Last year at Royal Birkdale, Chris Wood, then an amateur, thrilled the crowds and nearly won the claret jug. After finishing fifth, Wood turned pro and earned his European Tour card in November 2008.

Now 20, he is yet another player who has chosen to go with cavity-back long irons and muscle-back mid- and short irons. Other players who employ the same strategy include Paul Casey, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson.

Earlier this season, Wood used a putter cover  designed with yellow submarines, an homage to The Beatles. (Click on the photo for a better look.) However, at Turnberry, Wood is using the Scotty Cameron 2009 British Open commemorative headcover we wrote about earlier in the week. It is adorned with red scooters covered with Union Jacks.

Although Wood doesn't wear a hat (would one fit over that hair?), his bag at Turnberry is nearly full of Titleist equipment. Below is a list of his clubs at the 2009 British Open.

DRIVER: Titleist 909 D3 (8.5°) with Mitsubishi Diamana 73 X Shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: Taylor Made R9 (15°) with  Mitsubishi Diamana 83 X shaft
IRONS: Titleist 735 (2-3), ZM (4-PW) with Royal Precision Rifle 7 X shafts
WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design prototype (53°, 60°) with Royal Precision Rifle 7 shafts
PUTTER: Titleist Scotty Cameron Studio Design Newport 1.5
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

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(Photo: Wood/GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images; Bag/Titleist European Tour blog)

Australia's Matthew Goggin finished the third round of the 2009 British Open at three under par, one shot off the lead. He will play with Tom Watson on Sunday in the final pairing.

According to TaylorMade, this is a complete list of the clubs he is using at Turnberry.

DRIVER: TaylorMade R9 460 TP (9.5°)
FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade V Steel (16.5°)
IRONS: TaylorMade r7 TP (2), RAC MB (3-PW)
WEDGES: TaylorMade Z TP (50°, 56°)
PUTTER: TaylorMade Rossa Monza Itsy Bitsy Spider
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

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(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The most unique thing about Ross Fisher's clubs? He plays without a fairway wood. Instead, the Englishman, who ranks fourth in the European Tour's Order of Merit in 2009, simply carries a driver and a hybrid.

At 17°, Fisher's Titleist 909H has the loft of a 4-wood.

Here is a complete list of Fisher's clubs as he goes into the final round of the 2009 British Open one shot off the lead.

DRIVER: Titleist Pro Titanium 905R (9.5°) with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 73 shaft
HYBRID: Titleist 909H  (17°) with Fujikura Speeder 904HB shaft
IRONS: Titleist 695MB (2-9) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled (48°, 54°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron for Titleist Studio Design Newport
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

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Mark Calcavecchia is using one of Ping's new drivers, the G15, while competing at Turnberry. As GOLF.com reported earlier this week, the G15 maintains ball speed on off-center hits more effectively then its predecessor, the Ping G10. The G15 also spins the ball less and launches it at a slightly higher angle for more carry distance.

It's also interesting to note that Calcavecchia is caring two hybrid clubs, each a yet-to-be released Ping i15.

DRIVER: Ping G15 (7.5°) with Grafalloy ProLaunch Red X shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Steelhead III (13°) with Accra SE80 X shaft
HYBRIDS: Ping i15 (17°, 20°) with Accra XH85 X shafts
IRONS: Ping i5 (4-PW) with Dynamic Gold X100 shafts
WEDGES: Ping M/B (56°), Eye2 (60°) with True Temper X100 shafts
PUTTER: Ping Anser 2
BALL: Titleist Pro V1

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(Photo by Bob Martin/SI)

Here is a complete list of the clubs that Steve Marino has used at the British Open.

DRIVER: Cleveland Hi-Bore XLS (9.5°)
FAIRWAY WOODS: Cleveland Hi-Bore XLS (15°), Launcher Comp (19°)
HYBRID: Adams Idea Pro (20°)
IRONS: Cleveland CG Tour (4-9)
WEDGES: Cleveland CG14 (48°, 56°, 60°)
PUTTER: Never Compromise NCX-Ray Full Mallet
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x (2005)

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(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

While many competitors at the 2009 British Open have chosen to add a 2-iron to their bag and remove their 5wood, it's interesting to note that two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen is carrying both at Turnberry.

The popular thinking has been that shots hit with a 5-wood, which would naturally fly high, would be pushed around by the wind. A 2-iron, while not as good from light rough, can more easily be hit low, beneath the wind.

Goosen, who carries a 5-wood in his standard set, removed his 3-iron to make room for the 2-iron.

Here is a complete list of the clubs Goosen, who shot 67-70, is using at Turnberry.

DRIVER: TaylorMade r7 SuperQuad (8.5°) with Fujikura RE AX TP 85 shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: TaylorMade Tour Burner (14.5°) with Fujikura ROMBAX TP75 shaft, R9 (19°) with a Fujikura Motore F1 shaft
IRONS: TaylorMade Tour Preferred (2, 4-PW)
WEDGES: TaylorMade rac (54°, 64°)
PUTTER: Yes! Tracy
BALL:  TaylorMade TP Black

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(Photo bySam Greenwood/Getty Images)

In the days leading up to the 2009 British Open, player after player came into the media center and said it would be critical to hit the fairways at Turnberry. The combination of deep round a nasty pot bunkers would make scrambling tough.

On Thursday, en route to scoring a 64, Miguel Angel Jimenez hit 12 of 14 fairways, 13 of 18 greens in regulation and needed just 27 putts to complete his round.

According to Ping, here are the clubs The Mechanic used Thursday at Turnberry:

DRIVER: Ping Rapture (7.5°) with Accra AXIV XC65 X shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Ping TISI TEC (14°) with UST ProForce 75 X shaft, (18°) with UST V2 86 X shaft
IRONS: Ping S57 (3-PW) with True Temper Superlite X-100 shafts
WEDGES: Ping Tour-W (52°), Tour-W TS (60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X-100 shafts
PUTTER: Ping JAS Tess

(Photo by Bob Martin/SI)

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Ben Curtis, winner of the 2003 British Open at Royal St. Georges, shot an opening-round 65 at Turnberry. Here is a list of the clubs he has in his bag:

DRIVER: Titleist 909 D2 (8.5°) with Aldila VooDoo VS6 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: 909F2 (13.5°) with Aldila VooDoo VS7 shaft
HYBRIDS: Titleist 909H (17°, 21°) Aldila VS Proto shafts
IRONS: Titileist AP2 (4-PW) with with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
WEDGES: Titleist Vokey Design (52°), Vokey TVD (58°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron for Titleist Studio Design Newport 2
BALL: Titleist Pro V1x

(Photo by Alastair Grant/AP Photos)

This week via Twitter, I asked Paul Casey what this week's winner will have to do well at Turnberry.

His answer was simple: "Drive the ball well. Look at the two previous Turnberry winners, Norman and Price. Both drove it brilliantly. Same this week."

Casey's coach, GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teacher and CBS on-course analyst Peter Kostis, told me, "Drive it poorly here and you won't finish."

To avoid Turnberry's deep rough and handle a forecast that calls for a mix of sun, rain and wind, players will need to be especially dialed-in with their drivers. For Casey, that means he's got to be accurate with his Nike SQ Tour (8.5°).

According to TaylorMade, Rod Pampling practiced on Tuesday with an R9 460 that was cut down to just 43.5 inches. That's an inch and a half shorter than standard length. Generally, a shorter driver will allow for more control and feel, but less power. The effect is similar to a baseball player choking down on his bat.

According to Titleist, Adam Scott (right) tested a shorter driver in the days leading up to the British Open. The Aussie has experimented with a 909 D2 (9.5°) with a UST Proforce V2 86 shaft that is just 44.25” long.

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(Photo by Peter Morrison/AP Photos)

Dan Brown, the author of " The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons," would be proud of TaylorMade for incorporating so many symbols into the staff bag being given to players at Turnberry.

On the front of each bag is a large version of the logo on the right. The "RB" in the crown is for Robert the Bruce, who was born in Turnberry Castle in 1274. Eight years after being crowned King of Scots in 1306, his army defeated England's and won freedom for Scotland.

The four red jewels in the crown represent the Open Championships contested on Turnberry's Ailsa Course (1977, 1986, 1994 and 2009).

Golf fans should easily piece together what the sun, crossed swords and 77 symbolize—Tom Watson's victory in the 1977 Open over Jack Nicklaus that has come to be known as "Duel in the Sun." 

The dark mound rising from the water represents Ailsa Craig, the volcanic island 11 miles off the coast of Turnberry in the Irish Sea. Expect to see lots of photographs and images of Ailsa Craig during this week's Open coverage.

The crossed white stripes on the blue background at the bottom symbolize the national flag of Scotland.

As he does for all major championships, Scotty Cameron, Titleist's putting guru, has designed a special headcover for this year's British Open. Titleist-endorsed players will find one of these special covers -- white with Union-Jack-covered scooters -- in their lockers by Tuesday evening. For collectors, the headcovers will be available for $72 in the Studio Store area of Cameron's Web site later this week.

It's not uncommon for pros to carry more than 14 clubs during a practice round. As they prepare for a tournament, they often hit a few shots from critical areas with different clubs, trying different techniques.

On Monday at Turnberry, Tiger Woods's bag featured three headcovers—his traditional tiger (known as Frank in Nike ad campaigns), a Nike Sumo and a Kiwi bird. The Kiwi is a nod to the homeland of Tiger's caddie, Steve Williams, who hails from New Zealand.

Woods continued to use the Nike Forged Blades that he switched to at the Memorial in early June. Like other players, Tiger will be deciding this week whether he's going to keep his 5-wood in the bag—as he's done all season—or pull it out and go with a 2-iron. Although he is capable of hitting a low 5-wood, the 2-iron might prove to be more versatile in firm, windy conditions.

(Photo by Peter Muhly/AFP/Getty Images)

In the days leading up to the British Open, Ping Golf started showing its newest drivers to tour professionals.

The Ping i15 is designed for players who are seeking more playability off the tee, while the Ping G15 is meant for players who want a forgiving driver that is designed to hit the ball straight.

Golfers who currently play the Ping G10 driver will find that the G15 (left in photo) maintains ball speed on off-center hits more effectively. The G15 also spins the ball less than the G10 and launches it at a slightly higher angle, which should help increase carry. An external weight pad moves the center of gravity lower and deeper to improve launch conditions. Although both clubs will set square at address, the G15 will be available in both neutral and draw versions.

The shaft of the Ping G15 has a balance point closer to the handle area, which allowed designers to leave more mass in the head without sacrificing the overall balance of the club. Big deal you say? Well, more mass delivered at the same speed yields more power, which increases ball speed across the entire face.

The i15 (right in photo) is intended for high-swing-speed players. The crown and face of the club are slightly more rounded than the G15 for greater energy transfer on shots hit in the center of the face. The center of gravity is low, but more forward in the head than the G15, so drives hit with the i15 should fly slightly lower, with less spin and a more penetrating trajectory.

The face of the i15 driver is square at address, but the internal weight of the club encourages a fade to help heavy-hitters avoid missing left.

If any players use the G15 or i15 at Turnberry this week, The Shop blog will be sure to let you know.

You are undoubtedly aware that big money is paid to players to flash logos, wear specific items, and look good on the course. The industry term for deciding exactly what shirts go with which pants, and which sweater, is scripting. Each company takes its scripting very seriously because apparel never looks better than when it is being worn by a great player on a beautiful course.

Nike just sent me the script for Tiger Woods' apparel during the 2009 British Open Turnberry. Here it is:

Before the start of U.S. Open at Bethpage, many players put hybrid clubs in their bags and pulled out long irons. With several long par 4s and wet conditions to contend with, they were looking for a way to hit high-flying, soft-landing shots from 220 to 230 yards out.

Now, as the best players in the world get ready to take on Turnberry's Ailsa Course in Scotland in the British Open, those long irons may be going back in the bag.

On Tuesday, Paul Casey said on Twitter:
"Thinking the 5 wood will be coming out and the 2 iron will be making a guest appearance for the Open. No other changes."

I asked him which model and he wrote back, "Still the Nike Pro Combo OS. I have 2 or 3 of them that I'm hanging on to."

Turnberry is located on the western coast of Scotland, so players can expect windy conditions. Since hybrids are designed to hit the ball high, irons would seem to be a better choice.

Here is a list of the clubs that Casey used to win the blustery 2009 Shell Houston Open:

Driver: Nike SQ Tour (8.5°) with a Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board shaft
Fairway woods: Nike SQ II (13°)
Irons: Nike Pro Combo OS (2), Victory Red Forged Split Cavity (3, 4), Victory Red Forged Blades (5-PW)
Wedges: Nike Victory Red (52°, 59°)
Putter: Nike Prototype
Ball: Nike One Tour

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(Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)