NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Brooks Koepka posted a T11 finish last week at the Myrtle Beach Classic, his best finish since returning to the PGA Tour in January. Brooks Koepka also broke his putter on Sunday, a casualty of a final-round 70 that saw him lose more than 2.5 shots to the field on the greens.
On Monday afternoon at Aronimink Golf Club, Koepka went to work trying to solve a pressing equipment question: Which putter will he have in the bag at the PGA Championship?
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Several years ago, the answer would have been obvious—a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 featuring a Teryllium insert. Koepka used two different versions of the blade to win five major championships.
Brooks Koepka spent over 30 minutes on the practice green working with a @TaylorMadeGolf Spider Tour V with a plumber’s neck. Made a bunch of mid-length putts with it during the session. Slightly different shape from the traditional Spider profile he was using previously. pic.twitter.com/e8h8mvb06p
— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) May 11, 2026
Still, with the putter lagging behind the rest of his game, the 36-year-old made a surprise change at this year’s WM Phoenix Open when he inserted a TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallet.
“I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball great for a long time,” he said in Myrtle Beach. “I just haven’t holed any putts.”
It’s the kind of statement that cuts through the noise. Koepka’s swing has been tour-caliber since his return in January. His tee and approach games hum. But on the greens, where majors are actually won, he’s struggled to find consistency and currently sits 149th in Strokes Gained: Putting this season.
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In need of a new wand, Koepka tested a myriad of different mallet offerings from TaylorMade and Scotty Cameron during a session that lasted close to one hour on the practice putting green.
One of the more interesting options was a custom Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5R prototype—the same mallet Cameron Young popularized, and Justin Thomas recently picked up—featuring a milled Teryllium insert designed to mirror the one in his previous Newport 2 gamers. The gesture mattered: Cameron was saying we understand what made you great.
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Then he picked up TaylorMade’s Spider Tour V.
This is where the story turns. The Spider Tour V carries a slightly sleeker look than his previous Spider Tour X, along with a visually longer plumber’s neck that can stabilize the stroke and reduce face rotation.
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Over 30 minutes on the practice green with the putter, Koepka found his rhythm. Mid-length putts dropped consistently. The feel and stroke appeared to be there. When he wrapped up the session, only the Spider Tour V remained in his bag.
Is the putter permanent? It’s Monday at a major, and situations evolve. But for now, the three-time Wanamaker holder is staying with TaylorMade. Whether that decision holds through Sunday is the only thing that matters.
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