The European Tour makes a journey of some significance this week as The Celtic Manor Resort plays host to the Wales Open. The resort has hosted the event since 2000 but this year’s visit to Celtic Manor’s Twenty Ten course carries extra significance as it is also the host venue for golf’s greatest spectacle; the 2010 Ryder Cup. The event offers some of the Ryder Cup hopefuls in the field a chance to get to know the venue and, for those not automatically selected for Monty’s team, a good performance here could see them enter Monty’s thinking for a Captain’s pick. The likes of Fisher, Hansen, Larrazabal and Bourdy will all be looking to trust their Titleist equipment and record an impressive finish.
Click here to view the slideshow
The venue itself is looking in excellent condition ahead of this week’s event and looks a superb layout for the Ryder Cup in early October. The Twenty Ten course is the first of its kind as it is the only course to ever be designed specifically for golf’s premier event. A number of holes from the original Wentwood Hills course have been re-designed but nine of the eighteen holes on the Twenty Ten are all new. The par 71, 7400 yard layout has been designed to offer pure golfing theatre and numerous holes offer the players a very distinct risk-reward challenge, usually involving water which is in play on ten holes. Although designed for match play, the risk-reward nature of the golf course also makes it an exciting stroke play venue. Those players on form can really take advantage and reap the rewards on offer but it only takes a few loose shots to rack up a big number. Both low scores and high scores should be expected which should make for exciting viewing.
(more…)
June 4th, 2010
Following last week’s BMW PGA Championship played in stunning English sunshine at Wentworth (yes, you did read that right, we had sunshine in England!!) the European Tour heads to the equally sunny climes of the Spanish capital for the Madrid Masters. A number of players arrived in Madrid via Walton Heath Golf Club for 36-holes of U.S Open qualifying on Monday and, as you can imagine, this meant a relatively relaxed practice schedule for many.
As is the norm on the European Tour, the Wednesday before the event saw the players assemble for the Pro-Am competition. Each week on the European Tour the Pro-Am competitions attract a sprinkling of celebrities and this week was no different. With the tournament being held in the home of the world famous Real Madrid Football Club a couple of first team players from ‘Los Blancos’ teed it up for the Wednesday Pro-Am. Polish international goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek and Spanish international midfielder José María Gutiérrez Hernández (Guti) were in attendance and, as you will see from this week’s slideshow, Guti hit the links wearing a particularly classy piece of headwear!!
Click here to view the slideshow
(more…)
May 28th, 2010
One of the world’s top coaches and Titleist Ambassador Pete Cowen took time out of his hectic schedule to pass on some of his wisdom to PGA pros at a Titleist Teachers’ Clinic held at the Celtic Manor 2010 Course – ahead of the Wales Open next week.
Hosted by Titleist, twenty pros listened intently as Pete ran through his approach and told them some “inside the ropes” stories about his work with some of the world’s top players. More comfortable on the range than the classroom, Pete was eager to get outside and demonstrate practical is often better than theory in golf!
Click here to view the slideshow
The gathered pros, including LET star and Solheim Cup captain Alison Nicholas, all took the opportunity to pick Pete’s brain and quiz him about approaches that would benefit their own coaching skills! A great day – fantastic venue, fabulous weather and happy golfers! Can’t be bad!
May 25th, 2010
This week we are visiting the newly redesigned Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. The course, already one of the finest on the European Tour circuit, now features deeper bunkers and better greens.
Monday here was one of the busiest Mondays we’ve had in quite some time on board the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle (TTSV), and the traffic hasn’t slowed as players are getting their equipment just right to compete in the prestigious BMW PGA Championship.
Click here to view the slideshow
New addition to the Titleist full line players line up, Matteo Manassero was in early, looking for some new driver and fairway metal options. Not really looking for new woods altogether, Matteo was taking full advantage of the opportunity to have a look at different shaft options, and try them out in perfect conditions at Wentworth. We had him try True Temper Project X graphite shafts in both driver and 3-metal configurations. Here are the spec’s:
(more…)
May 20th, 2010
It’s a slightly abbreviated Tour Blog this week as the European Tour lands in the Balearic island of Mallorca (Majorca) for the Iberdrola Open Cala Millor Mallorca. This event is new to the European Tour schedule for 2010 and, with the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth being the next event on the calendar; the majority of the players at the top of the Race to Dubai have chosen not to attend. With that said the tournament is an opportunity for some of those players lower down the rankings to post a strong finish and even secure their place on the European Tour with a victory.
Click here to view the slideshow.
(more…)
May 14th, 2010
Turin was this week’s destination for the European Tour with the Royal Park I Roveri Golf Club playing host to the Italian Open. Northern Italy sounds like a lovely destination at this time of year so imagine our surprise as the Titleist Tour Team rolled into town to be greeted by consistent and torrential rain. In fact, the weather was so appalling that the range was closed for long spells during the usual pre-tournament practice days which meant a quieter week on the equipment front aboard the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle (TTSV).
The Italian Open is always a significant week for Italian Golf but this week it has extra significance as it marks the professional debut of their most promising golfing talent. 17-year old Matteo Manassero makes his European Tour bow as a professional in Turin following a glittering amateur career which saw him clinch the 2009 British Amateur Championship and establish himself as the #1 ranked amateur in world golf. In addition to a host of amateur honours Matteo also claimed the low amateur crown at the 2009 Open Championship and, more recently, at Augusta back in April of this year where he was competing as the youngest player in the history of the Masters tournament. The buzz surrounding the arrival of Matteo amongst the professional ranks is palpable and no where is this more evident than in his native Italy where a partizan crowd will cheer him every step of the way.
Click here to view the slideshow
(more…)
May 7th, 2010
Italian teenager Matteo Manassero will make his professional debut at this week’s BMW Italian Open on the PGA European Tour as Titleist’s newest brand ambassador. Matteo turned professional earlier this week after a brief but decorated amateur career that included a win at last year’s British Amateur Championship as well as low amateur honors at the 2009 Open Championship and 2010 Masters Tournament. Having just recently celebrated his 17th birthday, Matteo established himself as the youngest player to record a victory at the British Amateur and to compete and make the 36-hole cut at the Masters.
Persistent rain and soggy course conditions currently threaten the scheduled Thursday start of the BMW Italian Open. Be sure to check out EuropeanTour.com for the latest updates.
Titleist Equipment in Matteo Manassero’s Bag:
Golf Balls: Pro V1x
Driver: 909D3 – 8.5°, UST Mamiya Proforce AXIVCore 69 X (45″)
Fairway: 909F2 – 13.5°, UST Mamiya Proforce V2 86 X (43″)
Hybrid: 909H – 17°, Fujikura Speeder 904HB X (41″)
Irons: AP2 – 3, Precision Project X 5.5*
Irons: Original AP2 – 4-P, Precision Project X 5.5*
Wedge: Vokey Design Spin Milled C-C 252-08, Precision Project X 5.5*
Wedge: Vokey Design Spin Milled C-C TVD 58, Precision Project X 5.5*
Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Newport Select – Xperimental Black Finish
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet – .580″ round, 1 extra wrap, logo underneath
*All irons and wedges standard loft and length, 1° flat lie angle
May 6th, 2010
Following another foray to the Far East the European Tour is back on home soil this week for the Open de Espana. The event is held at the Real Club de Golf in Seville, Southern Spain and the par-72 layout is rated by the players as one of the very best in the European Tour calendar. Bathed in glorious 40°C sunshine, the course looked in stunning condition this week but with water a plenty and some of the most brutal rough the players will see all season on the European Tour the course is far from a push over.
(more…)
April 30th, 2010
Amidst heavy downpours and thick fog, the European Tour and The Titleist Tour Team (TTT) arrived on Jeju Island in Korea for the Ballantine’s Championship at the beautiful Pinx Golf Club.
The hope had been that the bad weather – heavy rain, strong wind and thick fog – would pass as the tournament began. However, on Thursday the Tournament Directors decided that almost seven hours of lost play would be impossible to make up, and reduced the Championship to 54 holes.
Click here to view the slideshow
In spite of the bad weather, at the time of writing, Titleist ambassador Tano Goya had shot himself to a joint lead of the tournament after a stunning opening round of 66, closely followed by a 70, to take him to eight under.
(more…)
April 23rd, 2010
With the golfing world still catching its breath following a sizzling Sunday at Augusta the European Tour schedule takes us to Jinji Lake Golf Club in Suzhou, China for the 7th playing of the Volvo China Open.
The course at Jinji Lake marks a new venue for the event and the Gary Player designed, par-72 layout offers two very different nines. The opening nine holes have been designed in the style of a classic links golf course but, as the players hit the turn, the character of the course changes and the inward nine is pure parkland golf.
As the Titleist Tour Team landed in China for the practice rounds the major surprise was the local weather which resembled a typical February in the UK. Cold and rain was the order of the day and, as you can see from this week’s slideshow, the players were breaking out their winter gear in an effort to stay warm and dry.
Click here to view the slideshow.
(more…)
April 16th, 2010
Next Posts
Previous Posts
