Michael Welch, a native of North Quincy, Mass., will be participating in his first U.S. Open ... barely. Welch didn't file his U.S. Open entry until 90 minutes before the deadline on April 29. He made it through local qualifying at the Crumpin-Fox Club in Bernardston, Mass., and then punched his ticket to Bethpage following a 3-under 138 at the Purchase, N.Y. sectional qualifier. By participating in the U.S. Open, Welch has now qualified for the grand slam of USGA championships in which he has been eligible (U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Amateur Public Links, U.S. Junior Amateur).

Bob Vokey takes notes as he discusses wedges with U.S. Open participant Michael Welch. Voke built 48°, 54° and 58° wedges for Michael in preparation for this week.

U.S. Open week has arrived and Team Titleist is on the ground at Bethpage. The track is wet and playing long, and we will keep you up-to-date when our Titleist Brand Ambassadors make any adjustments to their set compositions in preparation for Thursday's official start.

To kick things off, Titleist wedge craftsman Bob Vokey sat down recently with Tour Insider and GolfChannel.com equipment editor David Allen for an in-depth interview which he tabbed "18 Questions with Bob Vokey." Some good inside stuff with the Voke, who will be one of the busiest men at Bethpage Black today through Wednesday. With over 40 percent of the field carrying at least one Vokey Design wedge in his bag, chances are good that another major champion will be thanking Voke come Sunday.

Click here to read the interview on GolfChannel.com.

In the latest installment of Friday Fix, TPI co-founder Dave Phillips demonstrates how to hit chip shots out of intermediate rough. Click on the video player below to see Dave's short game tip.

Hello Everybody,

I hope this blog entry finds everyone having a good week. I am in Europe and working hard on my game and getting ready for our second major of the year next week. I am getting back to the basics of my golf swing and keeping my focus on a more simple approach. I think I started to over analyze certain aspects of my game which led to a lot of over-thinking. Every player and swing coach have various methods regarding the technical side of a golf swing, so what is good for one player doesn't necessarily translate to another player. I think Butch and I started to tweak too much and realize it's time to get back to what got me to #3 in the world. I am confident it's only a matter of time because the mechanics are all there. It's amazing how quickly things can turn in our sport.

My thoughts and condolences are with Champions Tour player, Ken Green and his family. Ken was involved in a tragic RV accident on Monday and everyone on the US PGA Tour is saddened by the news.

I'll get to New York on Sunday and I'm looking forward to a good week ahead. Each of the four majors has a special quality and the US Open crowds are always electric. It will be great to be back at Bethpage Black. I look forward to seeing you in NY!

Until next time, take care.
-Adam

Butch Harmon and Adam Scott

In the second installment of Up & Down with Dave Phillips, Dave demonstrates how players can improve their wedge approach shots by employing the technique used by Titleist Brand Ambassador and recent Crowne Plaza Invitational champion Steve Stricker. Click on the video player below to view Dave's instruction, and be sure to visit Vokey.com and MyTPI.com for more ways to improve your golf game.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott has agreed to contribute the blog posts he regularly writes for his own website, AdamScott.com.au, to the Titleist Tour Blog. Below is this week's update as Adam prepares to compete in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village outside Columbus, Ohio:

Hello Everybody,
I am heading to the airport to fly over to Columbus this afternoon. I feel like my game is coming back around and still working hard to get it back to where it needs to be. I enjoyed the time in Texas and feel confident things are getting better with each round I play. Jack Nicklaus always puts on a great tournament this week and I am excited to be a part of it again this year. Tomorrow is Military Appreciation Day which allows the military to come to the tournament with their immediate family free of charge. It's a great way to show support of all the women and men that risk their lives for our freedom and the troops from the many countries around the world working as one.

I also wanted to remind everyone that this Sunday, June 7th, CBS will be airing a TOUR charity show presented by Barclays. The show is scheduled to air prior to the final round coverage of the Memorial Tournament. It will highlight the PGA TOUR's numerous charity efforts and also charitable efforts by several players. I hope you tune in and see what some of us are up to off the course!

On July 11th the Brisbane Lions, a new corporate partner to my foundation, play the Geelong Cats in an AFL game at the Gabba back home in Queensland, Australia. I am pleased to announce a portion of the proceeds will be donated directly to the Adam Scott Foundation. You can purchase tickets online through Ticketek at www.ticketek.com.au/lions09 or by visiting any Ticketek outlet. Come out and watch a great match and support a great cause. Go Lions!

I need to get going. Have a great week and I'll be in touch soon. Until next time, take care.

-Adam

To receive the Official Adam Scott Newsletter, be sure to sign up here.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott