Happy Halloween, Team Titleist! Hope you've had a great month as we transition into Winter golf.

On the worldwide professional tours, October was definitely more Treat than Trick for Titleist, as players trusting Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls took in a haul of 24 victories for the month. That raises the Titleist 2019 season total to 178 wins, more than five times the nearest competitor and more than all competing brands combined.

During this same time, the game's finest players relied on a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball 2,141 times (73% of all golf balls on the worldwide tours, combined) and more than six times the nearest competitor with 322. Scary!

Let's take a look back at some of the highlights from the 10th month on the calendar.

Justin Thomas Winner - CJ Cup @Nine Bridges: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, TS3 driver (9.5°), TS3 fairway metal (15°), 915Fd fairway metal (18°), T100 (4) and 620 MB (5-9) irons, Vokey Design Vokey Design SM7 pitching (46.10 F Grind), gap (52.12 F Grind), sand (56.14 F Grind) and SM6 lob (60.12 K Grind) wedges, Scotty Cameron X5 putter

PGA Tour

• Justin Thomas captured the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges for the second time in three years, securing a two-shot win over Danny Lee (Pro V1x). The win marked his 11th PGA Tour victory and the fourth straight season in which he's won at least one event on the PGA TOUR. And in every winning performance, Justin has relied on a Titleist golf ball and a complete bag of Titleist golf clubs.
• It was a 1-2-2, all-Titleist golf ball finish for recent Korn Ferry Tour graduates at the Houston Open, where Lanto Griffin (Pro V1, 917D2 (10.5°) driver, TS2 (16.5°) fairway metal, U510 utility iron (2), T100 (4-9) irons, Vokey Design SM7 pitching (46°), gap (50°), sand (54°) and lob (60°) wedges) secured his first career PGA TOUR title with an emotional one-shot win over fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Mark Hubbard (Pro V1, TS2/9.5 driver, 915Fd/15.0 fairway metal, 816H2/19.0 hybrid, 716 T-MB 4-iron, 716 MB/5-9 irons, Vokey Design SM6 pitching/46, gap/50, SM7 sand/56 and prototype lob/60 wedges) and Scott Harrington (Pro V1x).
• It was an all-Titleist Pro V1x playoff at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open where Kevin Na topped Patrick Cantlay with a par on the second extra hole. Both players made birdie on the 72nd hole to finish regulation at 23-under 261. The win was the fourth of Na’s PGA TOUR career and the third in his last 30 starts. Both players earned their first career victories – Cantlay in 2017 and Na in 2011 – at this event. Cantlay was runner-up last year, as well.
• With their three victories in October, Titleist golf ball players now have 5 victories total as the PGA TOUR begins the new 2019-2020 season, compared to just 1 win for the nearest competitor.

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Titleist Club Highlights

• In addition to topping the official golf ball counts at each PGA Tour event in October, Titleist was also the #1 choice among players at every event in the hybrids, utility irons, irons and wedges categories.
• The trend of player trust and validation in Titleist TS drivers also continued in October, as TS was the #1 choice in the driver category at every PGA TOUR event for the month, including the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (45), Safeway Open (44), Houston Open (42), CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges (22) and the ZOZO Championship (18).
• Four of the top five finishers –including the winner - at the Zozo Championship relied upon a Scotty Cameron putter for their success. The winner topped the field in Putts per Greens in Regulation (1.618).
• In the last week of the month, Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott switched from the Titleist TS3 (11.5*) driver in the B-1 SureFit setting to a new TS4 (10.5*) driver in a D4 SureFit setting at the Zozo Championship. According to Titleist Tour Representative J.J. VanWezenbeeck: “Adam liked the look and feel of the smaller TS4 head and felt like it had better ‘closure rates.’  The new TS4 also improved Adam’s launch to spin ratio.” Scott finished T7 in Driving Accuracy (65.38%/34 of 52) with the new TS4, including hitting 11 of 13 fairways each of the first two days. In addition, Scott tied for 3rd in Greens in Regulation at more than 76% (55 of 72) en route to a T-33 finish.
• Houston Open winner Lanto Griffin is one of four players gaming the T100 irons in a Black finish. He put them in play last July, the first event they became available on the Korn Ferry Tour. He is also playing a new U510 2-iron because, according to Titleist Tour representative J.J. VanWezenbeeck, Lanto is a lower launch player and both products help him attack holes.
• World Nos. 6 and 7, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay , respectively, put new Titleist irons into play at this month's Safeway Open. Thomas, who put a T100 4-iron into his bag the first week it was available at the U.S. Open, worked with the remainder of his iron set during his off-season and has replaced the 718 MB's that he played for the last two years with new 620 MB irons (5-9).
• Cantlay worked new Titleist T100 (4-P) irons into his bag during the off season. Not one to switch equipment often, in addition to the new irons, Cantlay also put a new TS3 driver (10.5°) as well as new SM7 54.10 S grind (@53°) and 56.08 M Grind (@57°) wedges to go along with his 62.08L (@61°) lob wedge.
• At the Shriner's Hospitals for Children Open, where he had a runner-up finish, Cantlay was the leader or among the leaders across every major statistical category . He topped the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (5.253); was 2nd in SG: Tee to Green (13.544); was T-2 in Greens in Regulation (87.50%, 50/63); was 3rd in SG: Around the Green (4.566); was 4th in Driving Distance (330.8 avg.); and T-11 in Driving Accuracy (76.79%, 43 of 56). He also led the field with a 345-yard drive on the 18th hole on Sunday, leading to his tournament-tying birdie.

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Bernd Wiesberger Winner - Italian Open: Titleist Pro V1 golf ball, TS3 driver (8.5°), TS3 fairway metal (13.5°), 818H2 hybrid (17°), U500 (3), 620 CB (4-6 ) and 620 MB (7-9) irons, Vokey Design Vokey Design SM7 pitching (46.10 F Grind), gap (53.12 F Grind)and lob (59.08 M Grind) wedges, Scotty Cameron T5W putter

European Tour

• The winner of the Portugal Masters, a full product line player from a competing golf brand, trusted a Pro V1x golf ball in his one-shot victory at Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course. This marked the second time in two weeks and the third time in two months that an ambassador for a competing golf company, non-contracted with Titleist, chose to play a Titleist golf ball and won. The winner, who entered the event ranked No. 150 in the Race to Dubai and was playing in the last event on the schedule to secure his 2020 European Tour card, switched to the Titleist Pro V1x at Alfred Dunhill Links Championships one month ago and his victory secured his 2020 playing rights.
• Heading into this year's French Open, the eventual winner had been fighting to keep his European Tour card, having fallen from No. 32 to No. 424 in the World Ranking. A full product player for a competing golf company, the 2012 Ryder Cup participant switched to the Pro V1x and won the title in just his sixth event since putting the Titleist ball in play. The victory marked his first trip to to the winners’ circle in seven years.
• Titleist Brand Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger (Pro V1) secured his second Rolex Series title and third European Tour title of the season with a one shot win at the Italian Open. Matthew Fitzpatrick (Pro V1x) birdied three of his final six holes to finish solo 2nd. Wiesberger, who captured the Made in Denmark in May and the Scottish Open in July, now leads the European Tour’s Race to Dubai with four events remaining.
• Victor Perez (Pro V1) claimed his maiden European Tour title, becoming the first rookie to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews Old Course. Perez finished with a 22-under 266 victory total, one clear of Titleist Brand Ambassador and playing partner Matthew Southgate (Pro V1, TS2 driver, 718 T-MB and 620 MB irons, Vokey Design SM7 gap, sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron TSB 1.5 putter).
• Through October, Titleist golf ball players have now collected 20 victories on the 2018-19 Euro Tour, more than twice the nearest competitor with 8.

 

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Danielle Kang Winner - Buick LPGA Shanghai: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball

LPGA Tour

• It was an all-Titleist playoff at the LPGA’s BMW Ladies Championship in Busan, South Korea, where Ha Na Jang (Pro V1) topped Danielle Kang (Pro V1x) with a birdie on the third extra hole.
• Danielle Kang celebrated her 27th birthday in style, successfully defending her title at the Buick LPGA Shanghai. Kang fended off the challenge of Jessica Korda (Pro V1), who she edged by a single shot. Kang finished with a winning score of 16-under 272, breaking the tournament record she set last year.
• Mi Jung Hur (Pro V1), who won the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open last month, earned her fourth career LPGA Tour title in wire-to-wire fashion at the Indy Women in Tech Championship. Hur closed with a 4-under-par 68 en route to a 21-under 267 victory total, finishing four shots clear of runner-up Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Pro V1x). Marina Alex (Pro V1) finished in 3rd place, two shots behind Madsen. In fact, 10 of the 11 players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist for their success.
• Cheyenne Knight (Pro V1) earned her first career title, capturing the Volunteers of America Classic an hour away from her childhood home just outside Dallas, Texas. Starting the final round one shot behind the overnight leader, Knight closed with a 6-under par 66 en route to an 18-under 266 victory total, two shots clear of Jaye Marie Green (Pro V1, Scotty Cameron Concept 2 NB putter) and Brittany Altomare (Pro V1). Knight joins Jeongeun Lee6 (Pro V1x) as the only rookies to win so far this season.
• Through October, Titleist golf ball players have now collected 23 victories on the LPGA Tour, compared to just 4 for the nearest competitor.

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Kirk Triplett Winner - Pure Insurance Championship: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow golf ball

Around the Globe

• Kirk Triplett (Pro V1 Yellow) captured the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach for the third time (2012, 2013), topping Billy Andrade (Pro V1) with an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden death playoff. It marked Triplett’s eighth career PGA TOUR Champions crown.
• Reigning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year SungJae Im (Pro V1x, TS3 driver (9.5°), TS3 fairway metal (15°), 818H1 hybrid (19.0°), T100 (3-PW) irons, Vokey Design SM7 gap (52.08 F Grind), sand (56.08 M Grind) and lob ([60.04 L Grind) wedges, Scotty Cameron T5W putter) captured the Genesis Championship by two shots to claim his first career KPGA Tour victory. Im fired a final round 5-under par 65 en route to a 6-under par 282 victory total.
• On the Australasia Tour, Campbell Rawson (Pro V1) won the Victorian PGA Championship, finishing one shot clear of Marcus Fraser (Pro V1x). Rawson had never finished among the top 10 in a PGA Tour of Australasia event until this week. The twisting road to his victory included pursuing his dream of being an Australian Rules Footballer and, following injury, a career in finance. “To be frank, I got sick of sitting behind the desk and felt I need to have a crack at golf," Rawson said after his breakthrough win. At the time I wasn’t world class, but knew I had a lot of ability.  I had the competitive advantage with the length I was able to hit it. Thankfully the guys at work supported me and gave me the opportunity to break out and shift my attention on golf.”
• Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Pro V1x) won Mercuries Taiwan Masters for his first title on the Asian Tour, at the same site where he first made his professional debut as a 17-year old in 2015. TNow 20, Yongcharoenchai started his final round one shot back of the overnight leaders but closed with a 2-under-par 70 to finish with a 10-under 278 victory total, one shot clear of three players. Ten of the 11 players who finished among the top 10 and ties played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball for their success at the event.
• Shugo Imahira (Pro V1x) shot an 11-under par 131 victory total to win Bridgestone Open, claiming the 3rd victory of his 5-year JGTO career. Imahira finished one shot clear of four players, all of whom played Titleist golf balls for their success:  Seung Su Han (Pro V1x), Akio Sadakata (Pro V1x), Hiroyuki Fujita (Pro V1 Yellow) and Tomoharu Otsuki (Pro V1). Following completion of the event, 10 players earned their way into the PGA TOUR’s ZOZO Championship last week, including Titleist golf ball players: Imahaira (Pro V1x), Seung Su Han (Pro V1x), Tomoharu Otsuki (Pro V1), Jazz Janewattananond (Pro V1), Yosuke Asaji (Pro V1), Sang Hyun Park (Pro V1), Chan Kim (Pro V1x) and Shaun Norris (Pro V1x).
• In South Africa, Thriston Lawrence (Pro V1x) fired a final round 7-under-par 65 en route to a 54-hole victory total of 15-under 201 at the Vodacom Origins Stellenbosch. It marked Lawrence’s first career Sunshine Tour title, finishing one shot clear of four players, including Riekus Nortje (Pro V1x), JJ Senekal (Pro V1x) and Titleist Brand Ambassador JP Strydom (Pro V1, TS3 driver, TS3 fairway metal, 718 T-MB/AP2/MB irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges, Scotty Cameron putter).
• At the PGA Tour China's season-ending Macau Championship, it was a Titleist 1-2-3 finish, where Titleist Brand Ambassador Justin Shin (Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, TS3 driver (10.5°), 718 T-MB (4) and 718 CB (5-PW) irons, Vokey Design Vokey Design SM7 gap (52.12 F Grind) and prototype lob (60.06 K Grind) wedges) fired four consecutive rounds in the 60’s en route to a 25-under 259 victory total. The win was the second for Shin on the PGA TOUR China series. He finished three shots clear of Zecheng Dou (Pro V1x), PGA TOUR China’s 2016 Order of Merit winner and current Korn Ferry Tour member. Titleist Brand Ambassador Richard Jung (Pro V1 ball, TS2 driver, 718 CB irons, Vokey Design SM7 pitching, gap, sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron T6 putter) finished solo 3rd, as nine (9) of the 11 players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.

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The October Titleist Winner's Circle

Congratulations to all our October winners and thank you for trusting your games to Titleist!

PGA TOUR - Kevin Na (Pro V1x) Winner - Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

LPGA Tour - Cheyenne Knight (Pro V1x) Winner - Volunteers of America Classic

Asian Tour - Suradit Yongcharoenchai (Pro V1x) Winner - Mercuries Taiwan Open

Japan Tour - Shaun Norris (Pro V1x) Winner - Tokai Classic

Sunshine Tour - Thirston Lawrence (Pro V1x) Winner - Vodacom Origins Stellenbosch

European Tour - Victor Perez (Pro V1) Winner - Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

LPGA Tour - Mi Jung Hur (Pro V1) Winner - Indy Women in Tech Championship

PGA TOUR Champions - Kirk Triplett (Pro V1x Yellow) Winner - Pure Insurance Championship

Asian/Japan Tours - Toshinori Muto (Pro V1x) Winner - Panasonic Open Golf Championship

Sunshine Tour - Merrick Bremner (Pro V1x) Winner - Vodacom Origins Humewood

PGA TOUR - Lanto Griffin (Pro V1) Winner - Houston Open

European Tour - Bernd Wiesberger (Pro V1) Winner - Italian Open

Korean Tour - SungJae Im (Pro V1x) Winner - Genesis Championship

Australasian Tour - Darren Beck (Pro V1) Winner - WA PGA Championship

PGA TOUR China - Justin Shin (Pro V1x) Winner - Macau Championship

Japan Tour - Shugo Imahira (Pro V1x) Winner - Bridgestone Open

Sunshine Tour - Jean Hugo (Pro V1x) Winner - Sun Wild Coast Sun Challenge

PGA TOUR Justin Thomas (Pro V1x) Winner - CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges

European Tour - Winner (Pro V1) - Open de France

LPGA Tour - Danielle Kang (Pro V1x) Winner - Buick LPGA Shanghai

Japan Tour - Chan Kim (Pro V1x) Winner - Japan Open

European Tour - Winner (Pro V1x) - Portugal Masters

LPGA Tour - Ha Na Jang (Pro V1) Winner - BMW Ladies Championship

Australasian Tour - Campbell Rawson (Pro V1) Winner - Victorian PGA Championship

#TeamTitleist