which he accomplished the historic feat. The chairman and CEO of Ping, John A. Solheim, purchased the putter Geiberger used, at $7,222, to display in a case outside his office. The other 13 sticks were purchased by Lee Brandenburg, a well-known golf course developer and collector of memorabilia, for display at his Brandenburg Historical Golf Museum in San Jose, Calif. (Getty Images)

During his induction speech into the World Golf Hall of Fame this May, Fred Couples revealed that a ladies’ driver served as his 3-wood for much of his playing career. During an extended stay at Tom Watson’s house early in his career, in which the two were supposed to practice together, but rather shot skeet, he found it in Watson’s garage. The club had belonged to Watson’s wife, Linda, but after serving as a 3-wood throughout most of Couples’ historic career, it now sits in his trophy case at the WGHOF. (Getty Images)

It may have been a poor attempt at concealing its identity, but Phil Mickelson did his best to not reveal the driver he was using at the Presidents Cup. Despite being sponsored by Callaway, Mickelson received permission to play with a TaylorMade SLDR driver at Muirfield. Even though the club had a poor paint job, in an attempt to pose as a Callaway driver, it didn’t affect Mickelson’s play that Friday as he and partner Keegan Bradley defeated the International team’s Jason Day and Graham DeLaet, 4 and 3, in their foursomes match. (Getty Images)

Who needs a traditional putter? In the second round of the Frys.com Open in early October, Geoff Ogilvy was pretty good without his flatstick. Bending his putter after a double bogey on his 14th hole of the day, according to his caddie, Matthew “Bussy” Tritton, Ogilvy proceeded to play his remaining four holes in 1 under par using a wedge on the greens. He shot 5-under 66 and made the cut. (Getty Images)

After missing the cut in seven of his previous 10 starts, D.A. Points was looking for a spark to ignite his game, and he found it in the form of an old Ping Anser putter. The putter belonged to Points’ mother before the 37-year-old put it to use at the Shell Houston Open in late March. Sinking a lengthy par putt at the 72nd hole, Points claimed his first victory in over two years on Tour. (Getty Images)

After playing his way into contention through the first 36 holes at the Wyndham Championship, Charles Howell III was made aware by the Tour that he had been disqualified for using a non-conforming club. During a practice session on the range prior to the start of Howell’s second round, a dial on the bottom of his driver’s club head had fallen off, meaning that his driver was considered a non-conforming club under the Rule 4-1/a. An unfortunate sequence of events for a player who hadn’t placed in the top 10 since May 2012. (Getty Images)

It’s alive! Phil Mickelson had Callaway create a club that would produce a lower ball flight, while also keeping backspin at a minimum, meaning more distance off the tee. The end product: Callaway’s X-hot Phrankenwood. After a few months of fine-tuning, the 8.5-degree wood was revelaed at the Masters. It bodes a 45-inch long shaft, making it seem as if it were a 3-wood on steroids, or just an old-school-looking driver. Mickelson ranked third in total driving that week. (Getty Images)

Leading up to the Boeing Classic, Kenny Perry was the hottest name on the over-50 circuit. Perry had notched victories in both the Senior Players Championship and the U.S. Senior Open. However, prior to the start of the Boeing, and despite donning the Southwest Airlines logo on his bag, Perry flew with Delta airlines to the Seattle-based tournament. During the flight, Perry’s beloved driver, the club that keyed two major championships just a few months prior, was broken. He still managed to capture the Charles Schwab Cup and the Player of the Year. (Getty Images)

There was pomp and circumstance (and lots of bright lights) when Nike Golf announced Rory McIlroy was joining Team Swoosh. After a year in which McIlroy won his second major and captured Player of the Year honors on both sides of the Atlantic, McIlroy went winless on the PGA and European Tours in 2013. McIlroy never faulted his clubs, but many others did. (Getty Images)

The USGA and R&A made it official this year: the anchored stroke is banned! Beginning in 2016. Many players, both professional and recreational, huffed and puffed, but the governing bodies would not be swayed. To make matters more interesting, Adam Scott completed the anchored-stroke Grand Slam by winning the Masters. But this ban has nothing to do with winning majors. Right? (Getty Images)