x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Is Brooks Koepka’s Masters gear shakeup a cause for concern?
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf

InsideGOLF: +$140 value for $39.99

Join Today
Putters

Is Brooks Koepka’s Masters gear shakeup a cause for concern?

By: Jonathan Wall
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Follow on Instagram
April 9, 2024
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
brooks koepka scotty cameron mallet

Koepka rolling putts on Monday with a Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 mallet.

Getty Images

Peruse the latest Masters odds and you’ll notice Brooks Koepka is listed among the favorites at +2,000 to slip on a green jacket. They are predictable odds for someone with five major titles and a runner-up finish last year at Augusta.

When Koepka steps on the grounds at a major championship, he becomes a big-game hunter.

Go back and look at Koepka’s major successes and you’ll notice some of the most important tools in the bag haven’t changed much during those years. Most notably, the Scotty Cameron Teryllium Newport 2 putter he’s wielded with considerable success.

Yes, Koepka used an updated version of the Anser-style blade during his 2023 PGA Championship triumph, but the overall feel and consistency didn’t differ much from the T10 Select Newport 2 that played a role in his previous four major titles.

Up until two weeks ago, Koepka had a particular look and feel he preferred on the greens. Then along came a Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 mallet to shake things up.

The putter initially surfaced in Koepka’s bag during a practice round with the Florida State men’s golf team, and then made an appearance last week for LIV’s event in Miami. Koepka went on to shoot 69-77-77 during the 54-hole event — a brief snapshot that led many to wonder if the 33-year-old would return to his reliable blade when he arrived at Augusta.

Scotty Cameron 2024 Phantom 5.5 Custom Putter

The new Phantom 5.5 model features the same updated head shape of the 5 along with a jet neck for players that prefer the alignment features of a mallet with the toe-flow of a blade.
View Product

Koepka showed up with the mallet on Monday, squashing the possibility of a last-minute about-face. And if you needed further confirmation that Koepka is Team Mallet this week, he provided it on Tuesday when CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis pressed for a putter update during “Masters on the Range.”

“Yep, same putter,” Koepka said. “I felt comfortable and changed for two weeks now. I’m comfortable with it. I just wasn’t seeing any putts go in. I felt like I was hitting a lot of lips and good putts, but nothing was falling. We’ll just stick with it and see how it goes.”

Based on Koepka’s reasoning, it’s safe to assume the mallet provides something most blades lack — an improvement in mishit performance off the heel and toe. The larger head provides stability and reduces twisting, resulting in a straighter and more consistent roll to the hole. For someone who tends to live on the toe side at impact, beefing up the stability can get the good putts to drop. Just ask Scottie Scheffler.

brooks koepka scotty cameron mallet
Koepka used the Phantom X 5.5 mallet during last week’s LIV event in Miami. Getty Images

Sure, Koepka’s initial run with the putter in Miami didn’t produce a glowing result, but history says you don’t need to be a world-beater on the greens at Augusta National to get in the mix on the weekend.

“At Augusta you don’t need to putt great, you need to not waste any shots, no three-putts, hole everything inside five feet,” Rory McIlroy said in 2018. “You don’t need to hole every 15-footer that you look at, you need to be efficient, just not to be wasteful.”

What matters is whether Koepka can pair a reliable putter with strong ball-striking, something he’s been able to do on multiple occasions during the big events.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

Latest In Gear

4 hours ago

What golf ball will teams use at the Zurich? The defending champs have a loophole

10 hours ago

Why Newton Motion shafts are taking over the Champions Tour 

10 hours ago

The spin comeback: Why Tour pros are putting it back in the bag

1 day ago

How the pros get dialed for their drivers, according to an expert Ping fitter

JWall

Jonathan Wall

Golf.com Editor

Jonathan Wall is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s Managing Editor for Equipment. Prior to joining the staff at the end of 2018, he spent 6 years covering equipment for the PGA Tour. He can be reached at jonathan.wall@golf.com.

  • Author Twitter Account
  • Author Instagram Account

Related Articles

News
rory mcilroy hugs daughter poppy off the 18th green at augusta national

In 6 silent minutes, CBS delivered a Masters broadcast masterpiece

By: James Colgan
News
Nick Faldo shakes hands with Bryson DeChambeau prior to the 2019 Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush.

'It's bulls--t': Nick Faldo defends Bryson DeChambeau criticism

By: Kevin Cunningham
News
Justin Thomas and fill-in caddie Joe Greiner post-win.

Dahmen's heartbreak, JT's surprising advice, caddie intrigue | Monday Finish

By: Dylan Dethier
Putting
PGA Tour pro Justin Rose lines up putt on No. 6 at the Masters

Make more putts using this tour-trusted alignment hack

By: Maddi MacClurg
News
Rory McIlroy

Tour Confidential: Where does Rory McIlroy's Masters win rank among the best ever?

By: Zephyr Melton , Josh Schrock , Nick Piastowski
News
Zach Johnson

‘Walked out of there not very comfortable’: Masters Dinner wowed 1 winner

By: Nick Piastowski
News
Rory McIlroy, Poppy McIlroy

Rory’s daughter asks a tough question, and I'm a Green Jacket fan | Weekend 9

By: Nick Piastowski
News
rory mcilroy and kate rose embracing after the masters

Why this Rory McIlroy Masters hug resonated

By: Alan Bastable
Gear
The new Cobra Golf 3DP offer technology advancements that are only available via 3D technology

Cobra Golf's 3D-printed 'LIMIT3D' putters are here: 3 things to know

By: Johnny Wunder
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version