Welcome back to another edition of the Sunday Swing presented by 2nd Swing Golf. This week, the PGA Tour was in the Midwest at the Rocket Classic from Detroit Golf Club.

South African prodigy Aldrich Potgieter was denied his first title earlier this season down in Mexico in a sudden death playoff. Since then, the youngster’s game has seemingly disappeared, posting eight missed cuts in his last nine starts coming into this week. Even so, Potgieter is statistically the longest player on tour, giving him an advantage over the field when the rest of his game is sharp. Aldrich started off the week flexing his muscles, posting a bogey-free 10-under 62 and immediately cementing himself in the mix.

While Friday’s round was nothing special, the 20-year-old got back on the horse for moving day and posted another great round of 65 which was good enough for 19-under and a 2-shot lead with just the final round to play. Having been in this position before, Potgieter now felt he had the experience to come through this time around. His final round was a bit of a struggle, with the driver not performing to his typical standard. Still, Potgieter was able to put together a solid round, making 6 birdies and 3 bogeys on his way to a 69. He had a long attempt at victory on the 72nd hole, but he came up a good five feet short and was forced to make a tester to force a playoff.

Potgieter, Chris Kirk, and Max Greyserman headed back to the 18th tee for a sudden death playoff in Detroit. All three players made par on the first extra hole, before Kirk was eliminated on the second after missing a short foot par putt. Greyserman and Potgieter matched pars and birdies on the next two holes, forcing a fifth playoff hole to be played at the short par-3 15th. Neither player hit spectacular shots, but Potgieter had a realistic chance from 18 feet. The putt was perfect, hitting the center of the hole and sending the crowd into a frenzy. His first PGA Tour victory came in the most dramatic fashion, making him the youngest South African ever to win on the PGA Tour. 

Winner’s Bag | Aldrich Potgieter 

Aldrich Potgieter has solidified himself as a PGA Tour winner at just 20 years of age. The Titleist staffer made some big changes before this week, turning out to be the winning recipe.

All WITB information is courtesy of GolfWRX.

Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees)

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X

The South African bomber starts off his bag with Titleist’s latest line, the GT2 (9 degrees) with a Fujikura Ventus Black 8X shaft. His driver is always his biggest threat, hitting it longer than any one else in the game. Potgieter finished the week No. 7 in strokes gained off the tee. 

3-wood: PING G440 Max

Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black

The only non-Titleist club in Potgieter’s bag is his 3-wood, which is the Ping G440 Max, with a Ventus TR Black shaft. Potgieter’s excellent off-the-tee game can also be attributed to this 3-wood he hits often off the tee.

Irons: Titleist Prototype (2), Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)

Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT Hybrid 90 TX (2), KBS Tour V Ten 130 X (4-9)

The biggest reason Potgieter was able to get across the finish line this week ended up being his iron play. This was the big switch he made prior to this week, adding Titleist T100s to his bag in lieu of a traditional blade. He also added a new Titleist prototype long iron with a Mitsubishi MMT 90 TX shaft, giving him a nice fairway finder option off the tee when he needs it. The 4- and 5-iron were switched to the T150 head, giving him a smooth blended set with three different models. The new irons worked well all week, helping Potgieter finish sixth in strokes gained: approach.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 52-12F, 54-10S), WedgeWorks (60-K*)

Shafts: KBS Tour V Ten 130 X (46); True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Onyx X100 (52); True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Onyx S400 (56, 60)

Potgieter is one of many players to carry four wedges. The first three are all Vokey Design SM10 (46, 50, and 54 degrees), while the lob wedge is a Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60 degrees) designed with custom grind. Unlike most players, Potgieter still hits an x-still shaft in his wedges in the Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Onyx X100. His swing speed speaks for itself, but a lot of players opt for the softer S400 in their wedges for more feel. 

On the greens, Potgieter rolls a traditional Scotty Cameron 009M Tour Prototype putter. Statistically, Potgieter was not phenomenal in the putting category, but he made several key putts in clutch moments that helped him earn the win.