The Winning Setup: Ian Poulter at the 2018 Houston Open

By Rick V., Team Titleist Staff On 2 April 2018 Balls Clubs

Clutch putt. Playoff win. Ticket to Augusta.

That pretty much sums up the last twenty-four hours for Titleist Brand Ambassador Ian Poulter (Pro V1x), who captured the Houston Open in dramatic fashion and, in the process, earned the final spot in this week's field at The Masters.

Poulter converted a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to close with a 5-under-par 67, matching his fellow competitor's 19-under-par 269 total on the 72nd hole. In the playoff, Poulter made par on No. 18 to seal the win.

“I had to dig deep today," said Poulter, who carded a 73 in the opening round. "To come here this week, I was tired. I was frustrated on Thursday. But I was patient. I waited my time. And this is amazing."

The win marks the third of Poulter’s PGA TOUR career and his first victory since the HSBC Champions, a World Golf Championship event at Mission Hills in China in 2012. That was a month after Poulter led Europe to a comeback victory in the Ryder Cup by making five straight birdies to win a fourballs match and spark Europe in overcoming a four-point deficit.

Along with his Masters Invitation, Poulter has now cracked the top 30 in the world and should be eligible for the rest of this year’s majors.

Poulter proved his tee-to-green prowess all week long, trusting his Pro V1x and Titleist golf clubs to rank 3rd in Driving Accuracy (80.36%) and Strokes Gained: Approach to Green, and 4th in both Greens In Regulation (83.3%) and Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green.

Three shots behind Poulter was his fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador, Jordan Spieth (Pro V1x), who closed with a 66 to tie for 3rd, his best finish of the year.

Defending champion, Titleist Brand Ambassador Russell Henley (Pro V1x) posted the best round of the final day with a 7-under-par 65, racing 40 spots up the leaderboard to finish in a five-way tie for 8th at 13-under.

Congratulations, Ian!

• • •

Let's take a closer look at the Titleist equipment that Ian Poulter trusted in his victory at the Golf Club of Houston.

Scroll to take a look inside Ian's Titleist...
Scroll to take a look inside Ian's Titleist staff bag.1/15
Ian trusts a 917D2 driver. He ranked 3rd in...
Ian trusts a 917D2 driver. He ranked 3rd in Driving Accuracy a the Houston Open, hitting 80.36% of fairways at the Golf Club of Houston.2/15
Ian's 917D2 is set to the A2 setting on the...
Ian's 917D2 is set to the A2 setting on the SureFit hosel. This makes the lie 1.5° more upright, giving the driver more draw bias. 3/15
Ian also carries a 917F2 fairway metal.
Ian also carries a 917F2 fairway metal.4/15
Ian's 917F2 is set to D1 on the SureFit hosel...
Ian's 917F2 is set to D1 on the SureFit hosel setting, keeping the lie the same, but decreasing the loft by .75°. Ian likes the look of the 16.5° head, but benefits from the more penetrating flight that the D1 setting gives him.5/15
A club that Ian relied on heavily in Houston was...
A club that Ian relied on heavily in Houston was his 21° 816H2 hybrid.6/15
He keeps this versatile club on the standard...
He keeps this versatile club on the standard setting of A1.7/15
For his metals and hybrid, Ian favors these...
For his metals and hybrid, Ian favors these full-cord GP grips with the old-style reminder alignements.8/15
Filling the gap between his metals and irons, Ian...
Filling the gap between his metals and irons, Ian is gaming a 716 T-MB 4-iron.9/15
For irons, Ian transitioned quickly into 718 AP2s....
For irons, Ian transitioned quickly into 718 AP2s. He currently games 5-PW in the new model.10/15
On his irons and wedges, Ian uses these full cord...
On his irons and wedges, Ian uses these full cord GP velvet grips, also with yellow highlights.11/15
Speaking of his wedges, Ian is gaming three new...
Speaking of his wedges, Ian is gaming three new SM7s. This is his 52.12F gap wedge.12/15
Ian next moves up to a high-bounce 56.14F sand...
Ian next moves up to a high-bounce 56.14F sand wedge.13/15
On this view of his 56.14F, you can see the...
On this view of his 56.14F, you can see the leading edge relief that Vokey Tour Rep Aaron Dill customizes for Ian. This allows the leading edge to cut through the turf easier.14/15
To add some versatility in his wedges, Ian rounds...
To add some versatility in his wedges, Ian rounds out the setup with a low-bounce 60.04L, customized with a couple weight port drillings.15/15

Winning Setup:

Golf Ball: Pro V1x

Driver: 917D2 (8.5º) 

Fairways: 917F2 (16.5º)

Hybrid: 816 H2 (21º)

Irons: 716 T-MB (4), 718 AP2 (5-PW)

Wedges: Vokey Design SM7 gap (52.12 F-grind), sand (56.14 F-grind) and lob (60.04 L-grind)

• • •

At this week's Houston Open, Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice with 105 players trusting a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 14 and more than all competitors combined.*

Titleist was also the top choice in the irons (44) categories. Vokey Design Wedges topped the approach, sand and lob wedge (200) category and Scotty Cameron putters tied as this week's most trusted putters (58).*

#TeamTitleist

* Equipment counts provided by Darrell Survey