Barnes promotes Wilson Staff with runner-up finish

By Jennifer Gardner
GPA Equipment Editor

Wilson's new FG Tour Forged irons go back to the company's heritage of clubs for top players, but offer more forgiveness than traditional forged clubs. U.S. Open runner-up Ricky Barnes is one of Wilson's new staff players who is using the irons in competition.

Even after a string of bogeys early Monday at the U.S. Open, Ricky Barnes still hung in and played strong. His good play through the ups and downs of the weather at Bethpage State Park's Black Course gave sponsor Wilson Staff a chance to highlight its new forged irons, which were in Barnes' bag.

The new irons, called FG Tour Forged, are the result of nearly 18 months of development and work with tour players. Wilson, long known for building players' clubs, had moved away from that image over the last decade and produced a string of game improvement products. Now, the company hopes to make inroads with better players again.

"About a year or two ago we came out with the FG59, which was a forged, muscleback blade that goes back to the heritage of the FG17 and the classic Wilson Staff muscle blades of 15 or 20 years ago, or more," said Jon Pergande, Wilson's global manager of golf club research and development. "That was a great product that really goes to the heartstrings of our tradition and heritage. The knock was that the modern game and the modern player needs something bigger and with more forgiveness than that tiny little muscleback could provide."

So, the FG Tour was born.

"We created two different prototypes that were tested by several different players," Pergande said. "The idea was to get something more contemporary and playable, that suits their game. You bring a little more of that cavity in."

The FG Tour forged cavity backs feature moderate offset, a slightly rounded leading edge and a thinner top line for a look that appeals to pros with technology that allows both workability and forgiveness.

Tour players like Barnes are getting to be bigger, stronger hitters than their counterparts of the past. And though they are accurate, they're hitting longer distances and need to have a little more forgiveness than classic club shapes allow, Pergande said.

"When you start hitting 7-irons and 6-irons that go 190, 200 yards ... no matter what club you want to use to get that far, that's a long shot," he said. "You need to have a little forgiveness in the clubs that are being played. This best represents the clubs that are being played but still allows some shot-making." Barnes is one of two players, along with Brad Adamonis, who Wilson is hoping will exemplify the new younger, stronger hitter who prefers Wilson clubs. Both players were signed as staff players this season.

"Ricky Barnes is the perfect fit - he's young and has that pedigree of the U.S. Amateur. We know there's talent there," Pergande said."He brings that youthful image and a little strength and power game to the Wilson Staff name that people recognize."