The PGA Tour's 2018 Major Season reaches its final act this week at Bellerive Country Club as the strongest major field of the year gets geared up for the 100th edition of the PGA Championship.
In addition to the elite international tour pros in the field, the PGA Championship will also honor a long-standing tradition by extending invitations to twenty of the best players from its own ranks of teaching and club professionals.
The road to earning these 20 special invitations ran through the Monterrey Peninsula this year, as 312 qualifiers from among the association's more than 27,000 member professionals competed in their annual major - the PGA Professional Championship.
And when the final putts fell at the Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Courses, a total of eight Titleist Staff Professionals and golf ball loyalists earned spots in the 2018 PGA Championship.
Check out the gallery below to get to know these club professionals a little better, and please join us in thanking all PGA Professionals for making the game more enjoyable for us all.
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David Muttitt has been a Titleist Staff Member since 2010. He’s a PGA Professional at Los Altos Municipal GC in Albuquerque, NM. David, who was born in Rugby, England, is making his fourth appearance in the PGA Championship. He tied for 4th at this year’s PGA Professional Championship.1/10
Jason Schmuhl is making his second appearance in the PGA Championship after tying David Muttitt for 4th place (1-under-par 287) at this year’s PGA Professional Championship. Jason is the Head Golf Professional at Windsor Golf Club in Windsor, CA and he’s been a Titleist Leadership Advisory Staff Member since 2011. Jason is a 5-time Northern California PGA Section Champion and has been honored as the NCGPA Section Player of the Year three times.2/10
Matt Dobyns is a PGA Golf Professional at Hawk Pointe Golf Club in Washington, NJ. He has been a member of the Titleist Leadership Advisory Staff since 2008. Matt finished T-16 at the 2017 PGA Professional Championship, a tournament he won in both 2012 and 2015. He’s a two-time champion of the Long Island Open and has multiple top-5 finished in the New York State Open. He’s played in 13 PGA Tour events and is making his fifth appearance in the PGA Championship.3/10
Titleist Golf Ball and Golf Glove Staff Member Marty Jertson is a PGA Golf Professional who works as a Senior Design Engineer with png Golf. A Pro V1 loyalist, Marty competed in the 2015 and 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He’s making his third appearance in the PGA Championship.4/10
Ben Kern has been a Titleist Staff Member since 2016. He’s a PGA Professional at Diamondback Golf Club in Abilene, TX. Ben is making his first appearance in the PGA Championship after tying for 9th place at the PGA Professional Championship with a score of 1-over-par 289. A graduate of Kansas State University, Ben was the 2017 Northern Texas PGA Section Champion.5/10
Titleist Golf Ball and Golf Glove Staff Member Craig Hocknull is a PGA Golf Professional who works as a Saber Sports Trainer in Gilbert, AZ. A Pro V1 loyalist, Craig won the 2016 Canadian Club Professional Championship as well as the 2017 Southwest PGA Professional Championship. He was also named the 2014 Southwest PGA Teacher of the Year. A 2012, 2013 Web.com Tour member, Craig is making his first appearance in the PGA Championship.6/10
Danny Balin, a PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Westchester Country Club in Harrison, NY, has been a Titleist Advisory Staff Member since 2005. The 3-time Met Section Player of the Year has many victories to his credit, including the NY State Open and Met Open. Danny also played on the Mackenzie Tour Canada and the PGA LatinoAmerica Tour, where he won the 2015 Guatemala Stella Artois Open. He’s making his fifth PGA Championship appearance at Bellerive.7/10
Danny Balin, a PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Westchester Country Club in Harrison, NY, has been a Titleist Advisory Staff Member since 2005. The 3-time Met Section Player of the Year has many victories to his credit, including the NY State Open and Met Open. Danny also played on the Mackenzie Tour Canada and the PGA LatinoAmerica Tour, where he won the 2015 Guatemala Stella Artois Open. He’s making his fifth PGA Championship appearance at Bellerive.8/10
Omar Uresti, a PGA Life Member from Austin Texas, has been a Titleist loyalist for over 15 years. A tour veteran for over 20 years, Omar has played in over 350 PGA Tour events, with 14 top-10 finishes. Omar also won two tournaments on the Web.com Tour and he earned medalist honors at the 2017 PGA Professional Championship, defeating Dave McNabb on the second hole of a playoff after both players carded scores of 4-under-par 283. This is Omar’s 4th PGA Championship appearance.9/10
Omar Uresti, a PGA Life Member from Austin Texas, has been a Titleist loyalist for over 15 years. A tour veteran for over 20 years, Omar has played in over 350 PGA Tour events, with 14 top-10 finishes. Omar also won two tournaments on the Web.com Tour and he earned medalist honors at the 2017 PGA Professional Championship, defeating Dave McNabb on the second hole of a playoff after both players carded scores of 4-under-par 283. This is Omar’s 4th PGA Championship appearance.10/10
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WHAT'S IN THE BAG?
Let's take a closer look at the equipment that David Muttitt, Jason Schmuhl, Matt Dobyns, Marty Jertson, Ben Kern, Craig Hocknull, Danny Balin and Omar Uresti will be trusting this week at the PGA Championship.
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David Muttitt (T4 - 2018 PGA Professional Championship)
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: 913D3 (8.5°)
Fairway: 913Fd (13.5°)
Hybrid: 913Hd (18°)
Irons: 716 T-MB (3) and 718 AP2(4-9)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM7 pitching (48), sand (54°) and lob (60°)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T7 M
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Jason Schmuhl (T4 - 2018 PGA Professional Championship)
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: 917D2 (9.5°)
Fairway: 917F3 (15°)
Hybrid: 818 H1 (19°)
Irons: 718 T-MB (4), 718 CB (5-PW)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM7 pitching gap (52°), sand (56°) and lob (60°)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Futura X7M
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Matt Dobyns (T6 - 2018 PGA Professional Championship)
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: 915D2 (8.5°)
Irons: 716 T-MB (4) and 716 CB (5-9)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM5 pitching (46°) and gap (50°) and Vokey prototype TVD sand (54°)
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Marty Jertson (T9 - 2018 PGA Professional Championship)
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
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Ben Kern (T9 - 2018 PGA Professional Championship)
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: 917D3 (9.5°)
Fairway: 917F2 (16.5°)
Irons: 718 AP2 (3-PW)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM7 gap (50°), sand (54°) and lob (60°)
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Craig Hocknull (T9 - 2018 PGA Professional Championship)
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: 917D2 (8.5°)
Fairway: 917F2 (15°)
Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo Tour Midsize
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Omar Uresti (T16 - 2018 PGA Professional Championship)
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: 917D3 (8.5°)
Fairway: 917F2 (15°, 18°)
Hybrid: 818H2 (21°)
Irons: 718 CB (3-PW)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM7 sand (56°)
Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo M3
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Congratulations to all our qualifiers and good luck at Bellerive!
#TeamTitleist