Pro V1x loyalist Mark Wilson's bogey-free, 36-hole Sunday at the Sony Open culminated in his third PGA Tour title and the second consecutive victory for Titleist golf ball players to start the 2011 PGA Tour season.

When all was said and done, Wilson played his final 40 holes at Waialae Country Club without making a bogey, showcasing the hard work he has put in following a trip to the Titleist Performance Insititute during the offseason.

He closed with rounds of 65-67 for a 16-under 264 total and two-shot victory to lead a 1-2-3-4 finish for Titleist golf ball players. Last week, Pro V1 loyalist Jonathan Byrd won the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions, outlasting Pro V1 loyalist Robert Garrigus in a playoff.

"That's one of those neat stats to have. I don't have too many bogey-free rounds in my career, so it's pretty cool to have two in the same day," said Wilson, also a winner at the 2009 Mayakoba Classic and 2007 Honda Classic.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Tim Clark trusted a new Titleist Pro V1 prototype golf ball in posting a final-round 64, tying for second at 14-under 266 with Pro V1x loyalist Steve Marino, who played a new Pro V1x prototype golf ball. Titleist Brand Ambassador Jimmy Walker also played the new Pro V1 prototype golf ball and finished fourth at 13-under 267.

In total, 91 players in the Sony Open field trusted Titleist golf balls, more than six times the nearest competitor with 14 and more than all other competitors combined.

Titleist also was first in Iron Sets (41);  Sand, Lob and Approach Wedges (129); and Putters (53).

Wilson began and ended the day nice and steady, despite the 36-hole rush created by Thursday's washout of play. In between rounds Sunday, Wilson had just six minutes to spare, so he ran to his locker for a chicken sandwich and a new box of Pro V1x golf balls.

"I made it with two minutes to spare," Wilson said.

In the end, it was Wilson's short game that took center stage. He made a 12-footer for par on the par-3 17th and got up-and-down for birdie from 30 yards on the par-5 18th to secure the victory – and his first trip to the Masters.

"Those guys out of (the Titleist Performance Institute) in Carlsbad really helped me out last November. I owe a lot to those guys. They really helped me," Wilson said in his post-victory press conference.

"I always thought I was a great practicer, but they gave me some neat ideas, a short game thing, and I've really just been focusing on my wedges this year 100 yards and in … I've been practicing a lot, the 50-, 60-, 40-yard kind of pitches and getting them up-and-down. It helped me in Disney (6th place) last year, but yeah, short game was good this week around the greens, too."

Wilson finished fourth for the week in scrambling (78 percent) and tied for sixth in putts per round (27.5).

"That was one of the things TPI helped me out with a lot, reading greens," Wilson said.

AUSTRALASIAN TOUR:  It was a 1-2-3 finish for New Pro V1x prototype golf ball players at the Cellarbrations Victorian PGA Championship, as Pro V1x loyalist James Nitties closed with a 3-under 68 to edge Titleist Brand Ambassador Peter O’Malley by one shot.

With the win, Nitties became the sixth player across the worldwide professional tours to find the winner's circle playing either the new Pro V1 or Pro V1x prototype golf ball. Of the 11 players who finished in the top 10, 10 trusted a Titleist golf ball for their success.

"This is a great win and a great field – it’s the best Vic PGA field I’ve ever played in," said Nitties, who posted rounds of 63-66-69 for an 18-under 198 total, pulling ahead with a birdie on the par-4 17th at the Sandhurst Club.

“It’s good to come home and play well. I mean to do well in any event is good, but at home its even better,” he said.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Andrew Buckle claimed solo third, four shots back of Nitties.



EUROPEAN TOUR: Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Joburg Open with 153 players, more than six times the nearest competitor with 23. 


Titleist also was first in Iron Sets (60) and Sand, Lob and Approach Wedges (238).


Titleist Brand Ambassador Brendan Steele will be making his debut as a full-time PGA Tour member this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii, as long as the sun comes out sooner than later in Honolulu.

"Rain in Hawaii. Going to have to wait at least one more day for the PGA Tour Debut," Steele Tweeted Thursday from Waialae Country Club, where the first round was officially postponed around 1 p.m. local time.

He also sent a Tweet to fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Troy Merritt: "@TROYMERRITT_PGA What are you planning on doing today?"

Fortunately for Steele, the Los Angeles Kings (his favorite sports team) face off tonight against the St. Louis Blues. That should help kill a few hours at least.

"I'm a big hockey fan, which is a little strange for a California guy," Steele, 27, says in a recent Titleist Tour Report (which you can watch below).

Steele, who lives in Idyllwild, Calif., and graduated from the University of California-Riverside in 2005, played last season on the Nationwide Tour, where he finished sixth on the money list to earn his 2011 PGA Tour card. He is one of 22 PGA Tour rookies that will trust Titleist golf balls for their success in 2011.

Steele closed the 2010 season especially strong, making his last six cuts and winning the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship in a playoff.

Amid that final seven-week stretch, he also finished fourth at the Chattanooga Classic, tied for ninth at the Albertsons Boise Open, and skipped the second-to-last Nationwide event of the year to officiate a best friend's wedding in San Diego.

“They asked me at a Halloween party last year and I thought they were kidding. Turns out they were serious,” Steele told Golfweek.com in October.  “… and I just wanted to play my heart out for those seven (consecutive) events so I could take that one off.”

How about some more fun facts?

Steele's uncle, Anthony Geary, plays Luke on "General Hospital." He grew up in a small California town (Hemet, Calif.) that didn't have a golf course or a driving range and didn't start playing golf until he was 13. And his dream foursome includes Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and his brother, Sean, who first taught him how to play.

Check out the Titleist Tour Report below to learn a little more about Brendan. You can follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_Steele.

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a good holiday season. Here we are, second week into 2011, not the way I wanted to start the year in Maui but I'm working hard and there are definite signs of some good things to come. I had a frustrating day with my putter for the first round on Thursday but stayed positive and turned it around on Friday and had a solid third round until my double on 18. Sunday was just ordinary and couldn't really get anything going so that being said my final result showed it. Time to shake it off and I'll head over to Honolulu this afternoon and get some practice in before the Sony Open starts on Thursday.

I really enjoy starting the year in Hawaii – Kapalua is a great destination and the tournament organizers and sponsors are first-class. I want wish Gary Planos well in his next endeavor. Gary has been the tournament chairman over the past 27 years and he will definitely be missed. Gary, thanks for all that you have done for the game!

I'm sure you all are aware of the devastating floods in Australia. The Queensland flood is the latest extreme weather event to devastate large areas of the country. There are areas of Australia that are still trying to rebuild from last year's devastating bushfires. The flooding has definitely caught Australia off guard. If you're able to help in any way please go to www.qld.gov.au/floods/ for more information and ways to donate. 

Well, I need to wrap this up and start packing. I'm off to the airport shortly. I'll catch you from Honolulu.

- Adam

• • •

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

Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: 910D3 10.5, A•1 SFT Setting (Proforce V2 86)
Fairway wood: 910Fd 15.0, C•2 SFT Setting (Rombax Pro95)
Hybrid: 909H 21.0 (Proforce V2 Hybrid 104)
Irons (3-9): Titleist MB (KBS Tour)
Wedges (49, 54, 60): Vokey Design Spin Milled C-C 200 Series (KBS Tour)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2

Jonathan Byrd used a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball in winning the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and opening this new year like never before.

Byrd's playoff victory Sunday in Hawaii was the fifth and most significant win of his PGA Tour career, qualifying him this season for the Masters, U.S. Open and at least one World Golf Championship, not to mention a trip back to Kapalua's Plantation Course next January to defend his title.

"I'm pretty overwhelmed, probably, is the best word to describe it," said Byrd, who made par on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to outlast Pro V1 loyalist Robert Garrigus. Both players closed in 6-under 67 to finish at 24-under 268.

Byrd and Garrigus were two of 18 players in the winners-only field that trusted Titleist golf balls, three times the nearest competitor with six and more than all other competitors combined. Titleist was also first in Iron Sets (10); Sand, Lob and Approach Wedges (25) and Putters (T-10).

Last October, Byrd qualified for the Tournament of Champions quite famously with a hole-in-one to win a three-way playoff at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open. Never before had someone closed out a PGA Tour event with an ace, nevermind one in Las Vegas. (Garrigus also earned a late invitation to Kapalua, winning the season-ending Children's Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney World in November.)

As it turns out, Byrd's hand was just heating up.

"I can't sit here and not think about where I was toward the end of the season last year fighting for my card, and was content with that, you know, and just kind of fighting to play well and finding joy in that process, too," Byrd said.

"Then I win my last tournament of the year, and win it in that fashion, and then get to come to Maui to play in this event, and then feel good coming into here, and work hard in the off-season and get back in contention and find myself in another playoff and win another tournament. I'm just thankful, I'm overwhelmed, I'm grateful – all of that above."

Garrigus' Hawaiian invitational a

Byrd's victory was one of three on the weekend for Titleist Brand Ambassadors and golf ball loyalists. So far this season, 465 players have trusted Titleist golf balls across the worldwide professional tours, almost six times the nearest competitor with 78 and more than all competitors combined.

EUROPEAN TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist Louis Oosthuizen birdied the first hole of a three-way all-Titleist Pro V1x playoff to win the Africa Open in his native South Africa.

Oosthuizen hit his approach on the playoff hole to 8 feet then rolled in his Pro V1x golf ball for birdie and his first victory since last summer's Open Championship at St. Andrews.

"It's been one of those weeks where the putter was very cold, but my caddie kept me calm and said it would go in eventually," said Oosthuizen.

"So I kept on trying and made that nice one on the last which I will remember."

Oosthuizen also made a 12-footer for birdie on the 18th hole at East London Golf Club to force the playoff with fellow Pro V1x loyalists Chris Wood and Manuel Quiros.

Titleist was the overwhelming top choice in golf balls at the Africa Open with 117 players, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 14.

Of the 13 players who finished among the top 10 and ties, nine relied upon Titleist golf balls, including four of whom played New Pro V1 or Pro V1x prototypes. 


AUSTRALASIAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Paul Sheehan captured the first event on the 2011 Australasian Tour schedule, posting an 8-under 276 total to claim the Victorian Open. Sheehan finished two shots better than fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Matthew Griffin.


“My putting and my chipping today was just unbelievable," said Sheehan. "Every hole I had to work for my pars and it was a real challenge.”

Sheehan and Griffin were two of 116 players in the field that trusted Titleist golf balls, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 16. Of the 12 players who finished among the Top 10 and ties, 10 trusted a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x for their success.

More than half of the players competing this week in the PGA Tour's season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions are trusting Titleist golf balls, including Titleist Brand Ambassadors Steve Stricker, Adam Scott, Ben Crane, Bill Haas, Zach Johnson, Jason Bohn and Tim Clark.

In total, Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls are being played by 18 of the 33 2010 PGA Tour winners gathered at Kapalua's Plantation Course, three times the nearest competitor. Titleist was also first in Iron Sets (10), Sand, Lob & Approach Wedges (25) and Putters (T-10).

At the end of the 2010 season, 19,904 players across the worldwide professional tours trusted Titleist golf balls, nearly six times the nearest competitor with 3,446 and more than all other competitors combined.

This week, Clark, Crane and Bohn are teeing up new Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x prototype golf balls, as well as Pro V1x loyalists Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson – who, according to PGATour.com, hit the "Shot heard 'round Kapalua" Thursday on the 663-yard 18th hole.

Faced with a 305-yard second shot from the middle of the fairway, Watson decided to hit driver off the deck, shaping his shot about 50 yards from right to left. His new Pro V1x prototype golf ball landed about 10 yards in front of the green, bounced forward and rolled to 11 feet from the hole. He made the putt to finish his round at 3-under 70.

On Twitter, fellow Pro V1x loyalist Ian Poulter called it the "shot of the year already." Regardless, it was a great start.

Here's your opportunity to start the 2011 golf season on the right foot with a tour-level, precision fit from the Titleist FittingWorks Tour Van experts.

The FittingWorks Tour Van will be making a few stops this month at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., and a limited number of appointments are still available.

Our mobile fitting vans combine comprehensive high level fittings with on-site club building to provide a tour-level fitting experience. Our expert fitters are equipped with a launch monitor and expansive range of fitting clubs. Tour Van technicians provide assembly, personalization and repair services.

This is a truly unique experience that will help take your game to the next level.

Here are the details:

Available Days: Jan. 12, 13, 15, 22 and 23.

Location: Ritz Carlton Golf Club Orlando, Grande Lakes (4040 Central Florida Pkwy., Orlando, FL 32837)

Option 1 (Full-Line Fitting): During this 2-hour session, one of our FittingWorks Tour Van professionals will work with you to optimize your driving performance, make your iron play more precise, enhance your wedge scoring shots and fine-tune your Titleist set composition.

Price: $300.

Option 2 (Driver, Long Game, Iron or Wedge Fitting): If you are looking to get dialed-in for a particular part of your game, we can customize a 1-hour session to focus on getting a precision fit for your driver, long game, irons or wedges. Using our SureFit System of interchangeable heads and shafts, our fitting experts will get you on the right path to help you get more out of your equipment and lower your scores.

Price: $150.

Please note: These appointments will book fast and are being offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.

To reserve your spot, call 1-888-TITLEIST or e-mail clubfitting@titleist.com.

For more information, please visit: http://www.titleist.com/golf-club-fitting/ or you can download a brochure by clicking here.