As the Equipment Editor for The Daily Duffer, few things get my club-fitting brain firing like a winning WITB (What’s In The Bag) from a professional tour event. It’s a snapshot, a moment in time that reveals what a top-tier player trusts to perform under pressure. This week, we’re dissecting Kim’s setup from his recent LIV Golf Adelaide victory. Now, before we dive in, let me be clear: what works for a tour pro often differs from what works for the average weekend warrior. My job is to separate the genuinely innovative from the “pro-only spec,” and to translate that into actionable advice for your game.
First up, the big stick:
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (10 degrees)
“Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (10 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX”
The Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond. Now, based on the name, this sounds like a tour-only variant, maybe a prototype or an unreleased model. “Triple Diamond” in Callaway’s nomenclature historically signifies a lower-spin, more workable head designed for higher swing speeds and players who need to drive down spin. When I’ve tested Callaway’s Triple Diamond models, they consistently deliver lower launch and spin numbers compared to their more forgiving counterparts. The Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX shaft further reinforces this. The “TX” flex is essentially ‘Tour X-Stiff,’ meaning it’s incredibly stout. This combo screams stability for players generating immense clubhead speed—we’re talking 115+ mph easily—and who want to minimize spin to maximize distance. In my fitting experience, attempting to put a TX shaft in the hands of someone who isn’t pushing those speeds often leads to significant distance loss and a feeling of deadness. The low spin characteristics, while great for professionals, can actually hinder average golfers who need more spin to keep the ball airborne and achieve optimal carry.
Fairway Woods: Strategic Gapping and Shaft Choices
Kim runs a fascinating fairway wood setup, opting for Callaway’s Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond at 15 degrees and what’s listed as a Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond at 18 degrees, which also sounds like a unique, perhaps tour-issue, model. The shaft choices here are particularly telling:
“3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X5-wood: Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond (18 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X”
The Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X in the 3-wood is a stable, mid-launch, mid-spin profile, a classic choice for players seeking a balanced blend of distance and control. What’s truly interesting is the Ventus Black 8 X in the 5-wood. The Ventus Black is known for its ultra-low launch and spin profile, even more so than the Blue. And to go with an 80-gram X-stiff in a 5-wood? That’s dedication to control and reducing dispersion, especially for a player who likely generates towering height with their longer clubs. This suggests Kim prioritizes penetrating flight and perhaps a fair bit of workability with his 5-wood, rather than maximum height or forgiveness. For club golfers, this often means sacrificing carry distance for a controlled fade or draw. Unless you have exceptional speed and a tendency to balloon your 5-wood, a shaft this stout might cost you valuable yards. The “Elyte Triple Diamond” is another model that sparks curiosity – again indicating a specialized, low-spin, tour-preferred head.
Mixed Iron Set: Titleist T250 (4) and TaylorMade P7 TW (5-9)
This is where the bag gets truly bespoke, a testament to the fact that fitting isn’t about brand loyalty, but about finding what works:
“Irons: Titleist T250 (4), TaylorMade P7 TW (5-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400″
Kicking off the long irons with a Titleist T250 4-iron is a smart move. The T250 is Titleist’s most forgiving iron in their T-series, offering a hollow-body construction, often packed with maxed-out tungsten weighting for enhanced MOI (Moment of Inertia) and a lower, deeper CG (Center of Gravity). This increases ball speeds on slight mishits and provides a higher launch, making a 4-iron much easier to hit and stop on the green. Then, he transitions into TaylorMade P7 TW irons for 5-9. The P7 TW, designed with input from Tiger Woods, is a muscle-back iron with a slightly shorter blade length and a very thin topline. These are pure player’s irons, offering exceptional feel and workability but demanding precise ball striking. The data consistently shows player’s irons like these have a tighter dispersion on flush strikes but a significant drop-off in ball speed and carry on off-center hits compared to more forgiving cavities. The True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts (a slightly heavier version of the standard S300) are a time-tested, stable, mid-launch iron shaft. It’s a demanding shaft, but for pros, its consistent feel and trajectory control are invaluable.
Wedges: Vokey Dominance and Consistent Shafts
“Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (46, 50, 54, 58)
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400″
No surprises here. The Titleist Vokey Design SM11 wedges are almost ubiquitous on tour for a reason. They offer incredible versatility in grinds and lofts. Kim’s gapping (46, 50, 54, 58) provides consistent 4-degree increments, allowing for predictable yardage control. The use of Dynamic Gold S400 shafts, matching his irons, is also standard practice. It offers a seamless transition in feel and weight, which is critical for consistent wedge play around the greens. My launch monitor data with Vokey wedges consistently shows optimal spin rates and control, assuming the golfer is using the correct grind for their swing and course conditions.
The “Irons” Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype
Finally, a Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype putter and Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord grips finish off the bag. The putter is personal preference, essentially Kim’s “irons” in terms of how he trusts it and the feel it delivers. The cord grips offer a firmer feel and excellent wet-weather performance, preferred by many pros for maximum connection and feedback.
The Ball: 2025 Titleist Pro V1
“Ball: 2025 Titleist Pro V1”
The mention of a “2025 Titleist Pro V1” is the ultimate tour-spec revelation. This means Kim is already playing an unreleased model, giving him access to the very latest in performance. While I haven’t personally tested the 2025 Pro V1, Titleist’s Pro V1 line consistently leads in overall performance, offering a blend of distance off the tee with exceptional short-game control. Any improvements in an unreleased model are likely minimal but honed for the demands of the best players in the world. For the average golfer, the current Pro V1 and Pro V1x still offer tour-level performance that few can fully exploit.
The Daily Duffer’s Takeaway
Kim’s bag is a masterclass in professional fitting: highly specialized drivers and 5-woods for extreme control, a forgiving long iron blended with surgical player’s irons, and tour-proven wedges and putter. It showcases a player with immense speed and a finely tuned game. For the rest of us, the obvious lesson is that customization is king. Don’t chase “tour spec” unless your game truly demands it. Instead, focus on finding the right head and shaft combinations that optimize your launch, spin, and dispersion. When I’m on the launch monitor with a client, the numbers don’t lie. Understand your swing, get fitted by a credible professional, and let the data guide your equipment choices, not just the names on a tour pro’s bag.
