The New Chinese Putter Could Be L.A.B. Golf's Worst Nightmare

A £90 copy sold as a "DF3" passed the balance test. So what does a $499 L.A.B. Golf putter actually buy you? L.A.B. Golf turned zero-torque putting into its own category, backed by a tour win at Oakmont and a private-equity deal that valued the company at more than $200 million. Now Odyssey, TaylorMade and Tour Edge all sell their own zero-torque putters, and marketplace copies go for a fraction of the price. We follow the metal, the money and the history — from a former golf resort in Creswell, Oregon, to a £90 Temu "DF3" — to separate what the copies prove from what they don't. Subscribe to The Clubroom Files for more forensic breakdowns of the gear, factories and price tags the golf industry doesn't explain. Would you putt with a £90 copy, or are the fitting and the finish worth the full $499? Tell us in the comments.