Titleist Ambassador Michael Kim wins Open de France with Pro V1x, GT2 driver, T-Series irons and SM10 wedges
Titleist Brand Ambassador Michael Kim turned in a flawless Sunday in France, making birdies on two of his final three holes to finish off a bogey-free 6-under 65 and one-shot victory.
Kim – playing a Pro V1x golf ball and Titleist setup that includes his GT2 driver, NEW T250 4-iron, T100 irons and Vokey Design SM10 wedges – averaged +2.26 Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green over the four days at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche, while leading the field in par-4 scoring at 3.77.
Highlighted by Kim’s first DPWT title, the top three finishers at the Open de France each gamed a Pro V1x golf ball, GT driver, T100 irons and Vokey SM10 wedges -- as Titleist Brand Ambassadors Elvis Smylie and Jeong weon Ko finished tied in the runner-up position.
• WITB | Elvis Smylie: Titleist Pro V1x+ prototype golf ball; GT3 10.0 driver; GT1 14.5 & GT2 21.0 fairways; NEW T100 4-9 irons; Vokey Design SM10 46.10F, 50.12F, 56.10S, 60.04T wedges; Scotty Cameron Phantom 11 tour prototype putter.
• WITB | Jeong weon Ko: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball; GT3 10.0 driver; GT2 15.0 fairway; GT2 18.0 hybrid; NEW T100 4-P irons; Vokey Design 50.12F, 54.10S, WedgeWorks 58L wedges.
In total, an overwhelming 119 (76%) players teed up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x model this week, more than six times the nearest competitor with 15 (9.6%).
Titleist was also the most played driver (69 players/44.2%), iron (57/36.5%) and wedge (306 sand, gap and lob wedges/51%).
– “The Titleist golf ball is, I think it’s just widely regarded as the number one ball in golf. You see it with how many players play the golf ball on TOUR, whether they’re partners or not. I started playing them in junior golf (as a 9-year-old in 2002), and I’ve never really looked back. I've always played the Titleist golf ball, just a combination of speed, spin, consistency, it's all there and it's really the only brand that I've played my entire career.”
– "Pro V1x just gives me a ton of confidence. The golf ball is super consistent. I've played the Pro V1x for a number of years now, so I know what I'm going to get out of it and [it's] just the perfect blend of speed and spin for me.”
– “For me, it's not about one shot. I need to be able to hit the high draw with the correct amount of spin. But also around the greens, I need to be able to hit the low-spinner check. There's not many golf balls that can provide both. And the Pro V1x provides that perfect power with the driver and the spin with the wedges.”
– “We spend hours and hours each day and week to make sure we can perform and do what we want with the golf ball or try to get it as close as we can to the golf ball. And if the golf ball doesn't do what we think -- we made the right move, but the golf ball doesn't perform that way -- it's really hard to play high level golf that way. But with the Pro V1x that I play, I know the golf ball will do its job. I'm never going to see any weird spins or launch angles. If I hit the shot that I want, I know it's going to do what I want and that's a lot of trust and really important for us players.”
With his Titleist GT2 11-degree driver in the bag, champion Michael Kim led a 1-2-3-4 finish for players gaming GT drivers at the Open de France.
The other three competitors each played GT3 10.0 models. That list included runners-up Elvis Smylie and Jeong weon Ko, as well as the 2023 PGA Championship winner, who finished solo fourth. The five-time major champion switched to his GT3 from a competitor’s model at this year’s Masters Tournament.
“I have the GT2. I’ve been using this since last fall, and it’s been great so far,” Kim said. “I’ve actually shortened it a smidge about half an inch, so it's 44 1/2 as opposed to the 45 that I played before. But because the driver is so fast I actually haven't lost any ball speed with it.
Kim added recently on his X account: “Some questions about why I play a 11 degree driver. As a drawer, I don’t spin the ball as much as some of the other guys on tour. I need the loft to get the 2500ish spin on the driver. Also I like seeing some loft on my driver as I have a tendency to hang back to try and help the ball up if I don’t see the loft which isn’t good for my swing as I already hang back some. I used to play a 9.5 for a very long time but as technology has changed to lower spinning drivers for high launch low spin, I’ve gone progressively up on my driver loft.”
Titleist continues to be the most played driver on both the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour, with 44% of players (69) gaming a Titleist driver this week in France.
One of the newest additions to Kim’s bag is his NEW T250 4-iron, which he first tested on the range in Memphis at the PGA TOUR’s FedEx St. Jude Championship. According to Titleist’s Senior Director of Club Promotions JJ Van Wezenbeeck, Kim is always looking for easy launch and forgiveness at the top end of his bag. When T250 checked both boxes, he put the new model in play immediately.
NEW T250 irons, which first launched on tour in May, are Titleist’s newest generation player’s distance irons, featuring a hollow body construction as well as a larger profile compared to the more compact T100 and T150 irons. T250 irons are designed to deliver fast and consistent ball speeds, high launch and exceptional forgiveness, making them a popular option on tour in both standard long iron builds like Kim’s and utility configurations.
Also in the bag for Michael Kim’s maiden DP World Tour victory were three Vokey Design SM10 wedges: 52.12F, 56.14F, WedgeWorks 60L. According to Vokey Tour Rep Aaron Dill, Kim’s wedge setup is designed around high-bounce options in his F Grind gap and sand wedge, which give him plenty of forgiveness out of the fairway on fuller shots. His 60-degree L Grind lob wedge prioritizes greenside versatility, with the thinner sole and lower bounce design matching up best to Kim’s delivery and allowing him to hit low-launch, high-spin shots on command.
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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