Why Furyk's bargain putter's worth $11million

Picture the scene: Jim Furyk, former US Open champion, Ryder Cup legend and regularly among the world's top ten golfers, strolls into Joe & Leigh's Discount Golf Shop just outside Boston, Massachusetts.

The Deutsche Bank Championship is in town and he's not happy with the way he's putting. He mingles with other shoppers, keeps his cap pulled down to avoid recognition and spots the putting stand with a multitude of flat sticks lined up to try out on the synthetic carpet.

He's looking for a heel-shafted putter with no alignment aids and picks up a Yes Golf! Sophia model. He likes it, checks the price and hands over $39.99 to the assistant on his credit card.

Most brands in the world would pay Mr Furyk to play their putter but to this guy, looks and feel are everything and he's happy to hand over the equivalent of a green fee at a local municipal course for the putter he feels comfortable with.

The following week, he used it in Chicago for the BMW Championship and putted nicely to finish just eight behnd Dustin Johnson, when the greens were slow and when they were fast at East Lake, putted even better and claimed the $11.35 million Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup.

So a pretty good investment don't you think?

 "I just wanted it as simple as it could be, heel-shafted," Furyk revealed after edging England's Luke Donald into second spot and heading for Wales and this week's Ryder Cup.

"I putted with it in Chicago where I was struggling with the greens because they were slow and I liked it there, and these greens [at East Lake] were very quick and I liked it here, too" said Furyk who averaged 29 putts per round - tied tenth for the week.

Furyk said that the putter, with half moon grooves originally designed by Southport putting doctor Harold Swash had once belonged to another golfer and showed some wear. But, he said, it felt good and he bought it without checking the loft or lie or even having the Tour van regrip it. t has a slightly offset hosel and a titanium carbon finish. Its only alignment marking is a small dot in the center of the head.

"It's got a nick on the back flange, it's got a little ding in the top line," Furyk said. "I never loft and lied it which is rare for me because I've always got my putters on a loft-lie machine at home, and the way the grip is on it, it might be slightly off centre but that's kind of how I like it anyway. I guess we were meant to be. Who knows?"

Sophia is in Furyk's bag for the Ryder Cup, since he's proved he can use it on greens of any speed and the TwentyTen greens will be slower than he is used to in the US.

"It will go with me," he said. "It's getting a lot better looking every day."

A Srixon staff player, Furyk's form wasn't just down to his putting. He used Srixon irons and a Cleveland hybrid and provided the Srixon Z Star ball with its 34th title win.

His eight-under-par winning total came courtesy of some fine scrambling in tough conditions, including a sensational Cleveland Launcher DST hybrid into the 15th and a superb bunker shot, which he nearly holed with his 60-degree wedge at 18.

“I must have saved par nine times today using my lob wedge and putter” said Furyk who regulary twisted his cap around to stop rain drops dripping on his ball. “I got up and down when I needed to and that’s what won me the tournament.”

 ?What's in Jm Furyk's bag

Driver: TaylorMade Burner Superfast (10.5 degree; Oban Devotion 7 75 shaft)
Fairway wood: TaylorMade Burner 3-wood (14.5 degree; Fujikura Motore VC8 1 shaft)
Hybrid: Cleveland Launcher DST (18 degree; Fujikura Speeder 904 shaft)
Irons (3, 5-PW): Srixon Z-TX
Wedges: Cleveland CG15 (50 and 56 degree); Callaway Jaws (60 degree)
Putter: Yes Golf! Sophia
Ball: Srixon Z Star X
Footwear: adidas adiPure (Softspikes cleats)