Saunders plays Callaway for top-20 finish

By Jennifer Gardner
GPA Equipment Editor

Sam Saunders, playing on a sponsor's exemption, earned a T17 at Honda with a full bag of Callaway equipment. Saunders, who is the grandson of Arnold Palmer, put a new 8.5-degree Callaway FT Tour driver in the bag after getting 4 mph more ball speed during tests on the range. He averaged 302.1 yards off the tee for the week, fifth best in the field.

Saunders also used an Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter to average 27.3 putts per round, tied for second best at Honda.

"This week I've realized I can play out here and I belong," Saunders said. "And I think I can win out here. If I keep doing the things I'm doing and working hard, I think it will happen pretty soon."

Saunders also plays a 15-degree Callaway Diablo Edge Tour 3-wood, an 18-degree Diablo Edge Tour hybrid, Callaway prototype irons and a Callaway Tour i(z) golf ball. His X-Forged wedges, at 52, 56 and 60 degrees, were built for him by Callaway reps last week.

Grandfather Palmer is also a Callaway player and is known to build his own Callaway equipment in his Latrobe, Penn., workshop.