Event: The American Express (Pete Dye Stadium Course/La Quinta Country Club/Nicklaus Tournament Course)
- The world’s top-ranked player started his 2026 season off with a four-shot win in the desert, cruising to his 20th career PGA TOUR title.
- The champion, who has used his Pro V1 golf ball and a full set of Vokey Design wedges for every one of his PGA TOUR wins, is the second youngest player to reach the 20-win mark. He also did so in the second fewest number of starts (151).
- This week at PGA West, he was in full control of his Pro V1, gaining +4.812 strokes tee-to green (6th) while hitting 82% GIR (T6).
- His stellar ball-striking and short game put him in prime position to convert 32 birdies over the four rounds, the most of anyone in the field.
Nobody went lower than Titleist Brand Ambassador Ryan Gerard this weekend (64-65), as he vaulted up the leaderboard to finish T2 at 23 under. Gerard’s runner-up finish comes on the heels of two solo-second results in his prior two worldwide starts: last week’s Sony Open and the DP World Tour’s Mauritius Open in December.
His performance in Mauritius earned him a spot in the Masters, as he climbed inside the top 50 in the OWGR by year’s end. After this week, he is projected to rise to a career-best No. 23.
Vokey Design SM9 46.10F, 50.08F, NEW SM11 54.10S, SM9 60.08M wedges | KBS C-Taper 125 S+ (46), Dynamic Gold S300 (50-60)
Earning immediate validation at the game’s highest level, Titleist’s new Vokey Design SM11 wedges debuted this week on the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour — immediately becoming the most played wedge model at both events.
In their first opportunity to game Vokey SM11’s in competition on the PGA TOUR, 52 players in the field at The American Express put at least one new SM11 right in the bag.
Many of them moved to full sets, including Russell Henley (48.10F, 50.08F, 54.10S, 60.04T), Ludvig Åberg (50.08F, 54.10S, WedgeWorks 60L), Johnny Keefer (46.10F, 50.12F, 54.10S, 60.04T), David Ford (46.10F, 50.12F, 54.10S, 60.04T), Michael Brennan (46.10F, 50.12F, 54.10S, 60.04T), Davis Riley (46.10F, 50.08F, 56.08M, WedgeWorks 60L), S.H. Kim (52.08F, 56.10S, WedgeWorks 60K*) and the 2025 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters champion (44.10F, 50.08F, 54.12D, 60.04T).
In total, there were 149 new SM11 wedges in play in La Quinta. That includes 121 gap, sand and lob wedges — more than double the nearest competitor’s total number (60). Twenty-eight players also used Vokey SM11 pitching wedges, with two players gaming the new 44.10F model.
Of all the gap, sand and lob wedges in play this week in the desert, 56% (260 wedges) of them are Vokey Design, more than four times the nearest competitor (53).
• On the DP World Tour, SM11 has made the same first impression. Thirty-four players added at least one new SM11 wedge to their setup – including runner-up Andy Sullivan (WedgeWorks 60K*) and third-place finisher Julien Guerrier (46.10F, 52.12F, WedgeWorks 58V) – with a total of 98 SM11 models going immediately into play in Dubai.
Winner's WITB: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball; GT3 9.0 driver; Vokey Design SM10 56.08M, 60.04T wedges; Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 1.5 tour prototype putter
- The winner of the Dubai Desert Classic cruised to a four-shot victory, posting rounds of 69-66-67-72 to capture his fourth DPWT title and first Rolex Series victory.
- The 2018 Masters Tournament winner was in full control of his Pro V1x golf ball, ranking first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (+12.08).
- Gaming his GT3 9.0 driver, he gained nearly three strokes (+2.96) off the tee. “It's so good...” he told Golf Monthly in October 2024. “I feel like when I mishit this one, it still has a little bit more speed in it and also stays a little bit straighter. So for me it sits really nicely and it gives me that confidence.”
- He finished second in SG: Around the Green, gaining over five shots (+5.72) with his Pro V1x and Vokey SM10 sand (56.08M) and lob (60.04T) wedges.
- This week in Dubai, the champion also returned to his Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 1.5 tour prototype – which he used to win his last two PGA TOUR victories (2020 WGC-Mexico Championship, 2021 Farmers Insurance Open) – rolling in 18 birdies (T2) to lead the field in Scoring Average (68.5).
DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC CHAMP LEADS 1-2-3 SWEEP FOR PLAYERS GAMING TITLEIST GOLF BALLS, GT DRIVERS, VOKEY WEDGES
The Dubai Desert Classic champion led a 1-2-3 finish for players gaming Titleist golf balls, GT drivers and Vokey Design wedges, as Titleist Brand Ambassadors Andy Sullivan and Julien Guerrier finished second and third, respectively.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball in Dubai with 90 players (71%) teeing up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, more than six times the nearest competitor (14). Titleist was also the most played driver (39/31%), iron (32/25%) and wedge (201/41%) in the 126-player field.
NEW Vokey Design SM11 46.10F, 52.12F, WedgeWorks 58V wedges | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (46), KBS Tour 130 X (52), KBS Tour Hi-Rev 2.0 Wedge 125 S (58)
- Reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion Stewart Cink picked up right where he left off, turning in three sub-67 rounds (66-63-64) to cruise to a three-shot victory in the Champions Tour’s season-opening event. The win marked his fifth Champions Tour title.
- Cink was dialed in from tee to green, ranking T1 in driving distance while hitting 80% GIR (T11) and scrambling at a 91% clip (T2).
The winner of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship was gaming a Vokey Design SM10 60.04T lob wedge in his winning setup. He ranked T2 in scrambling for the week (10/11, 91%).
- Jordan Doull prevailed on the fourth extra hole, making one final birdie to clinch his second career PGA Tour of Australasia title.
- Doull turned in rounds of 67-67-62-72, matching the four-round total (268) of last week’s champion, Titleist Brand Ambassador Cameron John (Pro V1).
- Benjamin Follet-Smith closed in 4-under 66, earning his third career Sunshine Tour title with a one-shot margin of victory.