KJ Choi used a set of Miura CB-501 irons to win the Players over the weekend. The small Japanese company long known for its precision forging operation is not known for having one of those vans that travels the PGA Tour season assisting players with all their clubfitting needs. So where does Choi, who can be fairly precise in his club specifications, go to get his clubs worked on. Why, to one of Golf Digest's 100 Best Clubfitters, of course.
Bill Choung is the man behind the CompuGolf Center in Dallas where all of Choi's clubs, except his putter, were custom fit and built. That's two big PGA Tour victories in the last nine months for facilities named to our 100 Best Clubfitters list. (Joe and Leigh's Discount Golf Shop was the spot where Jim Furyk picked up a used putter that helped him win the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup last fall.)
Choung wrote to Golf Digest after Choi's victory Sunday night:
"We have been fitting and building KJ Choi's clubs since March of 2010. Because KJ is a perfectionist, who welcomes new technology, we built him about 10 sets of irons and over 25 drivers in last 14 months.> *>
*> "Because of the tight pin positions and hard greens, KJ was looking for irons that gave him more height, spin and workability as well as forgiveness. When he used a 6 hybrid at 2011 Masters, he was able to achieve higher ball flight, forgiveness and more spin to hold the greens but it was missing the workability and feel. When I fitted him to the Miura 501 irons, we were able to meet all of his needs. The amazing thing about KJ is that he was able to put his new irons into play only after three days of practice and finished T3 in New Orleans.> *>
*> "The Miura 501s heads gave him the feel, forgiveness, workability; and the frequency matched > KBS> parallel shafts gave him the higher ball flight. The 9-iron KJ hit at the 17th during the playoff could have easily gone into the water but it stopped. It might be because of his new clubs.> *>
*> "This proves that custom fitting helps pros win and amateurs play better."
A clubfitting may not net you $1.71 million like it did Choi, but you can shop in the same store as Choi __or hundreds like it. __If you've never done it, you can't say you don't know what you're missing. All you have to do is look at KJ Choi because when it comes to his clubs he's just another customer just like you and me.
--Mike Stachura*
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