Mizuno has won eight golds in Golf Digest’s 2019 Hot List, including six in the various iron categories and a first ever driver gold for its ST190 & ST190G models.
Mizuno has made a habit of gaining top honours in the annual Hot List awards for its irons, but capturing its first ever driver gold is a source of huge pride for the Japanese company.
“We’ve always done well in the Golf Digest Hot List irons categories,” said David Llewellyn, Director R&D Mizuno USA. “And our six golds there are highlight our strength in this category. But the gold for the ST190 drivers is perhaps even more exciting for us as a brand as we seek to re-establish Mizuno in the driver and metalwood categories.”
Take-up on tour had already hinted that Mizuno was back among the driver elite, with staff players Eddie Pepperell, Luke Donald, Lucas Glover and Keith Mitchell all teeing it up with the ST190 driver this season. But this latest accolade is further evidence that, with its new ST190 models, Mizuno has rejoined the top table of driver manufacturers, with the hard work of its expert designers and engineers bearing much fruit.
The Hot List iron haul was spread across the ‘game improvement’, ‘players’ irons’ and ‘players’ distance irons’ categories, with all four members of the JPX919 family honoured – Hot Metal, Tour, Forged and Hot Metal Pro. The MP-18 MMC and SC models were also awarded gold as were the striking Blue IP S18 wedges. Silver honours for the ST190/ST190 TS fairway wood and the CLK Hybrid completed Mizuno’s Golf Digest Hot List medal haul for 2019.