Every golfer, regardless of skill level, should have a club he or she can hit even falling out of bed. For Justin Thomas, that club is his 10-year-old Titleist (915) 5 wood. The World No. 5 player has that club (18 degrees) in his bag again at this week’s U.S Open to challenge the fast greens and deep rough at Oakmont Country Club.
“I hit that club out of the rough a lot,” Thomas said. “Especially West Coast, like Torrey Pines. I remember I hit it from 160 or 170 yards on Thursday on the 10th hole in the rain. I was just looking at it like there’s no way I can get a 6-iron out of this lie, and if I hit anything less, I can’t get it through there, but I can hit a 5-wood through this – and I did.”
Thomas originally put the club in play for the Masters as a replacement for his 2 iron, “but a 2-iron didn’t exactly hold those par-5 greens very well.’’
“I love that I feel like I can hit it really low, I can hit it really high, I can kind of shape it both ways,’’ Thomas said. “It’s been, honestly, a huge club in my career, and I’ve hit a lot of great shots with it. It’s nice to have on weeks like this.’’