PGA TOUR | THE PLAYERS

Titleist Brand Ambassador Justin Thomas trusted a NEW Pro V1x golf ball and bag full of Titleist equipment in winning THE PLAYERS, playing the final 36 holes at TPC Sawgrass in 12 under to rally for a one-shot victory over fellow Pro V1x loyalist Lee Westwood.

• Thomas’ weekend rounds of 64-68 tied the lowest closing 36-hole score in tournament history. No player has ever gained more strokes tee-to-green (11.18) over the weekend at THE PLAYERS since ShotLink tracking began in 2004, as Thomas matched the tournament’s largest 36-hole comeback victory (7 shots).
• He became the first PLAYERS champion in 21 years to hit 17 greens in regulation in the final round, finishing fifth for the week in Strokes Gained: Approach. “Probably one of the best rounds of my life tee to green, I had total control of the ball,” he said.
• Thomas, who made 21 birdies and two eagles over the four days, has now made a TOUR-best 121 birdies-or-better at TPC Sawgrass since 2015.
• This was his sixth victory over last five seasons when trailing entering the final round, the most of any player on TOUR.
• Thomas is only the fourth player in the modern era to win 14 PGA TOUR titles – and only the second player in history to have 10 or more PGA TOUR victories, a major championship and PLAYERS trophy – before the age of 28.
• Thomas was one of six Titleist golf ball players to finish in the Top 7 on the final leaderboard.
• Titleist Brand Ambassador Brian Harman [Pro V1; NEW TSi2 9.0° driver; NEW TSi2 13.5° fairway; TS2 16.5° hybrid; U500 4-iron; T100 5-P irons; Vokey Design SM7 50°, 54°, 60° wedges] earned his best PLAYERS finish (T-3).
• Pro V1 loyalists Talor Gooch and Paul Casey tied for fifth, while fellow Pro V1 player Corey Conners finished seventh.
• Seventy percent of the field (107 players) teed up Titleist golf balls.

WHAT’S IN JUSTIN THOMAS’ TITLEIST BAG?

NEW Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, TS3 9.5° driver [Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX], TS3 15.0° fairway [Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw Blue 85 TX], 915 Fd 18.0° fairway [Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 Tour Spec X], T100 4 iron [TT Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100] and 620 MB 5-9 irons [TT Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100], Vokey Design SM7 46.10F (@ 47.5°) [TT Dynamic Gold, Tour Issue X100], 52.12F (@ 52.5°); SM8 56.14F (@ 57.0°) WedgeWorks 60T (@ 60.5°) [TT Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (52.12-60T)] wedges, Scotty Cameron Futura X5.5 prototype putter

JT’S SWITCH TO NEW PRO V1x

This was Thomas’ sixth event playing the NEW Titleist Pro V1x  golf ball, having put the new model in play last December after a testing session with Fordie Pitts of Titleist Golf Ball R&D.

Pitts: “A key focus for Justin heading into [the 2020-21 season was] to flight the ball higher with his long irons and improve his landing angle into those very firm greens they find most weeks on tour,” Pitts said. “As we started testing new Pro V1x, the ball was consistently launching in that slightly higher window and giving him all the distance he needs. It was also a very windy day, and he really liked seeing how stable the ball was flying through all those gusts.”

Thomas: “I feel like (the new Pro V1x) is able to kind of pick up on some of the areas that I was trying to improve in terms of I was trying to get a little bit more height on the ball, trying to be able to hold greens a little bit better when they get firm or with long irons, and I feel like this ball has been able to do that for me.”

TITLEIST DRIVERS ARE TOP CHOICE AT TPC SAWGRASS

Titleist was the most played driver at THE PLAYERS  with 44 drivers in play, nine more than the nearest competitor, as TSi continues to be the most played driver model this season on the PGA Tour.

• Of the 44 Titleist drivers in play, 40 were NEW TSi2, TSi3 and TSi4 models.
• Brian Harman finished T-3 playing a NEW TSi2 9.0° driver, while Charles Howell III (T-9) led the field in Strokes Gained: Off The Tee with his TSi3 10.0° model.
• The recent winner of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic continued to find success with his TSi3 9.0° driver, finishing T-5. After that recent win, he commented “I feel like I’m driving the golf ball like I did when I was playing my best golf, when I was 3 in the world or whatever, and that’s — I feel like its a rejuvenation.”
• Adam Scott switched from his NEW TSi4 driver to a NEW TSi2 9.0° model (Fujikura Ventus 7 Red X).

FORMER MASTERS CHAMP ADDS NEW PHANTOM X

Two more players added NEW Scotty Cameron Phantom X 11 and 11.5 models to their bags this week at TPC Sawgrass, including the 2017 Masters champion, who put a NEW Phantom X 11 tour prototype in play on his way to a T-9 finish.

• Initially interested in trying the same model used by Justin Thomas (Scotty Cameron Futura X5.5 prototype), the 2017 Masters champ landed on the 11.5 after a discussion with Scotty Cameron Tour Rep Drew Page and testing both the 5.5 and 11.5 models.
• “He really liked how the ball was coming of the face of the 11.5,” Page said. “It’s a larger head size than the 5.5 with higher MOI, which was giving him a little more stability, but ultimately he was looking for that really solid feel he was getting from the 11.5.”
• A total of eight players have now put new Phantom X 11 or 11.5 models in play on the PGA Tour over the last month, including Max Homa, who won the Genesis Invitational a week after switching to the 11.5 a week prior at Pebble Beach, and Charles Howell III, who finished T-9 at PLAYERS. 

EUROPEAN TOUR | Commercial Bank Qatar Masters

Titleist Brand Ambassador Antoine Rozner made a 60-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Education City Golf Club to win by one shot and claim his second European Tour title.

• Rozner, who trusted a Pro V1x golf ball, NEW Titleist TSi3 driver, Vokey Design SM8 wedges and bag of Titleist equipment, closed with a 4-under 67 to earn his second victory in his last six events.
• Rozner’s maiden victory came just three months ago at the Golf in Dubai Championship.
• Rozner topped a leaderboard that featured five Titleist golf ball players in the top six positions.
• From Rozner: “It’s unreal, even in my biggest dreams, I couldn’t imagine anything like this happening to be honest. I didn’t hole anything really today, and it’s just unreal. I don’t really know what to say, it’s probably the biggest moment of my career.”

What’s in Antoine Rozner’s Titleist Bag?

Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, NEW TSi3 9.0° driver, TS3 fairway metal, U500 2-iron, 620 MB 3-9 irons, Vokey Design SM8 46°, 52°, 58° wedges.

TSi3 DRIVER IS FIELD FAVORITE IN QATAR

Rozner was one of 36 players to tee up a NEW Titleist TSi3 driver, as TSi3 was the most played driver model in the event. An additional three players teed up TSi2 drivers.

PGA TOUR AUSTRALASIA | The Queensland Open

Andrew Evans earned his first PGA Tour of Australasia title playing a NEW Pro V1 golf ball, NEW TSi2 driver and bag full of Titleist equipment.

• Evans, who closed in 7-under 65 to win by two shots, led a 1-2-3-4 finish for Titleist golf ball players.
• Said Evans: “This is unreal…I never thought this day would happen.  I think I’m a good player but without something like this to your career you are kinda just another player. It’s pretty sweet to get over the line.”
• Tying for third were Deyen Lawson (Pro V1x), Bryden Macpherson (NEW Pro V1, NEW TSi3 driver, NEW TSi2 Fairway, U500 3 iron, 620MB irons, Vokey SM8 wedges) and Blake Windred (NEW Pro V1, NEW TSi3 driver, NEW TSi2 fairway, U500 3 iron, T100 irons, Vokey Design SM8 wedges, Scotty Cameron Futura putter).

What’s in Andrew Evans’ Bag?

NEW Titleist Pro V1 golf ball, NEW TSi2 driver, NEW TSi2 fairway, TS2 hybrid, T100 irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron GoLo putter.

SUNSHINE TOUR | Players Championship hosted at Dainfern Golf Estate

Playing a NEW Pro V1 golf ball, Jaco Prinsloo emerged from a three-way, all-Titleist playoff to win the Sunshine Tour’s Players Championship.

• Prinsloo made birdie on the third playoff hole to claim the title over Jake Roos (Pro V1x Left Dash, NEW TSi3 9.0° Driver, NEW TSi2 16.0° fairway, TS2 19.0° hybrid, T200 4-iron, T100 5-PW irons, Vokey Design SM8 Wedges, Scotty Cameron Flowback putter) and Daniel van Tonder (Pro V1x, NEW TSi3 8.0° driver, NEW TSi2 13.5° and 18.0° fairways, Vokey Design SM8 wedges, Scotty Cameron T5MB putter).
• Titleist golf ball players swept the top five positions, with Jean Hugo (Pro V1x) and Thristen Lawrence (NEW Pro V1) tying for fourth.

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