Equipment companies love to bring new gear to PGA Tour events in Las Vegas because it is close to many brands’ headquarters in Southern California and the weather is dependably good during the Shriners Children’s Open, making golf at TPC Summerlin akin to playing in a dome.
Cleveland Golf has brought some new wedges to this year’s event, referring to them simply as “CG Proto,” but the clubs appear to be labeled RTX Tour Rack.
The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedges were released in January 2023, and have been popular with many of the brand’s staff players, and with the company often updating its wedges on two-year product cycles, Cleveland appears to be introducing its next generation of wedges to tour players now.
Historically, Tour Rack wedges from Cleveand have been made using raw steel instead of a chrome finish. Raw steel is preferred by many tour players because it reduces glare and, if special grind work is needed, the steel will rust evenly, along with the rest of the wedge head after being exposed to the air and to water. Grinding on a chrome wedge creates a raw area that will rust while the chrome portion of the club remains shiny.
A close-up look at images of the toe of some of the wedges shows the words “Full” and “Mid,” which likely refers to the amount of bounce in the sole.
Cleveland has not released any official details about the CG Proto or RTZ wedges, but historically the company makes new equipment available in late January or February, after the PGA Merchandise Show concludes in mid-Janaury.
As more details become available, Golfweek will bring them to you.
