The Toulon Small Batch Pittsburgh putter commemorates Johnny Miller’s victory at Oakmont in 1973.
U.S. Open week is my favorite week in golf. Masters week is a close second, but I prefer the US Open.
If I’m being honest, the reason is one of schadenfreude (German term meaning “pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune”).
The conditions at a U.S. Open are notoriously brutal and I take a modicum of joy from watching the best players in the world get handed their lunch by glassy greens and punitive rough.
The challenge should be so severe that the winner has truly achieved greatness by climbing on the carcasses of his competitors.
The U.S. Open reads like a Conan novel but with a higher body count.
Miller’s majestic Sunday finish
The Toulon Small Batch Pittsburgh was inspired by the Bullseye putter Johnny Miller used in his spectacular Sunday round at Oakmont to win the 1973 U.S Open.
Miller started the Sunday round six shots behind the leaders. He came out of the gate on fire with four straight birdies. By the end of the day, he had carded a 63 and was hoisting the trophy.
Shooting a 63 on a U.S. Open Sunday is a highly unlikely feat, akin to catching the Oakmont squirrel with a lasso made of rainbows.
Specifications: Toulon Small Batch Pittsburgh Putter
Material: 904L stainless steel and tungsten
Construction: CNC-milled
Finish: Brilliant Midnight Black PVD
Face: Ultra Fine Double Fly
Loft: 3°
Lie: 70°
Weight: 343 grams
Shaft: Chrome Stepless steel
Headcover: Small Batch Custom Johnny Miller Pittsburgh
Grip: Toulon Pistol Midsized Pittsburgh Yellow
Production run: 75
MSRP: $1,800
Modern-day Bullseye
The Toulon Small Batch Pittsburgh is not identical to Miller’s putter. It is an updated version of that tournament-winning Bullseye putter. Toulon had to modernize the design to make it more functional on the modern golf course where greens are much faster than they were in the 1970s.
The USGA didn’t adopt Stimpmeter usage until around 1978 but it is generally thought that green speeds would have had Stimpmeter readings below 10 during that decade.
This week at Oakmont, the Stimpmeter is expected to reach 15.
Toulon desired to maintain the overall shape of Miller’s putter but wanted to increase the weight to make it more playable on faster greens. To do so, they hollowed out the Bullseye and added 60 grams of tungsten.
That’s a lot of tungsten.
Hollowing out the body of the putter also allowed Toulon to differentially position more weight toward the heel and toe. This increased the MOI of the Pittsburgh and would not have been possible in a solid brass putter from 1973.
Wave that terrible towel, too
Since Oakmont CC is just outside of Pittsburgh, Toulon finished off their Small Batch Pittsburgh in Steeler style. Yellow elements complement the black body of the putter.
Steeler Nation would be proud to wave the Toulon Pittsburgh above their heads at games, although this would likely be forbidden.
Although I have no confirmation of this, it does appear that the Toulon Small Batch Pittsburgh can be used by both right- and left-handed golfers. Or one golfer could alternate between right and left, I suppose.
I found this Terry Bradshaw quote that I think perfectly sums up U.S. Open week:
“The only way to shut everybody up is to win.”
By next Sunday, we will have heard from lots of golfers about how hard Oakmont CC was to play. They will blame their poor scores on the greens being too fast, the rough being too long or the squirrels aggressively stealing their balls.
In spite of all of that, someone will be hoisting the trophy. Maybe they will have shot a Sunday 63 like Miller did or maybe two over par on Sunday was enough.
At the U.S. Open, greatness is earned and I can’t wait to watch it happen.
Snatch the Toulon Small Batch Pittsburgh at ToulonGolf.com
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