Titleist Brand Ambassador Wyndham Clark entered the history books with an unwavering tee-to-green performance at The Los Angeles Country Club, trusting his Pro V1x golf ball and Titleist equipment to his first major title and second victory in 42 days.
The 29-year-old, gaming his TSi3 driver, T200 utility, 620 CB irons and Vokey Design SM9 wedges, was the only player to finish in double-digits under par (10 under), posting rounds of 64-67-69-70 to win by one shot and hold off a trio of major champions including Scottie Scheffler and Titleist Brand Ambassador Cameron Smith.
Clark, who broke through for his first PGA TOUR victory at last month’s Wells Fargo Championship, gained more than five shots off the tee (+5.44/2nd) and nearly four shots (3.92/7th) around the green, while leading the field in proximity to the hole on shots around the green (5’9’’), more than 4 feet better than the field average (9'11").
– “Honestly, one of the most important things in a player’s bag is the golf ball. If you don’t have control of that, then it doesn’t matter how you’re swinging, how the clubs are made, whatever. The golf ball is so important, and that’s ultimately what goes into the hole. Having faith and trusting your golf ball is huge.”
– “I play [Pro V1x] because it’s kind of the perfect combination for me of launch and spin… I'm a low spin player, I have a lot of speed, but I don't spin the ball very much. And the Pro V1x, especially with my irons and driver, spins at the numbers that I want. Also, I think it's great around the greens. So I’ve always been looking for spin. And this Pro V1x gives me exactly what I need.”
– “The spin means the most to me, because I’m a low spin player, so I need the spin to help keep the ball in the air, to be able to control it better around the greens. And that's the most important thing for me. And especially out on Tour, you need to be able to have the ball to stop very quick, and that's what this ball does.”
– “What’s unique in our game is you can get the ball and your equipment dialed into the exact thing that you need. And with Titleist having different [models], I was able to find one that with my irons, spun perfectly, and with my driver, spun perfectly. And around the greens, I was able to stop it quick and do everything I wanted with it.”
– “When I tee it up, I feel very confident with my golf ball. I never feel like it’s going to fail me. And that’s huge. It’s one variable I can just check off the list that I know is not going to keep me from being the best player that I can be.”
Clark made his first PGA TOUR start of 2022 (The American Express) with a brand new bag of Titleist equipment, having played competitive clubs through his last event of ‘21 (RSM Classic). Over that offseason, Clark visited the Titleist Performance Institute to get dialed in to his new setup.
In January of ‘22, when he teed off in the first round of the AmEx, Clark was ranked 249th in the Official World Ranking. Forty-six starts later, following his first major championship and two wins in his last four events, Clark has climbed to his highest position ever at No. 13. In his last nine starts, Clark has finished 6th or better five times.
One of the most impactful changes was his driver. Playing a competitive model, Clark ended the 2020-21 season at 117th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, finishing with a negative strokes gained total (-.015). After putting his TSi3 9.0 model in play, he finished the following season 61 spots higher and gaining strokes off the tee (+.209).
“I use this driver because it’s so consistent. My misses are incredible and that’s big for me...,” he said. “When you miss with the Titleist it stays within the parameters that I need to play good golf. And that’s ultimately why I use Titleist clubs, especially this driver.”
Around LACC’s daunting green complexes, Clark relied on his Vokey Design SM9 wedges to gain nearly four shots (3.92/7th) on the field, while ranking first in proximity to the hole on shots around the green (5’9’’), more than 4 feet better than the field average (9'11").
– “I use the SM9s, these are incredible. Vokey's done a great job in creating a wedge that launches at the launch you want, which is kind of a lower launch, but with a ton of spin. And that’s what all of us out here strive and try to get with our wedges is that lower launch that fights through the wind. But then when it lands, it is really receptive.”
– “In the 46, I use the 10F and then the same thing pretty much with the 52, I use the F Grind, which is a little touch more bounce, so that I’m very shallow. And so when I try to hit a low trap draw or a high soft wedge, it reacts the same and doesn't dig.
– “The 56, I have the 10S which is 10 degrees of bounce and the S Grind, which has a touch less than my other wedges, 46 and 52. This is a very versatile club for me, has a ton of spin and I’m able to attack both front and backs pins with this.
– “The most important club for me, probably in my bag, is this A grind. I use the SM9 60 degree A grind, which is a low bounce 60, which I think is very versatile. And I'm able to – on tight lies, rough, wet lies, firm lies, whatever it is – I can hit the shot I want. And with the amount of spin I want, trajectory and everything. So these SM9s are I think the best wedges ever made.”
Said Vokey Rep Aaron Dill on Clark’s lob wedge : “The 60A was a co-design project with Geoff Ogilvy. That's how it started. It was based off of Australian Sand Belt golf courses – firm and tight. It's essentially an L grind with a ribbon removed, a smooth, fast moving wedge. It's a really low bounce, close sitting wedge, built for firm and fast conditions.
“One of the things that he really values is trajectory management, meaning he wants to launch it low. He’ll play it three-quarter shots, he’ll play it half shots, but mainly it’s kind of his greenside short game club that he’ll use a lot and it’s just become a good friend for him because he feels like he can slide into the ball easily when things are cut tight on conditions.”
For the 75th year in a row, Titleist was the most played golf ball at the U.S. Open, continuing a streak that began in 1949 at Medinah Country Club.
Of the 156 players that teed it up this week at The Los Angeles Country Club, 106 (68%) played a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x model, more than five times the nearest competitor with 21 (13%), according to Darrell Survey.
That included three of the top four finishers, including champion Wyndham Clark (Pro V1x), Scottie Scheffler (Pro V1) and Cameron Smith (Pro V1x).
Clark is the fifth multiple winner this season on the PGA TOUR, a list that also includes fellow Titleist golf ball players Scottie Scheffler (Pro V1), Max Homa (Pro V1) and Tony Finau (Pro V1 Left Dot).
The NEW Titleist T-Series irons made their major debut at LACC, with several players gaming the new models for the first time – including Titleist Brand Ambassadors Cameron Smith and Tom Kim.
– Smith, who closed in 3-under 67 to finish fourth, gained more than five strokes (+5.08) on the field with his new NEW T100 5-9 irons in the bag.
– Kim, who added a NEW T200 3 iron and T100 4-9 irons, earned the best major finish (T8) of his career while ending the week 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining more than seven shots (+7.48) on the field.
A total of 49 players (31%) had Titleist irons in the bag this week at LACC, 20 more than the nearest competitor. Titleist is the longstanding most played iron on the PGA TOUR.
The 2017 Masters Champion teed off at LACC with a new Titleist TSR3 9.0 driver in the bag, gaining +1.72 strokes on the field tee to green while hitting 75 percent of his fairways (T14). He made the move to TSR3 from a competitive model.
The most played driver on the PGA TOUR, Titleist was also the top choice of players at the U.S. Open with 49 players (31%), 12 more than the nearest competitor.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Gordon Sargent posted rounds of 69-71-75-69 to win low amateur honors, becoming just the sixth amateur to card two rounds in the 60s at a U.S. Open (and first since Viktor Hovland in 2019).
Sargent, playing a NEW Pro V1 golf ball and full bag of Titleist equipment, made 19 birdies (T2) over 72 holes at LACC while also finishing third in Strokes Gained Approach (+2.89). This was his first week gaming his NEW T200 3 iron.
“It’s cool. It's kind of what your goal as an amateur to be the low am, especially with so many (19) here this week. It means a lot and gives me a lot of confidence,” he said.
Each of the four amateurs to play the weekend at LACC – Gordon Sargent, Ben Carr, Maxwell Moldovan and the 2022 British Amateur champion – played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball and at least 13 Titleist clubs on their way to competing for 72 holes at one of golf’s most historic championships.
WITB | Ben Carr: NEW Pro V1x golf ball; TSi3 10.0 driver; TSR3 16.5 fairway; TSi2 18.0 hybrid; T100 4-9 irons; Vokey Design SM9 48.10F, 52.12F, 56.10S, SM8 60.08M wedges
WITB | Maxwell Moldovan: NEW Pro V1x golf ball; TSR2 9.0 driver; TSR2 13.5, 18.0 fairways; U•500 4 iron, 620 CB 5-7 irons, 620 MB 8-9 irons; Vokey Design SM9 48.10F, 52.08F, 56.08M, 60.08M wedges; Scotty Cameron 350 tour prototype putter
WITB | 2022 British Amateur Champion: NEW Pro V1x golf ball; TSR3 9.0 driver; TSR3 15.0 fairway; NEW T200 3 iron, 620 CB 4-P irons; Vokey Design SM9 50.08F, 54.10S, WedgeWorks 58A; Scotty Cameron Phantom X T5 tour prototype putter
FootJoy once again dominated the Shoe and Glove count at the third Men's Major Championship of the year, with more players trusting in FJ than any other brand at the event. This was highlighted with the winner opting to wear FootJoy Premiere Series Field golf shoes and the PureTouch Glove.
It was also a monumental week for the brand as FootJoy celebrated 100 years of performance and design innovation – a proud history and heritage that is unmatched within the golf industry. This was celebrated with the introduction of the Limited Edition Premiere Series Centennial Wilcox, which was on show throughout the week, being worn by FJ Ambassadors.
Making his first professional start on the Korn Ferry Tour, Titleist Brand Ambassador Ricky Castillo prevailed in a sudden-death playoff after making par on the first extra hole. Castillo, playing a NEW Pro V1 golf ball, TSR3 driver, Titleist irons, and Vokey wedges, went out in 30 Sunday en route to a final round 66 to force the playoff. For the week, he turned in four rounds of 67 or lower (67-62-66-66). Castillo ranked fifth in driving distance for the week (326.6 yards) and got his Pro V1 golf ball up-and-down over 80% of the time (13/16, T10).
The victory comes just two weeks after Castillo’s final collegiate appearance, where he helped his team to their first NCAA Division I title in 22 years.
WITB | Ricky Castillo : NEW Pro V1 golf ball; TSR3 9.0 driver; TSR3 15.0 fairway; TSi3 18.0 hybrid; T100•S 4 iron, 620 CB 4-9 irons; Vokey Design SM9 46.10F, 52.08F, 58.08M wedges
Sixteen of the top 22 finishers in Kansas played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, including Kyle Jones (NEW Pro V1x) who finished T2.
Leona Maguire (Pro V1) turned in a flawless final round 8-under 64 to earn her second career LPGA victory. Maguire played her final six holes in 6 under after going 2-3-3-3-3-4, seizing control of the tournament and closing it out with a two-shot victory. In the final round, she hit 17 of 18 greens and surrendered zero bogies. Maguire had finished runner-up at the Meijer LPGA Classic for two consecutive years before breaking through on Sunday.
Eleven of the top 12 finishers this week on the LPGA Tour teed up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball at Blythefield Country Club.
– “Really like the feel of it around the greens, the way it spins, I know exactly what it does off the tee and control into the greens is probably the biggest thing for me, distance wise and spin control.”
– “I've (played a Titleist golf ball) all up through my junior golf, amateur golf, college golf. It worked pretty well for me there, so absolutely no reason to change when I turned pro. And like I said, trust is a massive thing so I trust what my golf ball does for me and that’s a lot of peace of mind I have on the golf course, knowing exactly how my golf ball is going to react on the greens.”
– “I think as professional golfers, we travel the world, lots of different golf courses, lots of different grasses, wind conditions, all of that. So ultimately you want a ball that’s going to perform in all conditions. You don't want to have to be switching depending on the golf course or the conditions. So that's one of the reasons I like the Pro V1. Good control in the wind, not too spiny and have that consistency with my distances and spin around the greens – it’s not too spiny when the greens are soft, but also enough spin when the greens are firm to have that control.”
The champion of the Meijer LPGA Classic played two Vokey Wedges on her way to her second career LPGA victory. Each week, she carries a Vokey Design SM9 54.14F and 60-degree lob wedges (60.08M or 60.12D depending on course conditions).
About Titleist Media Center
Titleist, Golf’s Symbol of Excellence, is the game's leading performance equipment brand, having earned the overwhelming trust of tour professionals, club professionals, competitive amateurs and dedicated golfers worldwide. The Titleist golf ball embodies superior performance, innovative design and technology, precision manufacturing and unmatched quality. It is the unequivocal #1 ball in golf, and has been for 70 years and still counting. Titleist also sets the standard for golf clubs through an unwavering commitment to performance, meticulous attention to detail, and as the game’s preeminent golf club fitter. Titleist golf gear, comprising golf bags, headwear, travel gear, accessories and golf gloves, also delivers the performance and quality excellence promised in every product that bears the Titleist Script.
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- James Savage
- PR and Communications Manager at Acushnet Europe Ltd
- james_savage@acushnetgolf.com