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Srixon Z-Star Diamond golf ball

The Japanese equipment maker’s new premium ball is designed to fit between the Z-Star and the Z-Star XV.

Gear: Srixon Z-Star Diamond golf ball
Price: $44.99 per dozen at srixon.com
Specs: Three-piece, urethane-covered ball with outer cover coating
Available: Jan. 21

Hideki Matsuyama won the 2021 Masters using a Srixon Z-Star XV (from $42.99 per dozen at globalgolf.com), a four-piece, urethane-covered ball designed to produce less spin off the tee with a driver, more distance and a firmer feel. For golfers who want a slightly lower flight off the tee, a softer feel and more spin around the green, Srixon offered the three-piece Z-Star alongside it for years.

Now the Japanese equipment maker is releasing a new ball, the Z-Star Diamond, a premium ball designed to fit between the Z-Star and the Z-Star XV.

“Z-Star Diamond is a game-changer for me,” said Brooks Koepka, who recently signed an endorsement deal with the company. “This golf ball was a major driver in joining Srixon.”

The Z-Star Diamond is a three-piece ball with a large rubber core that is soft in the center and becomes progressively firmer toward the outside. Srixon refers to this design as a FastLayer Core and has used the same type of core construction and design in several of its premium balls for years, including the Z-Star and Z-Star XV. Srixon said it provides speed while also delivering enhanced feel.

Srixon Z-Star Diamond golf balls — The Z-Star Diamond is a three-layer ball with a urethane cover. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The FastLayer core is covered by a casing layer, then a urethane cover. On the outside of the ball, designers gave the Z-Star Diamond a new 338-dimple cover pattern that creates less drag, so it should be affected by the wind less and hold its line more efficiently.

While the urethane cover is fractionally thicker than the Z-Star’s cover, it has the same SpinSkin coating with SeRM Sling Ring. Applied to the outside of the ball, the coating helps wedges and short irons grab the urethane cover more easily to create more spin and control on approach shots. However, it does not affect performance on long irons and wood shots, so players do not have to fear ballooning shots or losing distance.

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Brooks Koepka signs golf equipment deal with Cleveland/Srixon

The financial details were not disclosed, but Koepka will use a Srixon driver and irons, play Cleveland wedges and use a Srixon ball and bag.

Brooks Koepka had been one of the most highly-coveted equipment free agents on the market since Nike stopped producing golf equipment and balls in 2016. A former world No. 1 and the winner of two U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, the American is known as a fierce competitor and for playing his best golf on the biggest stages, something that brands love being associated with.

The first sentence of that last paragraph is written in the past tense because Srixon announced on Monday that it had signed Koepka, 31, to an endorsement deal.

“I am very excited to join my good friends Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell and Hideki Matsuyama as a Srixon and Cleveland Golf Tour Staff member,” he said in a release. “I’ve been an equipment free agent for the past few years, so it will be fun to be involved with a company on a daily basis and be able to contribute to the development of their future equipment.”

The financial details of Koepka’s signing were not disclosed, but he is now being paid to use a Srixon driver and irons, play Cleveland wedges, use a Srixon ball and carry a Srixon bag.

“We’re extremely proud to have Brooks come on board as our newest staff member,” said Rodney McDonald, Srixon’s vice president of tour operations. “He’s one of the best players in the world and brings his major championship pedigree and validation to our brands. We’re excited for Brooks to join the Srixon and Cleveland Golf family and look forward to supporting him out on tour.”

According to Srixon, Koepka plans to use a Srixon ZX5 driver (From $499 at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s), Srixon ZX7 irons (From $162.50 at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s) and Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack wedges (From $149 at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s). It is anticipated that he will use a new Srixon Z-STAR prototype ball as well.

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Over the last two seasons, Koepka has used a few different drivers but has played Srixon’s ZX7 irons. The ZX7 is a better-players cavity-back iron that is forged from 1025 carbon steel. It features a thin topline, narrow sole and only a small amount of offset. A small amount of tungsten has been positioned in the toe to counteract the weight of the hosel and pull the ideal hitting area into the center of the face.

The timing of the announcement is likely no accident. Koepka will be playing in Capital One’s The Match on November 26, a televised match-play event against Bryson DeChambeau on Friday in Las Vegas.

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Winner’s Bag: Hideki Matsuyama, Zozo Championship

Hideki Matsuyama won the Zozo Championship using a blend of gear from four different manufacturers.

A complete list of the golf equipment Hideki Matsuyama used to win the PGA Tour’s 2021 Zozo Championship:

DRIVER: Srixon ZX5 (9.5 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX shaft (From $499.99 at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s)

FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade SIM2 Titanium (15 degrees), Cobra King RadSpeed Tour (19 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX shafts

IRONS: Srixon Z-Forged (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts (From $999.99 at GlobalGolf)

WEDGES: Cleveland RTX 4 (52, 56, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts(From $149.99 at GlobalGolf)

PUTTER: Scotty Cameron Newport prototype

BALL: Srixon Z-Star XV (From $42.99 at Carl’s Golfland and Dick’s)

GRIPS: Iomic (full wing) / Lamkin (putter)

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Drivers being used by the European Ryder Cup team at Whistling Straits

See which golfers European stars like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Ian Poulter will be using at Whistling Straits.

It’s finally here after a year’s delay, Ryder Cup week.

As we explained last week, Whistling Straits, site of the Ryder Cup, is long and tough. The PGA of America can stretch it to as long as 7,390 yards. Alongside Lake Michigan in Wisconsin, and has holes that wander over sandy dunes that are flanked by bunkers, fescue grass and rugged terrain.

Last week we shared which drivers the players on the American Ryder Cup team are going to use. This week, we give you the 12 members of Team Europe and the drivers we anticipate them using in the biennial event.

New golf balls of 2021 for every budget and handicap

A list of new golf balls for every budget and handicap in 2021.

Plenty of golfers think a golf ball is just a golf ball. “They’re all white, round and sit on the ground,” they chime. But smart golfers know that’s not true.

Trying to find the best golf ball for your game and budget can be a challenge, whether you’re a scratch player or just starting out. And while it’s true that the right golf ball won’t transform you into a pro, it can make a big difference in what you see off the tee and around the green.

Most well-made golf balls are built in layers featuring a soft rubber core with a thin and durable cover made from either Surlyn, which is great for durability, or urethane for extra spin on chips, pitches and shots hit into the green.

With so many options to choose from and a variety of pricing tiers, it sometimes can feel just as difficult to purchase the correct golf ball as it is to consistently turn in a solid scorecard. Depending on your budget and what you are looking for from your ball, we’ve identified our favorite golf balls for 2021 to help any player improve their score:

Best drivers of 2021 for every budget and handicap

A list of our favorite drivers for every budget and handicap in 2021

Whether you just enjoy a morning at the driving range or dream of playing like Bryson DeChambeau, every golfer strives to hit the next missile off the tee even farther than the last.

The club you choose may not make you an instant big-hitter, but it can go a long way in increasing your consistency, distance and confidence off the tee.

We’ve identified current model-year drivers for every budget and handicap, using write-ups from Golfweek‘s David Dusek. They run the gamut from majors manufacturers, offering the latest in technology to help any player hit the ball farther and straighter. Check them out below.

Golf club counterfeiters found guilty after Chinese bust, with 120,000 pieces of gear confiscated

The total value of the faked gear was more than $1.8 million, and 15 people were sentenced to prison and fined for their roles.

If a deal on a new set of clubs sold online sounds too good to be true, it very well could be. A recent bust of Chinese counterfeiters proved that point and should serve as notice to buy golf gear only from trusted retailers or from equipment manufacturers directly.

Fifteen people in China were convicted this week for their roles in a major counterfeit golf club ring, an industry watchdog association named U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group reported.

Following what the U.S.-based business group called the largest raid of counterfeit golf gear ever, conducted in 2020, a court in the Chinese district of Pudong convicted all 15 people on trial after the raid. The total case value of the faked equipment was more than $1.8 million and involved 120,000 pieces of equipment falsely carrying the branding of Titleist, TaylorMade, PXG, Ping, Callaway and Cleveland/Srixon.

Thirteen people were convicted for counterfeiting registered trademarks, and two people were convicted for selling them. Combined, the defendants were sentenced to 42 years with fines totaling $574,461. Another person was tried in the case, and the outcome of that trial is pending.

“We are very pleased with the outcome in this case, and we hope it serves as a strong message to any potential counterfeiters and sellers of counterfeit golf products in China or elsewhere that this behavior will not be tolerated,” Jud Hawken, associate general counsel for Ping, said in a media release announcing the verdict. “We will continue to work closely with law enforcement across the globe to take down these counterfeiters, eliminate the selling of these fake products and protect golfers everywhere.”

The case involved raids at 10 locations, including the manufacturer of the club heads, shaft and grip suppliers, owners of assembling workshops, shipping centers and online chat rooms. Counterfeit products confiscated in the raids included complete golf clubs, club heads, shafts, grips, bags, labels and more. Photos of the raid can be found on the industry group’s website, www.keepgolfreal.com, and on Facebook.

The U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group was formed in 2004 to support international law enforcement as it pertains to misrepresented golf gear. The group includes Acushnet (Titleist and FootJoy), Callaway, Cleveland/Srixon, Ping, PXG, TaylorMade and Adams Golf. The group said in the release that its efforts have led to the shutdown of more than 1,500 websites involved in counterfeiting and have led to the seizure of more than 2 million faked products.

Winner’s Bag: Hideki Matsuyama, Masters

A complete list of the golf equipment Hideki Matsuyama used to win the 2021 Masters Tournament.

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The golf equipment Hideki Matsuyama used to win the 2021 Masters Tournament:

DRIVER: Srixon ZX5 (9.5 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade SIM2 Titanium (15 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD TP 9 TX shaft

IRONS: TaylorMade SIM UDI (3), Srixon Z-Forged (4-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

WEDGES: Cleveland RTX 4 (52, 56, 60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

PUTTER: Scotty Cameron Newport prototype

BALL: Srixon Z-Star XV

GRIPS: Iomic (full wing) / Lamkin (putter)

Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide golf balls

The unique coloring of Srixon’s Q-Star Tour Divide makes it easy to spot, while the cover material and fast core boost performance.

Gear: Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide golf balls
Price: $32.99
Specs: Three-piece, urethane-covered ball with matte yellow and orange coloration
Available: April 15

When March 24th dawned over Middlefield, Connecticiut, a chilly fog covered the first fairway of Lyman Orchards’ Player Course. It’s an uphill par 4 with a large tree guarding the corner of the dogleg right, but that tree was shrouded by the mist. Even the start of the fairway, about 50 yards up the slope from the tee box, was barely visible.

An orange and yellow streak suddenly split the foggy air like a disco ball. It was a Srixon Q-Star Tour Divide golf ball, the latest offering from the Japanese brand, and when it came to rest about 200 yards up the fairway, it was easy to spot because the Q-Star Tour Divide looks like few balls most players have ever seen.

The Q-Star Tour Divide is a three-piece ball with a core that is very soft in the center that becomes gradually firmer in its outer areas. Srixon calls it a FastLayer core, and it helps provide a soft feel and more ball speed.

On top of the core is a thin casing layer, which is surrounded by a new thermoplastic urethane cover that features an aerodynamic 338-dimple pattern. The pattern is designed to make the ball more stable in the wind and reduce drag for more distance.

However, instead of adding paint to the cover, Srixon infused the urethane with yellow and orange pigments. The high-visibility matte colors make the Q-Star Tour Divide easy to spot in flight as well as on the ground. The bright coloring also makes it easy to see the spin on chip shots and pitch shots, as well as to align the ball on the green for a putt. The two-tone coloration clearly shows how well the ball is rolling on putts.

At the same time, Srixon said the Q-Star Tour Divide should provide the same performance and spin characteristics as the standard Q-Star Tour ball.

New golf equipment for 2021: Irons

Whether you are in the market for game-improvement irons, muscleback blades or something in between, check out the newest irons for 2021.

The holidays are a distant memory but ’tis the season for new golf equipment to be arriving at your local pro shop and golf specialty store. We showed you the abundance of new drivers, and now it is time to focus on irons.

The trend in irons is to utilize unique materials and construction to not only allow golfers to hit the ball farther and higher but to get better performance on mis-hit shots. However, this season there are not just game-improvement and max game-improvement irons for mid- and higher-handicap golfers. We are also seeing a bumper crop of irons designed for experienced golfers who have repeatable, powerful swings and demand feel and control.

The best way to figure out which new iron is ideal for your game is to work with a good custom fitter, use a launch monitor and test several models and shafts.