Stewart Hagestad’s WITB

Three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Stewart Hagestad is a 33-year-old amateur golfer and a financial analyst. He played college golf for the USC Trojans till 2013 and since then he has won seven amateur titles. He also played in the Walker Cup while representing the U.S. in 2017, 2019 and 2022.

Hagestad made history as the first amateur player to make the cut at the 2017 Masters Tournament when competing as a low amateur, he tied for 36th place. However, that was his first and, as of April 2024, his last; he didn't make the cut again. He also made the cut at the 2022 U.S. Open and finished tied for 64th place.

Furthermore, he competed in the 2019 Pan American Games, where he placed 13th individually and won gold in the mixed team competition. And yet, even after such a remarkable amateur career, he has frequently declared that he has no desire to play professionally. He works for BDT & MSD Capital Partners and resides in South Florida.

Stewart Hagestad’s Bag

Stewart Hagestad’s Driver

Hagestad's driver is a TaylorMade Stealth Plus with a 10.5 degree, featured with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 7X shaft. It is designed for players who swing the club more quickly or for those who want a particular shot to be pushed by their drivers. This head has the same lightweight carbon fiber face as the other heads in the family.

This invention, according to TaylorMade, took 20 years to develop and enables quicker ball speeds through more effective energy transfer upon impact. Though there is an ungraded variant called Stealth Plus 2 available, the choice ultimately comes down to personal preference for the golfer.

Stewart Hagestad’s Fairways

Hagestad uses two fairways, a three-wood and a five-wood Stealth Plus, with the loft angle set at 15 and 19 degrees, respectively. Both are installed with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8X shaft.

In Golf Monthly's testing, it proved to be fairly reliable. They contend that drivers with reduced spin can be more difficult to hit, but the Stealth Plus consistently produced a solid distance shot after shot.

It's also important to note that during a club testing session, they achieved one of the fastest ball speeds ever, and the credit goes to the carbon face TaylorMade used.

Stewart Hagestad’s Irons

Hagestad uses three irons, a P790 (3), a P770 (4) and a P730 (5-9) all installed with a KBS Tour 125 S.

In 2021, TaylorMade added the P790 and P730 irons to their P700-series lineup. These irons are designed for different skill levels of golfers and are forged player distance irons and forged blades, respectively. The numbers correspond to the blade length in millimeters.

The P790 is a forged iron with a medium-compact head shape, narrower topline, and less offset that offers playability and distance with a decent feel. They have precisely positioned internal metal-injection-molded (MIM) tungsten weighting for CG placement and a higher MOI, resulting in forgiveness and playability.

The TaylorMade P730 comes with all of the iconic characteristics of the Tour Preferred MB '14, including sole camber, offset flow, sole radius, and hosel length, while also subtly improving its performance through two distinct improvements: mass properties and shaping.

According to TaylorMade, the new P770 iron for 2023 has a few modest design changes that could somewhat improve playability. Notably, the overall appearance is marginally more compact and the long irons have less offset. Plus, the CG placements have also been changed.

Stewart Hagestad’s Wedges

Hagestad is still using the Titleist Vokey SM9s with 46, 50, and 58 degrees, all with KBS 610 Wedge 120 shafts. However, as of April 2024, SM10s have been launched, and there is a possibility that he might make the change, as several SM9 users have.

According to Golf Monthly, the SM9 series is extremely versatile, enabling players to fine-tune their wedges based on their swing. It comes with six grinds and a total of 23 different lofts and bounce options.

The progressive center of gravity design has been enhanced to give a slightly lower and more consistent flight in the higher lofts for better distance management while maintaining maximum spin and feel.

Stewart Hagestad’s Putter

Hagestad uses a Scotty Cameron prototype putter; however, the model is not clear. Regardless of the model, Scotty Cameron is known for producing high-quality putters, while Hagestad's putts are well-known, which makes perfect sense.

Stewart Hagestad’s Golf Ball

Hagestad uses a TP5x golf ball. The latest version of the TP5x golf ball, created by TaylorMade, is now competitively strong and can be considered among the best available. In comparison to its sibling, the TaylorMade TP5, this ball has a firmer feel.

The 2021 TP5x features a new "Tour Flight" 322 dimple pattern with steeper sides and shallower dimples. The goal is to produce a more rainbow flight with a slightly lower launch and less drag. The ball has a steeper landing angle when it has less spin, which helps it stop on the green.