Why Cleveland’s new RTZ 2 wedges provide great opportunity on Tour

With Cleveland launching the new RTZ 2 wedges, the company now has a unique opportunity.

On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, co-hosts Johnny Wunder and Jake Morrow contemplated the potential for Cleveland to start a fully fleshed-out Tour wedge program.

“I’m really hoping that Cleveland, knowing that they have Roger [Cleveland] back, knowing that they have a phenomenal wedge program, creates a wedge program out on Tour to start to explore like what you’re talking about, you know, looking at the data, who’s doing what, who’s doing this,” Wunder said.

The RTZ 2 is the first flagship wedge the company has released since founder Roger Cleveland returned to the brand early last year.

The only company that really has a fully built-out wedge program on the PGA Tour is Vokey, which is overwhelmingly the No. 1 wedge on the PGA Tour. Titleist dedicates a whole team of Tour reps, led by Aaron Dill, specifically to servicing players’ wedges. The feedback then helps create the next line of Vokey wedges.

But while Cleveland has always been relevant in wedges on the PGA Tour, especially following the introduction of the 588 nearly 30 years ago, their market share has been increasing of late.

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While all of Cleveland/Srixon staffers use their wedges, more non-contracted players are using them too, like Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland and Justin Rose.

To build a successful Tour wedge program takes a lot more people involved, Wunder said, but the opportunity is now.

“I think like, creating exposure, trying to trap more tour players is not the worst idea for Cleveland now,” Wunder said. “Not that they’re not trying, but like really look at that and go, Hey, we could actually chew into this wedge market quite a bit because we have the product.”

Typically a program like that would be started for a marketing directive, and that requires an ego, Wunder said.

“I’m talking about companies, they tend to flex the strong arm, right?” Wunder said. “Like, you know, they’re gonna flex with the things that they know they’re gonna win with because they don’t have the certainty that if they offer up another product in that category that they’re gonna win. And I think a lot of that comes with just a little bit of ego.”

Especially after the RTZ 2 release, it’s pretty clear that Cleveland is one of the best wedge makers out there.

For more from Wunder co-host Jake Morrow, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped here, or watch it below.

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