Ian Poulter's Ryder Cup clubs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- There was controversy when Nick Faldo decided to use a captain's pick on Ian Poulter, instead of selecting Darren Clarke or Colin Montgomerie. However, his decision was vindicated by Poulter's outstanding and inspired play. In fact, Poulter's four points were the most earned by any player on either team.

Here are the clubs he had in his bag:

Driver:                     Cobra Speed Pro S (8.5°)
Fairway woods:       Cobra Speed Pro (15°, 18°)
Irons:                       Cobra Pro MB (3-PW)
Wedges:                   Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled (54°, 60°)
Putter:                     Odyssey Tri Force 3

(Photo by Bob Martin/SI)

Anthony Kim's Ryder Cup clubs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Anthony Kim dazzled crowds during the Ryder Cup, not only with his rhinestone belt buckles, but with the quality of his play. The 23-year-old Ryder Cup rookie was one of the emotional leaders of the team, and his win over Sergio Garcia in Sunday's singles matches set the early tone for the United States' victory.

Here is a list of the clubs in his bag this week:

Driver:                 Nike Sumo 5000 (7.5˚)
Hybrid:                Adams Idea Pro (14˚)
Irons:                   Nike Pro Combo (2-iron), Nike Forged Blades (3-PW)
Wedges:              Nike SV (54˚, 59˚)
Putter:                Scotty Cameron by Titleist Studio Select T10
Ball:                    Nike One Platinum

(Photo by Fred Vuich/SI)

Update: Mickelson's foursomes ball strategy

Earlier this week, I asked Phil Mickelson how he and the American team would handle the ball issue in the foursomes matches. Not everyone plays the same ball, so in alternate shot the players often hit shots with an unfamiliar brand.

Mickelson told me that he planned to use his partner's ball off the tee, and his partner would use Mickelson's ball off the tee. "Off the tee it's not going to make too much of a difference. It's the distance control and how it comes off the irons and the trajectory and so forth," he said. "We will be hitting our own balls with our iron approach shots. I just don't think it will be a factor."

Well, that's not how it worked out. In both of Mickeson's foursomes matches with Anthony Kim (right ), the pair used Mickelson's Callaway Tour ix ball on every shot. Kim ordinarily plays a Nike One Platinum ball.

(Photo by Robert Beck/SI)

Holmes and Weekley's Ryder Cup Clubs

Using a Rife Barbados belly putter, J.B. Holmes (right) was in contention at the PGA Championship until a final-round 81 derailed him.

In his first Ryder Cup appearance, he's switched back to the putter he used to win the FBR Open last February, the TaylorMade Monza Spider belly putter.

Here is a list of the other clubs in his bag at Valhalla:
Driver                      Cobra L4V X (8°)
Fairway woods:      Cobra Speed LD-X Pro (13°, 18°)
Irons                        Cobra Pro CB (3-PW)
Wedges                   Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled (54°, 60°)
Putter                      TaylorMade Rosa Monza Spider belly
Ball                          Titleist Pro V1x

Boo Weekley, Holmes' playing partner both Friday and Saturday afternoon, is known as one of the most solid ballstrikers on either side of the Atlantic. To make his job a little easier, he uses a hybrid (a Cleveland HiBore XLS) and cavity-back long irons, but he prefers classic blades for his mid- and short-irons for more control and workability.

According to Cleveland Golf, these are the clubs in Weekley's bag:
Driver:                     Cleveland HiBore XL (9.5°)
Fairway woods:      Cleveland HiBore XLS (15°), HiBore (19°)
Hybrid:                    Cleveland HiBore XLS (3i)
Irons:                       Cleveland CG Red (4,5), CG1 (6-PW)
Wedges:                  Cleveland CG10 (52°), CG14 (58°)
Putter:                     Never Compromise GM2 Exchange #7
Ball:                         Titleist Pro V1x

(Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Paul Casey's new secret Nike putter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — We recently told you that Paul Casey switched to the new Nike Victory Red TW blade irons. This week at the Ryder Cup, the Englishman will also be using a Nike prototype putter.

When I had a chance to speak to Casey about it, he was excited to tell me how well he was putting with his new flatstick, but did not want to go into the details or discuss the technology incorporated in it. He wouldn't even give me its name.

The putter, which is a traditional heel-toe weighted blade, looks similar to Casey's former putter, the Nike Unitized Leo. However, the face of the putter, which appears to be milled stainless steel, has a series of small red grooves that Casey says allowed the ball to start rolling more quickly on the putting surface. Click on the top image for a better look.

On the sole of the putter there is a small cut which appears to be filled with a polymer. That cut would likely be designed to enhance feel and alter the sound of the ball striking the face.

Although Rick Nichols, Nike's Tour field manager, would not answer questions about the putter, he did say that the Texas design and code etched into the sole are essentially a serial number so Nike knows exactly which prototype it is. The FW part of the code stands for Ft. Worth, where Nike's golf design headquarters are located. Click on the bottom image for a closer look.

Stay tuned for more information about this new Nike putter soon in The Shop.

Golf balls won't be an issue in foursomes matches

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There are 12 players on the United States Ryder Cup team, and they don't all use the same ball. So in the alternate-shot matches, how do teams decide which ball to use?

I asked Phil Mickelson — the only player on the U.S. team who uses a Callaway ball — if he would encourage his potential foursome teammates to hit a few shots in practice rounds using his Tour ix ball, or if he might practice using another ball.

His answer was perplexing at first, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made.

"What we do in alternate shot is, I tee off with their ball and they tee off with my ball because we can switch balls each hole," he said. "So it really doesn't become much of a factor, because off the tee it's not going to make too much of a difference. It's the distance control and how it comes off the irons and the trajectory and so forth. And we will be hitting our own balls with our iron approach shots. I just don't think it will be a factor."

Here's a list of the golf balls used by each member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team:

Callaway Tour ix -          Phil Mickelson
Nike One Black -           Chad Campbell, Stewart Cink
Nike One Platinium -    Anthony Kim, Justin Leonard
Srixon Z-URS -              Jim Furyk
Titleist Pro V1 -            Steve Stricker, Boo Weekley, Hunter Mahan
Titleist Pro V1x -          Kenny Perry, J.B. Holmes, Ben Curtis

(Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)