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Although Tony Finau and Joel Dahmen’s golf didn’t light up the Biltmore Championship, their putters did catch the eye during the first and second rounds.
For Finau, putting has been his Achilles heel throughout 2026 and, after using different putters and even trialing a broomhandle configuration, he turned up at this week’s event with a very interesting model.
Still using a Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset flatstick, the key difference involved an oversized golf grip that ended a few inches above the putter head.
Many compared it to a hockey stick grip and, first reported by Golf.com’s Jack Hirsh, the grip is from a company called Caliber Golf.
The grip used by Finau is legal under the Rules of Golf, as Tim Wright, the brand’s CEO, worked with the USGA over a number of years to ensure it was.
According to the brand’s website, the idea and inspiration for the hockey-style grip came in 2018, with the idea behind it being to provide an incredible amount of stability.
What’s more, it reduces unwanted wrist movement and improves accuracy on short putts, allowing for consistency when addressing the golf ball.
Finau missed his seventh cut of the season at the Biltmore Championship | Credit: Getty Images
In the event, though, Finau was unable to improve his performance on the greens, with the American losing 2.1 shots with the putter as he finished seven-over for the tournament and well back of the cutline.
Ranked 108th on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting, Finau wasn’t the only player to make a change this week, as Dahmen introduced a putter that’s never been used on the PGA Tour before.
The putter in question is from Hanna Golf, with the American using a custom-built flatstick that matches his specs.
Dahmen had been using an Odyssey Ten putter | Credit: Getty Images
A mallet-design, it’s construction is slightly different to that of the Odyssey Ten, which is the usual gamer he uses on the Tour.
Like Finau, though, the introduction of the new flatstick couldn’t stop Dahmen from missing the cut, as the PGA Tour winner carded rounds of 69 and 72 to finish one-under, two back of the required target.
Losing 1.3 shots on the greens, it’s his ninth missed cut of the season and, with Dahmen outside the top 100 of the FedExCup standings, he’ll need to produce some strong results over the FedExCup Fall to keep his playing rights for 2027.