Another semester of PGA Tour Q-School school is in the books, the final six-day, 108-hole examination having concluded Monday at Orange County National in Orlando, Fla., in usual nail-biting fashion.

Twenty-one of the 28 players that earned 2011 PGA Tour cards trusted Titleist golf balls for their success, including 16 Titleist Brand Ambassadors and golf ball loyalists. Pro V1x loyalist Billy Mayfair earned medalist honors, with Titleist Brand Ambassadors Ben Martin (T-2), Cameron Tringale (4th) and Jarrod Lyle (5th) not far behind.

Of the 162 players at the final stage, 113 played a Titleist golf ball, more than six times the nearest competitor with 17. Titleist was also No. 1 in Iron Sets (59), Putters (64) and Sand, Lob and Approach Wedges (164).

Of course, some players earned their diplomas more dramatically than others.

“I’m proud of the way I competed on the last 10 holes today,” Stanley, who finished tied for ninth, told The News Tribune. “It’s nice when you know what you have to do, and go out under extreme pressure and do it.”

Titleist Brand Ambassador Scott Stallings missed out on his PGA Tour card last year by one stroke, barely missing an 8-footer for birdie on the final hole. This time around, Stallings birdied his final two holes to finish three shots clear of the cutline (T-11), dropping in an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 18 for good measure.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Jim Renner made par on the 18th to secure his card, but it probably felt more like an eagle.

After hitting his drive into the rough left of the fairway, with trees blocking his direct line to the flagstick, Renner hit a sweeping hook to 15 feet and two-putted for par to finish tied for 22nd.

Here's a closer look at the Titleist equipment used by the Titleist Brand Ambassadors and golf ball loyalists in earning their 2011 PGA Tour card (listed by finish at Q-School):

Titleist Brand Ambassador Rickie Fowler was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year over the weekend, capping a tremendous season for the 21-year-old that included a lot of time spent on leaderboards, airplanes, television screens and Twitter.

He also happened to sign a few autographs and provide one of the more dramatic Ryder Cup moments in recent memory.

Fowler, who celebrates his 22nd birthday Dec. 13, currently sits at No. 25 in the Official World Golf Ranking, after beginning the season at the Sony Open in Hawaii at No. 249.

"We're off to a good start," said Fowler, "and hopefully we can keep that going."


In 28 official starts this season, Fowler totaled seven top-10s, including runner-up finishes at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Memorial Tournament, and had the highest rookie finishes on both the PGA Tour money list (22nd) and the FedEx Cup standings (32nd).

To end the season, Fowler shot 69 or better in 15 of his last 20 rounds, which included a globetrotting three-week stretch at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia (T-5), WGC-HSBC Champions (T-25) in Shanghai and season-ending Children's Miracle Network Classic (T-3) in Orlando, Fla.

"It's been a lot of fun," Fowler said.

The most fun may have come in late September at the Ryder Cup, where Fowler suited up as a captain's pick for U.S. skipper Corey Pavin and delivered when it mattered most.

On a pressure-packed Monday morning in waterlogged Wales, Fowler birdied four of his last six holes to come back from 4 down and halve his singles match with Eduardo Molinari – sinking a tricky, downhill 15-footer for birdie on the 18th hole when it seemed the entire world was watching.

"Shot of the year would have been the putt on 18 at the Ryder Cup," Rickie told Team Titleist via text message Monday.

"Putt on 17 (12-footer for birdie) is in there also."

Similarly impressive was Fowler's turnaround at his first Open Championship this summer on the Old Course at St. Andrews, where he followed an opening-round 79 with rounds of 67-71-67 to finish tied for 14th at 4-under 284. Fowler's bogey-free final round included a 43-yard birdie putt from off the green at the famous par-4 17th Road Hole that drew enormous cheers from the St. Andrews gallery, and a string of replays on golf broadcasts around the world.

"Yeah, that (shot) too," Rickie said.

To be sure, there were many great ones – though that amount does not approach the number of autographs Fowler signed throughout his rookie season, spending hours and hours among his fans with a Sharpie (usually orange, like his Oklahoma State-inspired Sunday wardrobe) in hand, another lasting image from Fowler's 2010.

"I have no clue (how many I signed)," said Fowler, who also keeps up with his fans with a very active Twitter account. "At least a few thousand."

And certainly more than last year.


Here's a closer look at Fowler's Titleist equipment:

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: 909D2 7.5 (Mitsubishi Diamana White 73)
Fairway: 910F 13.5 C•1 SFT setting (Mitsubishi Diamana 'ahina 80)
Irons (4-9): MB (True Temper Dynamic Gold)
Wedges (47, 53, 59): Vokey Design Spin Milled (True Temper Dynamic Gold)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Circa 62 No.3 GSS

Team Titleist awoke bright and early last Tuesday, ready to spend the day with many of the LPGA's biggest stars at our Titleist TV shoot at Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., also the site of last week's LPGA Tour Championship.

Pro V1x loyalist Yani Tseng brought that three-time major championship smile of hers when she arrived to the set just after 7 o'clock, setting the tone for what turned out to be a fantastic day. She met with wardrobe, took a seat in the makeup chair, then headed out to the course (and the set).

After filming her action sequences, Yani returned to production headquarters to shoot a couple interviews. She signed a couple Titleist hats for Team Titleist contests, then headed to the range to put in some work for the big weekend ahead. (On Sunday, Yani clinched the LPGA's 2010 Player of the Year award.)

Several more of the top-ranked players in the world followed a similar schedule throughout the day, including: Pro V1 loyalists Cristie Kerr, Jiyai Shin and Angela Stanford; and Pro V1x loyalists Katherine Hull, Brittany Lincicome and Na Yeon Choi (pictured, above), who finished tied for third last week to secure the LPGA money title ($1,871,166) and Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average (69.87).

During one of her takes, Shin, who finished the year at No. 1 in the Rolex World Rankings, hit a pitch shot that checked up slightly, and fell into the cup. (Such shots actually don't often make it to the big screen, because viewers tend to assume they were staged.)

Said one player while sitting in front of the camera – and under the big, bright lights: "I'm more nervous now than when I'm standing over a 4-foot putt."

For more behind-the-scenes photos from the day, check out the slideshow below.