Archive for November, 2009
Following last week’s European Tour season finale at the Dubai World Championship it’s time to look back at a season of achievement for Titleist on the European Tour. The iconic Titleist Pro V1 has once again proved itself as the ball of choice on the European Tour with 65% of players choosing a Titleist ball across the 2009 season. The Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x also entered the winners circle no fewer than 25 times throughout the course of the season, a figure which equates to 56% of all tournament victories on the European Tour.
Click here to view the slideshow
Included in these 25 tournament victories were maiden wins for a number of young, up-and-coming European Tour talents. Titleist Ambassador Rory McIlroy (Pro V1x) set the trend back in February at the Dubai Desert Classic when a stunning up-and-down from sand on the 18th hole of the Emirates Course delivered his maiden Tour success. Victory for Rory seemed to open the floodgates and bring about a raft of maiden victories for Titleist ball loyalists. American Anthony Kang (Pro V1x) was next to taste success as as a birdie at the 72nd hole gave him a one stroke victory at the Malaysian Open. Argentinean Tano Goya (Pro V1x) and Northern Irishman Michael Hoey (Pro V1x) followed soon after as the Titleist Ambassadors claimed their maiden titles at the Madeira Islands Open and Estoril Open de Portugal respectively. Next up was one of the stories of the season as Irishman Shane Lowry (Pro V1x), playing as an amateur, captured his own national title at the Irish Open, a win which catapulted him into the professional ranks. Celtic Manor was the next venue to see a maiden victory for a Titleist ball loyalist as Dane Jeppe Huldahl (Pro V1x) took the Wales Open then, at the Austrian Golf Open, a final round 60 (-11) delivered Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello his first European Tour win. The most recent player to breakthrough with Titleist in his corner was Ross McGowan (Pro V1x) who claimed a three stroke victory at the Madrid Masters. Winning on the European Tour is no mean feat but claiming a maiden victory is undoubtedly the hardest task of all. We’d like to congratulate all of the Titleist ball loyalists that overcame this most difficult of hurdles in 2009. With each of these players currently under the age of thirty it is clear that the next generation of Tour stars are placing their trust in a Titleist golf ball.
Alongside the plethora of maiden victors on the European Tour there were also wins for more some established names. The most notable success of the season for the Titleist Pro V1 came at Augusta National Golf Club where Angel Cabrera claimed his second major title and his first green jacket with a Pro V1x. The big-hitting Argentinean overcame a strong challenge from both Kenny Perry (Pro V1x) and Chad Campbell (Pro V1x) to deliver yet another major success for a Titleist golf ball. Alongside major championship success came two World Golf Championship triumphs as Geoff Ogilvy (Pro V1) and Ross Fisher (Pro V1x) took the Accenture Match Play and Volvo World Match Play titles respectively. In addition, European Tour victories in 2009 for the likes of Ian Poulter (Pro V1x), Gregory Bourdy (Pro V1), Scott Strange (Pro V1), Soren Kjeldsen (Pro V1) and Thomas Levet (Pro V1) also put a mark in the Titleist golf ball win column.
When casting our eye over the final standings for the inaugural Race to Dubai there are three names that stand out as being worthy of special mention. The first of those is young Englishman Chris Wood whose debut season on the European Tour has seen him place 44th in the Race to Dubai and claim the coveted Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. Chris burst onto the golfing scene back in 2008 at the Open Championship where he finished in fifth place whilst still an amateur. Now a professional, Chris’ first season on the European Tour saw him record seven top-20 finishes including another stunning Open Championship performance where he narrowly missed out on a place in the playoff to tie for third. Wood’s performances in 2009 have seen him rise to 71st position in the Official World Golf Rankings and, with his playing privileges firmly secured for 2010, he will undoubtedly be looking to make a move towards the world’s top 50. As was the case with the 2008 Rookie of the Year, Titleist Ambassador Pablo Larrazabal, Chris also placed his trust in the Titleist Pro V1x to capture the Sir Henry Cotton award.
The next name to mention has to be Rory McIlroy (Pro V1x). In a season of tremendous consistency the Titleist Ambassador has recorded a remarkable 12 top-5 finishes which included the aforementioned victory at the Dubai Desert Classic. This level of performance has seen McIlroy move into tenth place in the Official World Golf Rankings and earn a staggering €3.6 million in prize money across the 2009 season. Rory is being widely touted as a future major winner and is fast becoming one of the most popular players in world golf due to his supreme talent and likeable demeanour. It is easy to forget that this was only McIlroy’s second full season on Tour and that he has achieved this feat at just 20 years of age!!! The golfing world will undoubtedly have its eyes firmly fixed on Rory as he takes his game to the PGA Tour in 2010.
Final word for this season recap can only go to one man; Lee Westwood. Anyone that saw Westwood’s dominant display at the Dubai World Championship last weekend will have been left in no doubt that he is Europe’s #1 golfer. Victory at the Earth Course last week brought Westwood the honour of the inaugural Race to Dubai and the prestigious Harry Vardon trophy which is presented to the #1 player on the European Tour. Like Rory McIlroy, Westwood’s season was one of great consistency and was punctuated by two late season victories as the Portugal Masters and of course more recently at the Dubai World Championship. Westwood has been a long-time loyalist to the Titleist golf ball and has trusted the Titleist Pro V1x for every stroke of his finest season to date. Now fourth in the Official World Golf Rankings Westwood will surely have major titles on his mind in 2010? Congratulations to Lee on a magnificent performance this year, we wish him continued success in 2010.
With the inaugural Race to Dubai now confined to the history books attention is already turning to the start of the 2010 season which will begin at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa on December 10th. As has been the case at every European Tour event this season, Titleist will be on hand to work with our players and ensure that they are fully equipped for another season of intense European Tour competition.
November 27th, 2009
The first port of call on the Blog this week is to take a quick look back to last week’s event in Hong Kong where Titleist Ambassador Gregory Bourdy edged out fellow Titleist player Rory McIlroy to take the UBS Hong Kong Open title. Gregory plays Titleist right through the bag and his victory comes shortly after a switch to the new Titleist MB irons. The win vaulted the likeable Frenchman into 47th on the Race to Dubai standings and into this week’s Dubai World Championship. Félicitations Gregory!!!
And it is the Dubai World Championship that is the focus of this week’s Blog. Quite simply; this is the big one!! Following a long season of intense European Tour competition the top 60 players have come together at Jumeirah Golf Estate in Dubai for their shot at a €7.5 million prize fund. For a select few, the event is also the final opportunity to take their shot at the Race to Dubai title and claim the Harry Vardon trophy award to Europe’s #1 golfer. Titleist is well represented among the four players still in contention with Ambassadors Rory McIlroy and Ross Fisher occupying 1st and 4th spots respectively going into the event. Englishman Lee Westwood is another player in contention who has Titleist on his side with the Pro V1 loyalist currently occupying 2nd place in the rankings.
Click here to view the Dubai World Championship slideshow
The Earth Course is not only a brand new venue for the European Tour but an entirely new golfing venue full stop. The event marks the official opening of the course at the Jumeirah Golf Estate and early signs are that the Greg Norman designed par-72 layout will be a hit with the players. The course features large areas of bark mulch which provides an interesting contrast with the Bermuda grass fairways, whilst the bunkers and water hazards are large and plentiful. The Earth Course is by no means a push-over but the quality of field coupled with an excellent weather forecast should ensure low scoring for the event.
With so much riding on this week’s event there was very little by way of equipment chatter in Dubai. Most of the players will be taking time off in the coming weeks to recuperate after a long season and there will certainly be more to report in terms of equipment changes as we move into the 2010 season. That said, the team did spend some time with Ross Fisher in Dubai discussing a new fairway metal. Ross was keen to try a few different options to ensure he was getting the most out of his fairway metal and, having spent time testing on the range, decided on a 909F2 13.5° adjusted to 14.5°. As was the case with Rory McIlroy and Michael Hoey last week in Hong Kong, Ross’ new fairway will feature the new True Temper Project X 7A3 shaft. The new 909F2 will be delivered to Ross in South Africa in time for the Nedbank Open.
Another Titleist Ambassador in the field this week is Australian Adam Scott. Adam is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in world golf but has not had his best season on Tour in 2009. That said, in recent weeks Adam has definitely shown signs of a return to form and was looking forward to a strong week in Dubai. Adam is a long-time Titleist Ambassador and has recently added a set of the new Titleist MB irons to his bag alongside his 909D2 driver, 909F2 fairway, Vokey Design Wedges and Scotty Cameron Studio Select putter. Feedback from the players on the new MB irons has been unanimously positive and Adam is no exception – he is extremely happy with the performance. At the time of writing Adam is off to a solid start and currently sits in a tie for 20th at three under par. We wish him well for the weekend and look forward to seeing him back at his best in 2010.
The marathon that is the Race to Dubai is now approaching its sprint finish with just two rounds remaining and it’s the players in 1st and 2nd position that look to be heading for a weekend showdown. Both Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood are off to fast starts in their pursuit of the Harry Vardon trophy with McIlroy currently lying in a tie for 2nd at 7 under par with Westwood leading the field by two strokes on 9 under. It promises to be a fascinating showdown over the course of the weekend and is building up to being the finish to the season that we were all hoping for. So sit back, relax and enjoy the action from Dubai; there’s going to be fireworks!!!
November 20th, 2009
In the build up to the season ending Dubai World Championship, the Titleist European Tour team had the privelege of spending some time at the Butch Harmon Golf Academy at Dubai Sport City. Butch Harmon, as most of you will know, is one of the top coaches in the game of golf and has a long-standing relationship with Titleist.
Click here to view the slideshow
The academy in Dubai is run by Claude Harmon III, son of Butch, who works with some of the leading players in world golf. The academy opened earlier this year and has already had plenty of vistors including the likes of Adam Scott, Lee Westwood and Chris Wood. The facility boasts magnificent short game areas, a pristine long game area, the latest in technological teaching aids and also a fitness and biomechanics studio. It really is a phenomenal set-up and it’s no surprise that some of the world’s best choose to practice at this facility. The academy is likely to become increasingly popular with players looking to work on their game during the off-season or during breaks from tournament play. On the day we visited the academy, Ladies European Tour player Marianne Skarpnord was taking advantage of the facilities and the glorious Dubai sunshine to work hard on her game.
The Titleist Team had the opportunity to take a tour of the facility and chat to Claude and his team about the work that they do. They have put together a world class facility where players of all abilities can come and work on their games. The set-up is state-of-the-art and, coupled with elite-level coaching, the Butch Harmon Golf Academy can rightly claim to be one of the very best facilities on the planet. For more information on the Butch Harmon Golf Academy please click here.
We would like to thank Claude and his team for making us so welcome and showing us around the academy.
November 17th, 2009
The European Tour enters its final event of the regular season before next week’s season ending Dubai World Championship as the Hong Kong Golf Club plays host to the UBS Hong Kong Open.12 months ago this same event saw Titleist Ambassador Rory McIlroy narrowly miss out on a maiden Tour victory in a dramatic playoff with Lin-Wen Tang. Few will forget Lin’s approach shot from the trees to the right of 18 that secured victory; it was arguably the shot of the year and definitely one of the best you’ll see in a pressure situation.
Rory is once again in the field this week and a year on from a narrow defeat will be looking to contend once again. Rory currently occupies second spot in the Race to Dubai and is in genuine contention the Harry Vardon Trophy awarded to the number one player. At just 20 years of age Rory would become the youngest player in the history of the European Tour to claim the Race to Dubai / Order of Merit title. For him to be in contention is a special feat but should he come through and take the inaugural Race to Dubai it would be a simply magnificent achievement. Whatever happens, there can be no doubt that Rory is a special talent who will contend for titles for many years to come.
Click here to view the slideshow
Titleist Tour Technician Mattias Jelver caught up with Rory during practice in Hong Kong to work on his fairway metals. Rory has been playing the Titleist 906F2 fairway for sometime now and, whilst he has been very happy with its performance, he was interested to try some different options in the 909 series. Rory is looking for something that will allow him to work the ball more easily and also something that will give him a little more hang time. He felt his current 906F2 is perhaps lacking a little spin which sometimes results in a loss of carry. The team have built a couple of new options for Rory to experiment with over the coming weeks but, with the Race to Dubai on the line, we don’t expect any changes to the bag until after the Dubai World Championship. Rory was ripping the fairway metals on the range, so much so that fellow Northern Irishman Michael Hoey took the opportunity to try one of the fairways and immediately placed his own order. It just so happened that the specification was perfect for Michael as well.
Rory McIlroy
Model: 909F2
Loft: 13.5°
Shafts: Fujikura ZCOM Pro 95 X-Flex / True Temper Project X 7A3 X-Flex
Length: 43”
Grip: Golf Pride Multi-Compound .580 Round (Black/Yellow)
Swingweight: D2.5
Titleist Ambassador Robert Karlsson is looking to finish the season on a high following a disappointing 2009 that has seen him sidelined for long spells with injury. The 2008 Harry Vardon Trophy winner is now back to full strength and starting to regain some of the form that we saw from him last year. Robert has recently switched to the new Titleist MB irons and opts for quite an interesting composition. Karlsson doesn’t carry a #3 iron. Instead, Roberts carries an MB #4 iron with a slightly stronger loft and a 735.CM #2 iron that is slightly weaker in loft. This compensates for the potential yardage gap left by a #3 iron and gives him space in the bag for an extra wedge or fairway metal. This week however, Robert decided that he would like a little more length from his #2 iron. He sees this club as his fairway finder but was looking for a little more length to increase the number of times a round that this club would be useful to him. Robert’s #2 iron was adjusted to 17° (1° stronger than standard) which seemed to have the desired effect.
All in all, it’s been a relatively quiet week in Hong Kong. With so much riding on this event for those players looking to secure their European Tour card and those contending for the Race to Dubai, equipment requests are few and far between. That said, once the season draws to a close things will change and the equipment requests will start rolling in at pace.
Next week is the big one as the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates plays host to the first ever Dubai World Championship. The event brings with it a number of startling statistics; the purse for the event for example; €7.5 million euros split between a 60-man field. Another astonishing number is the length of the Earth Course which will play 7675 yards from the tips. This includes a final, four-hole stretch measuring one full mile in length!!! There can be no doubt that the Dubai World Championship will be a captivating spectacle. With a season of hard work on the line for the likes of Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Ross Fisher the players will be giving it absolutely everything in pursuit of victory and to be crowned Europe’s number one golfer. It’s fair to say we are all expecting fireworks as the Race reaches its finale.
Titleist will be on site in Dubai for the event and we’ll be sure to keep you bang up to date with next week’s Blog.
November 13th, 2009
For the Blog this week there really is only one place that we can start and that is by congratulating Ross Fisher on a massive win at the Volvo World Match Play Championship last week. This is unquestionably the biggest victory of Ross’ career and is just reward for a season of great consistency. Ross has the lowest score of any player in the world across this season’s four major championships and, almost without exception, has played great all season long. Victory has Ross well in contention for the Race to Dubai and up to a career high 17th position in the Official World Golf Rankings. Well done “Fish”!!!!
Titleist Tour Representative Phil Dimmock caught up with Ross and caddy Adam Marrow in Shanghai on Wednesday and, as you can imagine, both player and caddy were in great spirits following their victory last week. That said, Adam was understandably a little jaded having carried Ross’ Titleist Staff Bag 126 holes during last weeks event, not to mention a thirteen hour flight to Shanghai (although as you’ll see from this week’s slideshow, Adam did get a little help this week!!!)
Click here to view the slideshow
Regular visitors to the Tour Blog will remember that Ross decided on a change of driver a couple of weeks back at the Portugal Masters. It’s fair to say that the switch has paid off as the driver made an invaluable contribution towards his victory at Finca Cortesin last week. Ross commented on his new 909D3 this week in Shanghai and feels it is 10-15 yards longer versus his previous driver. During last weeks semi-final match against Masters Champion Angel Cabrera (Pro V1x), Ross was keeping up with, or even out-driving the big hitting Argentinean. In addition, those of you that watched television coverage of the event will tesify that Ross was as straight from the tee and he was long; a pretty formidable combination!!
Alongside his new driver, Fisher has also put the new Spin Milled C-C (Condition of Competition) wedges in the bag in preparation for the new groove regulations being introduced in early 2010. Victory last week for Fisher would indicate that he has acclimatised to the new wedges without too much difficulty and feedback from other players is also suggesting that the impact of the groove regulations is not going to be as severe as many predicted. Titleist Ambassador Scott Strange, for example, actually commented that he is able to judge trajectory and spin more effectively with the new C-C wedges versus the original Spin Milled groove. It will be interesting to watch this story unfold and guage the reaction of players when they get to venues where heavy rough and/or hard-pan conditions are a factor. Watch this space!!
Ross Fisher
Model: 909D3 8.5°
Shaft: True Temper Project X 7A3 X-Flex
Length: 45”
Grip: Lamkin Crossline Cord Black (+1/64”)
Swingweight: D4.5
Model: Vokey Design Spin Milled C-C – Tour Chrome Finish
Loft / Bounce / Grind: 48.06, 54.10, 60-T Grind
Length: +1/2”
Lie: 2° Upright
Grips: Lamkin Tour Full Cord Black .580 Round (+1/64” & Reversed)
Swingweights: D5
Another player to arrive in Shanghai fresh from victory is Titleist Pro V1 loyalist Ian Poulter. The flamboyant Englishman last week claimed the Barclays Singapore Open in wire-to-wire fashion for his first European Tour title since 2007. The victory moves Poulter inside the top 10 on the Race to Dubai rankings and has him in confident mood as we move towards the season ending Dubai World Championships. Congratulations to Poults, it’s good to see him back in the winner’s circle.
With the European Tour far a field there was once again no Titleist Tour Support Vehicle (TTSV) on site at the event. Following a season without any clubs being broken in transit we have now had two incidents in the past two weeks. We told you about Soren Hansen’s broken driver at last week’s Singapore Open and this week Titleist Amassador Gaganjet Bhuller from India was the one to suffer the misfortune of a broken driver shaft. With no TTSV to call on Gaganjet was fortunate that there was a small workshop on site where the driver could be repaired and even more fortunate that the UST representative had a shaft available for the driver. The Titleist Tour Team set to work and the 909D2 was soon back in the bag and ready for tournament play.
Gaganjet Bhuller
Model: 909D2
Loft: 8.5°
Shaft: UST Mamiya Attas 7 X-Flex
Length: 45”
Grip: Tour Velvet .580 Ribbed (+1/32”)
Swingweight: D3
That’s all from the Blog for this week. The HSBC Champions promises to be a fascinating event as proven tournament winners from across the world’s major Tours go head-to-head. Titleist Ambassador Nick Watney from the USA has a share of the lead at the halfway stage, but with the world’s #1 and #2 players for company at the top of the leaderboard, Nick is going to have to produce his very best over the weekend to lift the title and claim the €800,000 first place cheque.
Next week we are in Hong Kong for the UBS Hong Kong Open, the final leg of the European Tour season before the Dubai World Championship finale. With so many players in contention for the inaugural Race to Dubai and a number of players hitting form at just the right time, the climax to the season looks set to be a fascinating one. We’ll be back as usual at the same time next week with more from inside the ropes on the European Tour.
November 6th, 2009
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