Hall of Famer Jose Maria Olazabal is a two-time Masters Tournament winner in 1994 and 1996. He has 10 amateur and 30 professional wins on his resume, with the best career-high Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) being No. 4.
Before winning the 1999 Masters Tournament, he suffered severe foot and back injuries, leading to arthritis, for which he even had to withdraw from the 1995 Ryder Cup, which was huge given that he's a record holder at the Ryder Cup with Seve Ballesteros winning 12 points in a team effort.
His most recent professional win, and 23rd European Tour win was at the 2005 Mallorca Classic with a score of 270, under 10, defeating Paul Broadhurst, Sergio Gracia and Jose Manuel Lara by five strokes.
Since turning 50 in 2016, he has participated in the PGA and European tours in addition to the Champions Tour. Having won the Masters, he is eligible to play in the tournament every year for the rest of his life. In the 2024 Masters, he tied for 45th place with a score of 297, over 9.
What is in Jose Maria Olazabal's Bag?
Club | Brand | Model | Loft | Shaft |
Driver | Ping | G425 Max/LST | N/A | N/A |
Fairway Woods | Ping | G425 | N/A | N/A |
Irons | Titleist | 620MB | N/A | N/A |
Wedges | Vokey | 52M | N/A | N/A |
Vokey | 58 Wide M | N/A | N/A | |
Putter | TP Mills | Custom Version3 | N/A | N/A |
Jose Maria Olazabal's Driver and Fairways
Jose Maria Olazabal has a Ping G425 driver on the top of his bag; however, he could be either using the Max variant or the LST variant of the same driver, as there is no confirmation of that. He uses the same model for his fairways.
Regardless, the G425 Max features a more rounded appearance at the address, which may appear more user-friendly to some. For those who prefer a more conventional, pear-shaped design, there is the G425 LST, which looks much more manageable and is smaller at 445 cc.
During Golf Monthly's testing, they found that the feel and thunderous sound from its previous model, the G410, are still present. They tested it G425 on the Foresight Sports GCQuad launch monitor at an eight-degree loft and Ping Tour 65 shaft.
The results showed that the headline figures were pretty similar and that, if anything, it doesn't give much extra distance out of G425 since it was spinning a little bit more.
That extra distance was unlocked, though, by the G425 LST version, which lost about 200 rpm of spin. Though it is smaller in size, this driver is remarkably consistent, and it still wasn't an extremely low spin driver. But the Max was as forgiving, and it was included in Golf Monthly's list of the most forgiving drivers.
Jose Maria Olazabal's Irons
Olazabal plays with a Titleist 620 MB iron, a gorgeously compact blade designed for self-assured ball strikers who hardly ever miss the heart of the club.
Although there haven't been many design modifications from the previous line (718 MB), many lower handicappers will appreciate the sleeker, more sophisticated appearance. On off-center strikes, though, it is unforgiving.
Jose Maria Olazabal's Wedges
Olazabal's preferred wedge is the Vokey M-grind at 52 and 58 degrees. The sand and lob wedge are the main applications for this grind. Additionally, it's perfect for players who take pleasure in making shots by opening and closing the wedge. Generally speaking, a mid-low handicapper with significant green-keeping ability would love this wedge.
Jose Maria Olazabal's Putter
Olazabal's putter information is in a bit of contention; however, it is highly likely that he is using TP Mills, customized version.
T.P. Mills Co. has been the benchmark for carbon-steel putters for more than 60 years. The company was based on talents and innovation, which remain relevant today. However, the precise customization that Olazabal asked for is not known.