It seems Phil Mickelson could be contemplating making a big putter switch after being spotted using a L.A.B Golf flat stick in Saudi Arabia.
A long-time user of Odyssey putters as part of a relationship with Callaway that started in 2004, Mickelson is no longer an official staff player with the manufacturer, but he has continued to mainly use the brand in his bag.
Mickelson's bag for 2024 is still largely Callaway based, and he's started the year with an Odyssey putter in play, but ahead of the latest LIV Golf League event in Saudi Arabia he's been testing out a new one.
And the putter in question is the L.A.B Golf DF3, which Mickelson was spotted using during a practice round at Royal Greens Golf Club in Jeddah.
Sing it loud, Captain. 😅@PhilMickelson | #LIVTour pic.twitter.com/MEiUQZdwQiFebruary 28, 2024
We'll see if the HyFlyers captain goes from wielding the the new putter in practice to using it in the heat of a tournament this weekend once LIV Golf Jeddah gets underway.
Just using it in public is a sign though that Mickelson is now looking outside of Odyssey when looking for a putter solution, with no doubt one eye on April's Masters.
Mickelson is no stranger to tinkering with his clubs, including his putter, but it's always been within the Odyssey brand down the years - until now.
The newly-released L.A.B Golf DF3 has been described as a "less weird" version of the unique putter made by the company - which has drawn plenty of praise and doubts for its looks.
Sing it loud, Captain. 😅@PhilMickelson | #LIVTour pic.twitter.com/MEiUQZdwQiFebruary 28, 2024
L.A.B. Golf CEO Sam Hahn says of his brand's new putter: "With DF3, we refined every aspect of the design."
"DF3 is quite a bit smaller, but because of all we’ve learned about building Lie Angle Balanced putters over the years, we were able to maintain almost all of the forgiveness and stability that makes DF 2.1 the easiest-to-use putter in the game."
Whether Mickelson agrees and puts it in play is another story, and a gear development that will be worth keeping an eye on this week.
