Will Zalatoris Secures His First PGA TOUR Victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Leads Titleist to 6-Win-Week

By Zack R., Team Titleist Staff On 15 August 2022 Balls Tour Clubs

PGA TOUR | FedEx St. Jude Championship

Titleist Brand Ambassador Will Zalatoris vaulted to the top of the FedExCup Playoffs standings and into the Top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking (No. 9), claiming his first PGA TOUR title on the third hole of a playoff Sunday in Memphis.

  • Zalatoris – gaming a Pro V1 golf ball and all-Titleist setup, including a NEW TSR driver and fairway, T200 and T100 irons, Vokey Design SM9 wedges and Scotty Cameron Phantom X putter – played his final 54 holes of the week in 16 under, posting a final-round 4-under 66 Sunday to force the extra session.
  • Over the four days at TPC Southwind, Zalatoris, 25, topped the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (+8.37) and SG: Approach (+7.73).

What's In Will Zalatoris' Titleist Golf Bag?

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: NEW TSR3 8.0° | Fujikura Speeder 661 TR X
Fairway Metal: NEW TSR2+ 13° | Fujikura Ventus 8 Blue X
Utility Iron: T200 3 | Nippon NS Pro Modus 3 
Irons: T100 4-PW | Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue
Wedges: NEW Vokey Design SM9 50.08F, 54.10F (at 55), WedgeWorks 60T | Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 11 (Long) tour prototype

ZALATORIS ON HIS PRO V1; SIX STRAIGHT WINS FOR TITLEIST GOLF BALL PLAYERS

  • Zalatoris' breakthrough victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship marked the sixth straight victory for Titleist golf ball players on the PGA TOUR and Win No. 30 for Pro V1 and Pro V1x players overall this season.
  • “When you play the best golf ball you’re able to do what you want,” Zalatoris said. “And so off the tee it matches up with my high speed, playing the V as opposed to the X. X spins just a little too much for me, but the V just fits me perfectly. With the irons, I know how it’s going to come out of the rough, if it’s going to come out a little hot, a little spiny, same thing. Super most important part for me is with the wedges because being as high spin and as much speed as I have, I know exactly what shot I’m going to hit, when it’s going to do a little drop and stop, and when it’s going to spin back.”

ZALATORIS WINS WITH NEW TSR DRIVER; 4TH WIN IN 8 WEEKS FOR NEW TITLEIST MODEL

  • Zalatoris' victory Sunday using his NEW TSR driver marked victory No. 4 for the new Titleist driver models in just eight weeks since making their PGA TOUR debut at the Travelers Championship.
  • Zalatoris joins last week’s Wyndham Championship winner Joohyung "Tom" Kim (TSR3 9.0°), as well as Cameron Smith (TSR3 10.0°/Open Championship) and J.T. Poston (TSR3 9.0°/John Deere Classic) in the TSR winner’s circle.
  • In total, Titleist drivers have been used to win 15 events this season on the PGA TOUR, more than any other competitor.
  • This week in Memphis, Zalatoris gained nearly two strokes on the field (+1.815) with his NEW TSR3 8.0° driver while averaging 321.2 yards off the tee.
  • Said Zalatoris: “I literally took my old shaft and plugged it into the new TSR and I immediately saw results. The mishits for me were exponentially better. I mean, I was already seeing mishits go about seven, eight yards farther. I have a lot of distance but bringing it in left-to-right was something that was huge for me.”
  • “I mean, it was a no brainer. It was pretty similar to my TSi and it was better, which I didn't think we could do… With being one of the longer guys on tour, the better I can do in terms of bringing it in from side-to-side and make my dispersion be that much tighter is exactly what I’m looking for. And so being able to hit shots that before might have maybe been in the left rough or the right rough, now all of a sudden I’m seeing a few more go on the fairway, which is just a couple more birdie chances a round.”

JUSTIN THOMAS MAKES SWITCH TO NEW TSR DRIVER

  • Titleist Brand Ambassador Justin Thomas became the latest player to make the switch to a NEW TSR driver, putting his NEW TSR3 10.0° model in play for the first time Thursday at TPC Southwind.
  • Over the first 36 holes, Thomas led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, gaining nearly three strokes (+2.999) on the field when all was said and done Sunday.
  • He finished the week third overall in SG: Tee to Green (+8.295). 
  • “It’s obviously an interesting time of year to make a driver change, heading into the playoffs, but after some really great testing early on with TSR3, JT was able to spend some more time with it after the Open Championship,” said J.J. Van Wezenbeeck, Titleist’s Director of Player Promotions.
  • “The top priority for JT with driver is performance on all of the variety of shots he likes to hit, from the low, piercing cut to the high draw and everything in between. He’s also looking for that classic shaping, a very clean look, and a driver that sounds great. TSR checked all of those boxes for him. 
  • “He clearly had great results with TSi, he won a major with it this year, but with TSR he’s seen an uptick in ball speed with just incredible consistency off the face. He keeps mentioning how consistent his speed, launch and spin numbers are on off-center hits. For a tour player who’s trying to hit a variety of shots on these very difficult golf courses, it’s that consistency that really allows him to perform at his best.”
  • Said Thomas, to PGATOUR.com, after Round 1: “The biggest difference is the spin. When I heel it, it doesn’t spin crazy high and when I toe it, it’s somehow spinning a little more. It’s unbelievable in terms of misses.” 

Thomas’ Driver: NEW TSR3 10.0° | Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX | D•1 SureFit hosel setting 

ZALATORIS WINS WITH NEW TSR2+ FAIRWAY METAL

  • In addition to his NEW TSR3 driver, Zalatoris also had a NEW TSR2+ 13.0° fairway metal in the bag.
  • “This is an absolute rocket,” Zalatoris said. “I love this thing. We tried it at the Scottish Open this year and it’s the best 3-wood I’ve ever had. It’s pretty cool to be able to have something besides driver that I can hit off the tee and basically hit it as far as I want. And then if I need to hit high and soft into greens, I can do that as well.”

11 STRAIGHT WINS FOR VOKEY WEDGE PLAYERS ON PGA TOUR

  • Zalatoris became the 11th-consecutive winner on the PGA TOUR to have at least one Vokey in the bag, gaming three NEW SM9's in Memphis.
  • Zalatoris bested the field in average proximity from 50-125 yards (9'4" on nine attempts) while finishing eighth in Scrambling at 76.19 percent.
  • Overall, Vokey wedge players have combined for 31 wins on the 2021-22 PGA TOUR, compared to eight for the nearest competitor.
  • Zalatoris plays SM9 50.08F, 54.10S (@55), WedgeWorks 60T models.
  • Said Zalatoris: “With SM9, it’s basically exactly what I wanted to see out of my wedges. They come out a little bit lower with a little more spin. The flight came down probably like five or six feet, but it added a bunch of spin so it worked out perfect. Especially getting back into the wind, I can flight something a little bit lower and it’ll grab just exactly how I want it to.”
  • “I play a 50-55-60 setup. I’ve got a 50.08, really good for me because it just fits a gapping between my pitching wedge and the 54. The 54, I’ve got the 10-degree S grind. And then with the 60, I’ve got the T grind, which is awesome, because it’s very versatile. It lays super close to the ground, I’m able to lay it open, I’m able to trap it, hit a low, put a bunch of spin on it. And so it’s really versatile for me.” 

ZALATORIS ON HIS T100 IRONS, T200 UTILITY

  • Zalatoris, who bested the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+7.73) at TPC Southwind, carries a set of T100 irons in addition to a T200 (Utility Build) 3-iron.
  • Zalatoris on his T100s: “Love these irons. I’m a high spin guy and the cavity back helps me bring the ball down, and my distance control is just so consistent, which is the most important thing when it comes to an iron. The feel is amazing. I also love that they have a kink less offset, and that is massive for me, because specifically out of the rough, it got rid of flyers.”
  • Zalatoris on his T200: “It’s just so versatile. If we’re playing somewhere fast and firm and I’ve got to keep something under the wind, I’m able to bring it down low. And if I’m hitting something into a par-5, I’m able to throw it up high and be able to stop it on a green. And that’s exactly what I’m looking for. I’ve always liked playing more of an iron look as opposed to being a hybrid guy and to have something that versatile for me is huge. And it’s the most versatile hybrid iron I’ve ever played.”

ZALATORIS WINS WITH PHANTOM X; 20 WINS FOR SCOTTY CAMERON PLAYERS THIS SEASON

  • Zalatoris' victory Sunday with his Scotty Cameron Phantom X 11 tour prototype made it 20 wins for Scotty Cameron players this season on the PGA TOUR, more than any other competitor.
  • It was just one year earlier at TPC Southwind – at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational – that Zalatoris put a new Phantom X 11 in play for the first time.
  • On Sunday, Zalatoris rolled in a clutch 10-footer for par on 18 to make the playoff, then dropped another 10-footer for par on the second playoff hole to extend the match.
  • His 7-footer on the third playoff hole sealed the victory.
  • For the week, Zalatoris led the field in approach putt performance (also known as lag putting).
  • “Immediately when I was hitting putts [with it for the first time], I knew exactly where the putt was going to go. Right off the face, I can feel the putt distance-wise and that’s super important,” Zalatoris said.
  • “When it comes to testing for me, it’s all feel. It was a putter that the second I put it down, I felt like I could see the line super well. I put a line on my ball and seeing that ball roll end over end, it’s a pretty good feeling when you strike a putt and it goes in dead center.”
  • “Players just love the way the 11 sits on the ground,” said Scotty Cameron Rep Drew Page. “When you put it down, it doesn’t open, it doesn’t close, it just sets up so easily.”

LPGA/LET | ISPS Handa World Championship

Maja Stark won the ISPS Handa World Championship (women’s division), making 10 final-round birdies with her Pro V1 golf ball, posting a 10-under 63 to win by five shots.

  • Stark hit 10 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens on Sunday, led a 1-through-10 sweep for Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players at the top of the leader board.

DP WORLD TOUR | ISPS Handa World Championship

Playing a Pro V1 golf ball, the winner of the ISPS Handa World Championship (men’s division) shot a final round 1-under 69 to finish at 12 under for the week and secure his second DP World Tour victory of the year, while leading a 1-2-3 finish for Titleist golf ball players.

KORN FERRY TOUR | Pinnacle Bank Championship

Robby Shelton (Pro V1 Left Dot) carded a final round 6-under 65 to win the Korn Ferry Tour’s regular season finale by one shot over Titleist Brand Ambassador Ben Taylor.

  • Kevin Dougherty (Pro V1 Left Dot) finished another shot back, making it a 1-2-3 finish for Titleist golf ball players in Omaha.

TITLEIST LEADS THE WAY AMONG KORN FERRY TOUR GRADUATES

KOREAN TOUR | The 4TH Woosung Construction Open

Titleist Brand Ambassador YongGu Shin birdied the second hole of a playoff to outlast KyungNam Kang (Pro V1) and earn his first KPGA Tour title.

  • Shin and Kang, who finished the week at 13 under, topped a leader board that featured Titleist golf ball players in the top-6 positions. 
  • Shin’s victory with his TSR3 10.0° driver also marks the first win for NEW TSR drivers on the KPGA Tour.

What’s in YongGu Shin’s Titleist Golf Bag?

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: NEW TSR3 10.0
Fairway Metal: NEW TSR2 15.0°
Utility Irons: U505 (2) and U500 (4)
Irons: T100 irons (5-PW)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM9 (52.12 F, 56.10 S, 60.08 M)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Special Select Flowback

SUNSHINE TOUR | Bain’s Whisky Ubunye Championship

The team of Titleist Brand Ambassador Martin Rohwer and Merrick Bremner (Pro V1) combined for eight birdies and an eagle in Saturday’s final round, posting 10-under 62 en route to a six-shot victory.

  • The duo finished at 28 under, six clear of runners-up Erhard Lambrechts (Pro V1x) and Combrinck Smit (Pro V1), whose final-round 61 was the lowest of the day.
  • Five of the six players making up the top-3 teams played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball. 

What’s in Martin Rohwer’s Titleist Golf Bag?

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: TSi2 10.0°
Fairway Metal: TSi2 15.0° and TSi3 19.0°
Irons: 620 CB (4-6) & 620 MB 7-PW
Wedges: Vokey Design SM9 52°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron Golo S5 tour prototype 

AMATEUR | U.S. Women’s Amateur

Titleist was the overwhelming #1 golf ball and top choice of players in drivers (T1), hybrids, utility irons, irons, wedges and putters at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship:

  • A total of 130 players (83%) are teeing up a Titleist Pro V1, Pro V1x, or AVX golf ball, 10 times the nearest competitor (13). Two of the co-medalists, and 27 of the 32 quarterfinalists, play a Titleist golf ball.
  • No brand has more drivers in play this week than Titleist with 42 players (T1) gaming either a NEW TSR, TSi or TS model this week at Chambers Bay. TSi3 is the most played model (24). 
  • Titleist is the most played hybrid (47/25%) and utility iron (16/62%), with more T200 utility irons (13) in play than all other brands combined.
  • Players are gaming a total of 219 Vokey Design gap, sand, and lob wedges, more than two times the nearest competitor (83). 
  • On the greens, more players are using Scotty Cameron putters (56) than any other brand, with Newport 2 and Phantom X putters as the top models. 

Titleist also swept all major equipment categories this year on the Elite Amateur Series as well as the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship, European Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur.

...

#TeamTitleist