Titleist Brand Ambassador Davis Love III arrived at Bay Hill Club and Lodge for the Arnold Palmer Invitational having missed the cut in his four most recent PGA Tour starts after beginning the season with a T5 finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii.  While working on the practice tee with members of the Titleist Leadership team, Davis noted that he didn't feel as if he was making truly solid contact with his new MB irons.  Davis and the team determined that his irons were slightly too upright, so the lie angles were adjusted flatter.  Davis immediately thought the irons looked better at address and found the contact at impact to be more solid.  He commented that he felt much more confident that the club was contacting the turf squarely and that the accuracy of his shots had improved.  The confidence spilled over to the tournament, where Davis recorded a T14 finish while leading the field with 25 birdies.  Davis will look to continue his good play this week at the Shell Houston Open, where a victory would qualify him for next week's Masters Tournament.

To learn more about how Titleist fits players for irons, be sure to visit FittingWorks.com.

Aaron Dill and Larry Bobka from the Titleist Leadership team check out Titleist Brand Ambassador Davis Love III's irons on the practice tee in Houston.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Robert Karlsson recently visited the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, Calif. to complete a 3-D motion capture analysis as part of his preparation for the Masters Tournament.  Robert had previously been through a 3-D motion capture analysis, but he and his coach (TPI Certified Instructor Mark Blackburn) have been working on swing changes and Robert wanted to compare the two swing profiles to confirm his results.  Robert also took time to help TPI co-founders Dr. Greg Rose and Dave Phillips film video for the upcoming season of Golf Fitness Academy.

In the image gallery, Robert can be seen using a different Titleist 909 driver than his previous gamer.  While at the test facility, home to TPI, Titleist Leadership executive Larry Bobka helped fit Robert into this new driver to better match the swing changes Robert and Mark have been working on.  Larry commented that "we were trying to get his launch angle up and reduce spin from his current driver since he's making changes to his swing to shallow out his angle of attack."  The new driver is a 909D3 with 9.5° loft and the Graphite Design Tour AD DI-6TX shaft.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Robert Karlsson is hooked up
and ready to start his 3-D motion capture analysis.
Click for more images.

Several LPGA players made good use of their proximity to Titleist's West Coast operations this week with visits to the Scotty Cameron Putter Studio and Titleist Test Facility in Oceanside. Pro V1 loyalist Meaghan Francella made stops at both locations, working with master wedge craftsman Bob Vokey at the Test Facility on some new wedges and with Scotty and crew at the Putter Studio to customize her putter.  Here's what she had to say about her visits:

I had a 52, 56, and 60 degree wedge set to start.  Now I have a 50, 54, and 60.  I was struggling with control.  I could land the ball where I wanted to, but it just didn't grab and I wasn't as close to the hole as I expected to be.  I play graphite shafts in my irons, but Voke's not a big fan of graphite shafts in the wedges.  With the steel shafts, he adjusted the overall weight by taking some off the trailing edge as well as a little off the leading edge.  They're still a little heavier than my old wedges, but they are really good.  We chose the TVD grind, and once we established what I needed, he took my wedges, and he did the grinding himself.  I was like, "I have to play these, they are just going to be so good now."  I was nervous to put new wedges in the bag the week of a tournament, but they are great.  I practiced a little late Monday, and played with them Tuesday and I am really happy.

I also went to the Putter Studio and worked with Paul on Monday morning.  I like the Del Mar putter from the California series, and they hooked me up with this custom one.  It was an amazing experience that few people get to have, I am incredibly fortunate.

Pro V1x loyalists Heather Bowie-Young and Christina Kim also made trips to the Putter Studio early in the week.  Heather games a Tour Del Mar 3.5 that is shorter than standard, so the Studio crew added some very custom tungsten weights during her visit.  Christina's visit was a follow-up to one she made in February, and she and Scotty had some fun with the collectibles Scotty displays around the Studio.  Click on the image below to get an inside look at some of the gear.

Titleist Pro V1 loyalist Meaghan Francella also plays AP2 irons and Vokey Design wedges. Click here to view the slideshow.

Titleist Brand Ambassador and LPGA Tour rookie Mariajo Uribe is set to make her first start of the year at this week's Kia Classic presented by J Golf. The 20-year-old from Bucaramanga, Colombia turned professional last summer after a stellar amateur career that included a victory at the 107th United States Women's Amateur Championship, a top ten finish at the 2008 U.S. Women's Open, and two years of collegiate golf at UCLA. She qualified for the 2010 tour via her T-12 finish at the 2009 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. Team Titleist caught up with Mariajo this week at the La Costa Resort & Spa to ask her a few questions about herself and the upcoming season.  We'll also be checking in with her throughout the year to provide updates on her progress as a rookie on the LPGA Tour.  Following the interview is an image gallery featuring the Titleist equipment she has in play.  Good luck this season, Mariajo!

Team Titleist:  When did you arrive in town?

Mariajo Uribe:  I came in early to go to the Scotty Cameron Putter Studio on Friday, I think it was my third visit there.  I love it.  I have three putters...I am spoiled now!

TT:  You gap your wedges from a 46 to a 52 to a 60.  To many people, that would seem like a big gap.

MU:  I set up my wedges based on the course.  If it is a short course, I will do 46, 52, 56, 60 and take out a hybrid, either the 21 or the 24 depending on the shots I will need to hit that week.   I played all my life with the 52 and the 60, mixing in the 56 is a new thing.  This 46 degree goes 115 yards, this 52 goes about 95, so it is about a 20 yard gap.  A lot of people have the big gap between their 9 iron and pitching wedge, I just have it here.

TT:  Tell us about your irons.

MU:  I got these new AP2s in January, but I played the original AP2s before that.  I have been a Titleist girl forever, since 2004, I think.  In Colombia not a lot of girls use Titleist because they think of them as men's clubs.  But they are really good, I play great with them.  It's been getting bigger, especially with Camilo out there.  Now all the kids play Titleist because it seems like all the good players use Titleist.  I am very happy with my clubs and want to stay with them hopefully through my whole career because that is what has worked so well for me in my amateur career.   I am not going to switch for anything.

TT:  Is this your professional debut?

MU:  I played the Sun Coast about two weeks ago in Daytona, but this feels like my first.  It is the beginning of the LPGA season.

TT:  Have you set specific goals for yourself in your first season on the LPGA Tour?

MU:  My goal this year is Top 20 in the Rolex World Ranking.  That will be a hard thing to do, especially because there are not a lot of tournaments.  So I have to get in these early events and play well if I am going to achieve that.  It motivates me.

TT:  Coming off a stellar amateur career, what have you noticed as major differences in your early professional career?

MU:  Well a big difference is JUST playing golf, and practicing more; being able to focus only on my golf without having to worry about school and midterms and all that stuff.  That has been really good, trying to get more focused on my game.  Another difference is that this is more like work.  Before there was just one tournament, one shot at winning, and that was fun, but I like this because I have another event next week or the week after.   Before it was just one shot at a big tournament, and if you didn't do well you may have to wait until next year, but now I have a lot of weeks to have the opportunity to go out and play well.

TT:  Are you prepared for the travelling?

MU:  Yes, I am used to it.  College wasn't that much different, we would be out for a week or two and then back for a week.  But I like it, it keeps it fun.  Plus I am back at home, so it makes it easier when I get to go back to Colombia on the off weeks. 

TT: Speaking of Colombia, the golf spotlight has shone there of late.  Camilo Villegas just won his third PGA Tour event, is he someone you admire?

MU:  Definitely.  Camilo is a huge thing in Colombia.  Not only is he a very good golfer, he is a good model to follow on how to be a good person.  I really like him and hopefully I can do as well as he does with everything.

TT:  Camilo was home a couple weeks ago to help kick off the inaugural Nationwide Tour event in Colombia.  Would you like to see an LPGA event in Colombia?

MU:  Yes!  For sure!  That was a big step for us, getting a three year commitment for a Nationwide Tour event.  Hopefully we can have a women's event as well.  Perhaps we will start with a Futures Tour event and then the LPGA will follow.  That would be a lot of fun...it would be even better if I am playing really good.

Titleist Brand Ambassador and LPGA rookie Mariajo Uribe works with her instructor early this week at La Costa. Click for more images.

The weather has been gorgeous for the practice days leading up to the inaugural Kia Classic presented by J Golf at La Costa Resort & Spa, and Team Titleist has been on site to check out the venue and catch up with the players.  Click on the image below to view some of the photos we shot earlier in the week. Be sure to check back later for more posts featuring LPGA Tour rookie and Titleist Brand Ambassador Mariajo Uribe and some special player visits to the Scotty Cameron Putter Studio and Titleist Test Facility.

If you can't make it out to Carlsbad to watch the event in person, our friends at the Golf Channel will be providing televised coverage for all four rounds:

Round 1 - Thursday, March 25 - 6:30p - 8:30p ET
Round 2 - Friday, March 26 - 6:30p - 8:30p ET
Round 3 - Saturday, March 27 - 6:30p - 9:30p ET
Round 4 - Sunday, March 28 - 7:00p - 9:30p ET

Welcome to the 2010 Kia Classic presented by J Golf. Click on the image for a slideshow.

Hello Everybody,

I just realized I haven't posted anything since Doral.  I've spent the last couple of days working hard with my trainer, David.  We've gone through a lot of work in the past several months getting ready for this part of the season and I'm feeling strong.  It's an interesting part of the year and it seems like no matter how much you plan it arrives before you know it.  I haven't had the best start for 2010 but I'm hitting the ball well and feeling confident with my swing so I think I'm only a round away from putting it all together.  I'm spending the rest of this week practicing and training in the West Palm Beach area and then will fly over to Houston early next week to get ready for the Shell Houston Open.

I wanted to remind everyone that our newly redesigned newsletter will be released on April 1st.  Be sure and sign up in the clubhouse section on my website if you haven't already to receive the bimonthly issues.

I couldn't end this blog without saying Congratulations to Ernie for his big win at Doral!  The following day I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Els for Autism Foundation Day and it was a remarkable day.  I know events like that aren't possible without all the volunteers and people that support the cause so just wanted to say thanks to everyone that was a part of the day.

I'll write more from Houston next week.
Until then, take care.

-Adam