Jack Hirsh
Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak’s win at the Zurich was just one win over the weekend for Ping and Mizuno.
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
In my role as a gear reporter, Sunday nights typically see me reaching out to different PR contacts and Tour reps of respective golf-club manufacturers to confirm what tournament winners had in their bags.
This past Sunday, I found myself reaching out to Chris Voshall, Mizuno’s head of product.
At first, it was to get specs for Ariya Jutanugarn, who plays Mizuno’s irons and was leading the Chevron Championship coming down the stretch. Then came the ask for Ben Griffin, who is sponsored by the Japanese sports giant and had just buried a long putt to help him and partner Andrew Novak win the Zurich Classic. We pivoted as well to specs for Mao Siago, who defeated Jutanugarn and three others in a playoff at the Chevron.
Then, Chris added this: “While we’re at it, Marco Penge on the DP…”
Like Griffin, Penge, who won for the first time on the DP World Tour, is another Mizuno endorser.
All in all, this weekend added up to three wins for Mizuno irons, two by Mizuno staff players playing the company’s new Pro S-3 irons, and another runner-up finish.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Griffin and Penge both play the new Mizuno Pro S-3 iron, which is the first in a new Mizuno Pro Signature series for the company, and all are one-piece forgings. Griffin, who played the Mizuno Pro 241 blades last season, told me at the WM Phoenix Open that the S-3s are the best irons Mizuno has ever built.
Mizuno Pro S-3 Custom Irons
The Mizuno Pro S-3 irons epitomize refined craftsmanship and elite performance, combining Mizuno’s renowned forging expertise with the precision and versatility demanded by today’s golfers. With a sleek, compact profile and an exceptional feel, the Pro S-3 is the ultimate choice for players seeking precision and control in every shot.
Iconic Mizuno Pro FeelThe Mizuno Pro S-3 delivers the signature feel that has solidified Mizuno’s reputation. This exceptional sensation stems from the advanced Grain Flow Forged HD process, performed exclusively at Mizuno’s Hiroshima plant, and is enhanced by premium materials:
1025E Pure Select Mild Carbon Steel: Provides a soft, responsive touch that golfers love.
Copper Underlay: Subtly enhances vibration patterns, ensuring a smoother, more connected feel with every strike.
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Mizuno
The S-3 falls between the company’s Pro 241 and Pro 243 irons as a single-piece forged iron with traditional lofts and a shallow cavity for a forgiveness boost. They’re intended for high-level ball strikers who want something just a touch more forgiving than a blade. They’re also one of the first irons from Mizuno to feature its new Triple Cut Sole, which helps turf interaction.
Penge was also playing the company’s ST-X 230 driver and ST-Max fairway woods, which are on sale now at Fairway Jockey.
Ping drivers’ big week
Mizuno wasn’t the only company to see huge success last week.
Both Griffin and Novak were playing Ping drivers, as was Joaquin Niemann, who won LIV Golf’s Mexico event. A career Ping staff player, Niemann was recently part of an announcement of the company partnerning with his LIV Golf team.
Novak was gaming Ping’s new G440 LST 7.5˚ driver while Griffin and Neimann both played models from the G430 line (Griffin the Max 10k and Niemann the LST).
Ping’s platform is one of the most stable out there, so it’s no surprise to see PGA Tour-level players winning with a Ping driver even if they aren’t under contract to play it.
PING G440 LST Custom Driver
The G440 driver family (MAX, LST, SFT) is optimized to deliver more ball speed through multiple advancements, including PING’s deepest CG in a driver to date and a shallower, thinner face, while continuing to ensure the game-changing forgiveness expected from a PING driver. The G440 LST (Low Spin) design appeals to players with faster swing speeds, providing lower spin and more control in 9° and 10.5° lofts with the three-position back weight.
HIGHLY FORGIVING
Lighter head weight allows for heavier back weight.
FASTER FACE
Shallow, thinner, face increases ball speed for more distance, higher launch.
SOUND DESIGN
New shaping, carbon crown and internal ribs produce muted impact experience.
FREE-HOSEL DESIGN
Saves weight to lower CG, increase forgiveness. Allows for more heel-side face flexing for consistent ball speed across face.
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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore
All of the G440 line drivers were some of the most forgiving heads we saw in GOLF’s 2025 ClubTest. Give their exeptional speed, Tour players value forgiveness and accuracy sometimes more than hitting it as far as possible.
That’s not to say you can’t hit a Ping driver far — you absolutely can and should try one out for yourself to see — but they also have some of the biggest sweet spots out there, which can make finding the fairway much easier.
Want to overhaul your bag for 2025? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.
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Jack Hirsh
Golf.com Editor
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.