No one played better than Spain’s Jon Rahm on a day where the European Ryder Cup Team seemed to make dramatic shots after another in order to take a commanding lead of 6 1/2-1 1/2 over the Americans outside Rome, Italy. The 2023 Masters winner teamed with England’s Tyrrell Haston to defeat Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns and 4-3 in a morning foursome match. He then rallied with Nicolai Hjgaard from behind to save a 1/2-point against Scheffler, Brook Koepka and Tyrrell Hatton in the afternoon fourball match.
Rahm’s incredible shot at the 16th was one of three holes he holed from the green on Friday.
JON RAHM WOW! #TeamEurope | #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/CqUUwBjtGX
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 29, 2023
Rahm also uses three Callaway Jaws raw wedges, 52, 56, and 60 degrees, which are fitted with Project X 6.5 shafts and Golf Pride MCC handles. This is how they looked at the Travelers Championship back in June.
Callaway irons and wedges used by Jon Rahm at the Travelers Championship in 2023. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The prototype lob wedge used by Rahm on Friday was not the normal Callaway JAWS Raw wedge. In the picture above, you can see that Rahm’s JAWS RAW is a prototype. It has four holes on the back and a Callaway Logo on the toe. Also, Jon likes his wedges stamped with the names of their children. The club that Rahm used at Marco Simone is very different. You can see this in the picture below.
(Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Jon Rahm’s 2023 Ryder Cup lob wedge. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The prototype club has the Golf Pride MCC handle, but we can see that it is fitted with a True Temper Gold Tour Issue shaft in place of Rahm’s usual Project X 6.5. There is no Callaway logo visible on the wedge’s toe. However, there appears to be some stamping on its back. The heel and toe relief is similar to that of the X Grind, but it’s moderate. A high-bounced wedge could be a great choice for the thick rough surrounding the greens of Marco Simone. It would also make it easier to pop the ball from the tough lies.
Callaway claims that Rahm has already used this wedge on a couple of occasions. Adding it to his arsenal this week may be a course specific move. Many pros will change their wedges based on the course conditions and layout. Justin Thomas, who played in the 2019 Presidents Cup, added a low-bouncing 60.5-degree Titleist Vokey design T Grind wedge to his equipment setup. This allowed him to get the leading edge of the ball under the ball, without having the chip or pitch shot blasted.
