Open de Andalucia

The European Tour rolled into Seville, Spain this week for the first event of the season in mainland Europe; the Open de Andalucia held at the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla. Formerly the host venue for the World Cup of Golf in 2004, the layout is a beautiful and challenging parkland design. It features a variety of hazards including 90 bunkers and nine lakes, all bordered by punishing thick rough. The focus will very much be on accuracy this week!

The Titleist Tour Team have been issuing new Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls in earnest this week, as the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle (TTSV) makes its first appearance of the season. A number of players have already made the switch to the new product in recent weeks and this trend continued in Seville this week. Following are some of the players to make the switch just this week:

NEW Pro V1

Gregory Bourdy
Carlos Del Moral
Jose Maria Olazabal
Thomas Levet

NEW Pro V1x

Pablo Larrazabal
Paul Waring
Martin Erlandsson
Branden Grace
Maarten Lafeber
Ross McGowan

Feedback on the new balls has been hugely positive and many other players have already outlined their intentions to switch to the new Pro V1 or Pro V1x in the coming events.

Click here to view the slide show

The TTSV has been very busy this week, with a number of players taking the opportunity to utilise its facilities and to order new equipment.

One player to take advantage of the TTSV was last week’s European Tour winner and Titleist Ambassador Estanislao Goya. The young Argentinean, known affectionately as “Tano”, claimed victory at the Madeira Islands Open BPI in just his sixth start on the European Tour and was understandably in high spirits. Tano popped into the TTSV during practice to order himself some new Vokey wedges which were subsequently built and delivered to him on site. The full specifications are detailed below:

Estanislao Goya

Model: Tour Chrome Vokey
Loft / Bounce: 52.08
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S300
Length: 35.5”
Lie: 64°
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 58R (Reversed)

Model: Tour Chrome Spin Milled Vokey
Loft / Bounce: 56.10
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S200
Length: 35.25”
Lie: 64°
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 58R (Reversed)

Model: Tour Chrome Spin Milled T Grind
Loft: 60°
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S200
Length: 35”
Lie: 64°
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 58R (Reversed)

In addition, he also picked up a selection of Titleist Flex Fit caps each embroidered with “E.GOYA” personalisation. Pictures of Tano’s new Vokey wedges and Titleist caps can be found in this week’s slide show.

Another player in buoyant mood this week was Titleist Ambassador Callum Macaulay. Macaulay pushed Goya all the way in Madeira last week as he carded a final round 64 (-7) including a stunning back nine holes in 28 strokes to claim second place. Callum is understandably delighted with his new 909 DComp driver, put in play before the start of last week’s event, and this week wanted to add a hybrid to his armoury to help with approach shots into par 5’s. Full specifications for Callum’s new 909H are as follows:

Callum Macaulay

Model: 909H
Loft: 17°
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Prototype Stiff
Length: 41”
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 60R
Swingweight: D3

Goya and Macaulay were not the only Titleist staffers to receive new equipment this week. Titleist fitting technician Mattias Jelver also spent time on the range conducting club fittings for South African Branden Grance and Spaniard Carlos Del Moral. Both Grace and Del Moral were built new 909 D3 drivers for further testing. The specifications for both are as follows:

Branden Grace

Model: 909 D3
Loft: 8.5°
Shaft: Diamana White Board 73 X-Flex (Tipped 1.5”)
Length: 45”
Grip: Golf Pride Multi-Compound White 58R
Swingweight: D3

Carlos Del Moral

Model: 909 D3
Loft: 8.5°
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Fubuki 73 X-Flex (Tipped 1.5”)
Length: 45”
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord 58R
Swingweight: D3

Next week the Tour moves west for the Estoril Open de Portugal where Titleist Ambassador Gregory Bourdy will look to defend his title. The event will be held just outside Lisbon at the magnificent Oitavos Dunes, providing a stern test for the players. The TTSV will again be on site, meaning another busy week of fitting and building product for the players. As always the Tour Blog will have all the information from inside the ropes at the event.

Add comment March 27th, 2009