The world’s best have descended on “The Home of Golf,” St Andrews, Scotland, for the 150th Open Championship. These storied grounds have bore witness to some of the most seminal moments in golf history, something to be celebrated in the week ahead. Team Titleist will have another outstanding collection of contenders beginning their quest for the Claret Jug in earnest on Thursday. Let’s take a look at some of the key numbers behind Titleist’s star-studded group as the final men’s major championship of the season gets kicked off.
Just nine major championship starts into his career, Will Zalatoris is an unquestionable force in the game’s biggest events. At last month’s U.S. Open, Zalatoris became the first player since the mid-1950s to finish in the top-ten in six of his first nine career majors. Since the beginning of 2020, no player with a dozen or more rounds has averaged more strokes gained total per round in the majors than Zalatoris, with 2.73.
Zalatoris brings some of the best ball striking metrics in the sport along with him to The Home of Golf. This season, he leads the PGA Tour in strokes gained approach per round (+0.99) and strokes gained tee-to-green per round (+1.75). He’s also ranked 11th or better this season in proximity from the fairway (4th), greens in regulation (9th) and strokes gained off the tee per round (11th).
What’s in Will Zalatoris’ Titleist Golf Bag?
Golf Ball: Pro V1
Driver: TSR3 8.0° with a Fujikura Speeder 757 TR X shaft
Fairway Metal: TSR2+ 13.0° with a Fujikura Atmos 8 Red shaft
Utility iron: T200 3-iron
Irons: T100 4-PW with Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue shafts
Wedges: New Vokey Design SM9 50.08F, 54.10S at 55, 60T with Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue shafts
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 11 Tour Prototype
Now a two-time PGA Champion, Justin Thomas will make his sixth career start at The Open this week at St Andrews. This is the only one of the four majors in which Thomas has never had a top-ten finish – his best result was a tie for eleventh in 2019 at Royal Portrush. Thomas has averaged 0.69 strokes gained total per round at The Open – and 1.64 per round at the other three major championships.
There’s no reason to believe JT won’t be a factor, though, this week. He leads the PGA Tour in birdie average this season, making a whopping 4.72 per round. He’s also in the top-seven on Tour in strokes gained tee-to-green, strokes gained approach, scoring average and sand save percentage. Thomas will try to become the sixth player all-time to win the PGA and Open Championships in the same season.
WHAT'S IN JUSTIN THOMAS' TITLEIST GOLF BAG?
Golf Ball: Pro V1x
Driver: TSi3 10.0° | Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana ZF 60 TX-Flex
Fairway Metals: TS3 15.0° and 915 Fd 18.0°
Irons: NEW T100 (4) and 621JT (5-9)
Wedges: New Vokey Design SM9 46.10F (@ 47.5°), 52.12F (@ 52.5°), 56.14F (@ 57.0°) and WedgeWorks 60T (@ 60.5°)
Putter: Scotty Cameron X5.5 prototype
Australian players have long lineage of success at The Open, a tradition Cam Smith would love to continue this week at St Andrews. Smith’s final round last week at the Scottish Open provided plenty of promise: four birdies in his last eight holes vaulted Smith to a top-ten finish. Smith took to the greens at The Renaissance Club nicely, ranking third in the field in both one-putts (33) and putts per round (27.8).
Smith’s improved approach play has guided his ascent up the World Ranking in 2022 – he ranks fifth on Tour in strokes gained approach this season, a 48-spot jump from 2020-21. Only one player has won The Players Championship and The Open Championship in the same season. That year, too, 1978, The Open was played at historic St Andrews.
What’s in Cameron Smith’s Titleist Golf Bag?
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: TSR3 10.0° | Fujikura Ventus Blue 60 X
Fairway Metals: TSi2 15.0° | Fujikura Ventus Blue 80 X
Irons: NEW T100 5-9 | KBS Tour 130 Custom Matte Black X
Wedges: NEW Vokey Design SM9 46.10F, 52.08F, 56.08M, 60T | KBS Tour 130 Custom Matte Black X
Putter: Scotty Cameron 009M tour prototype
No player at the Scottish Open gained more strokes off the tee than Max Homa (4.47). It continued a glistening tee-to-green trend for Homa over the last several months on Tour: since February 1st, Homa is among the leaders in strokes gained ball striking (1.47 per round, 7th), tee to green (1.58, 9th) and total (1.94, 7th). Homa’s continued improvements through the bag are a harbinger for positive things on the major championship horizon: in each of the last three PGA Tour seasons, Homa has improved his ranking in both strokes gained tee-to-green and strokes gained total.
Homa posted his best career finish in a major – T-13 – at the PGA Championship earlier this season.
What’s in Max Homa’s Titleist Golf Bag?
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: TSR3 10.0° | Fujikura Ventus 6 Black X
Fairway Metals: TSR2 15.0° | Alidla Rogue Black 130 MSI 80 TX
Irons: NEW T100•S 3-4 | KBS TOUR $-Taper 130 X, NEW T100 5-iron | KBS TOUR $-Taper 130 X, and 620 MB 6-9| KBS TOUR $-Taper 130 X
Wedges: NEW Vokey Design SM9 46.10F | KBS TOUR $-Taper 130 X and NEW Vokey Design SM9 50.12F, 56.14F, 60.04L | KBS Hi Rev 2.0 125 S
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5.5 tour prototype
One of the front-running contenders for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Cameron Young had a breakthrough major moment earlier this season at Southern Hills, when he finished in a tie for third place. Young will bring his powerful game to The Open for the first time this week – the 25-year-old American is ranked among the leaders this season in strokes gained off the tee (2nd) and average driving distance (8th).
Five players since 1950 have won in their Open debut, including last year’s champion. Young would like nothing more than to make it two in a row.
What’s in Cameron Young’s Titleist Golf Bag?
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot
Driver: TSR3 10.0° | Tensei 1K Pro White 70 TX | SureFit Hosel – D1 (-0.75° loft, 1.5° open face) | SureFit CG – H1
Fairway Metal: TSR3 16.5° | Tensei 1K Pro White 80 TX
Utility Iron: NEW T200 2 & 4 | Nippon NS Pro Modus3 Tour 130 X
Irons: 620 CB (5) and 620 MB (6-9)| Nippon NS Pro Modus3 Tour 130 X
Wedges: NEW Vokey Design SM9 56.08M, 52.12F, WedgeWorks 62.08M | Nippon NS Pro Modus3 Tour 130 X
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5 Knuckle Neck tour prototype
Arguably no player has had more consistent success at The Open in recent years than Jordan Spieth, the 2017 Champion Golfer of the Year. Since 2015, Spieth is a combined 42-under-par at The Open, 16 shots better than any other player in that span. Since 2017, he’s averaged 2.94 strokes gained total per round at The Open, nearly nine-tenths of a stroke more than anybody with double-digit rounds played in that stretch. Spieth has racked up 130 birdies-or-better at The Open since his debut in 2013, 15 more than anyone else in that span.
His success on links-style golf courses extends beyond this championship, though, as indicated by his strong performance last week at the Scottish Open. There are more than 300 players with 12 or more DP World & PGA Tour rounds on seaside courses in the British Isles since 2015. Of that group, Spieth leads all players in strokes gained total per round – far and away – with 2.58. No other player has an average greater than 2.00 in that stretch.
Spieth finished runner-up at last year’s Open. Spieth will try to become the first player since 1978 to win the year after finishing in second place.
What’s in Jordan Spieth’s Titleist Golf Bag?
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: TSi3 10.0° | Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X
Fairway Metal: TS2 15.0°| Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
Utility Iron: NEW T100•S 3-iron
Irons: NEW T100 4-9 | True Temper Project X 6.5
Wedges: NEW Vokey Design SM9 46.08F PW | True Temper Project X 6.5 and NEW Vokey Design SM9 52.08F & 56.10S, SM7 WedgeWorks 60T wedges | True Temper Project X 6.0
Putter: Scotty Cameron 009 tour prototype putter
For the third major championship in a row, Patrick Cantlay will be coming off a top-five finish in his preceding official start. Cantlay has a pair of top-ten finishes in his major championship career, with his best Open Championship finish being a tie for 12th in 2018. Cantlay’s balanced excellence makes him a good course fit virtually every time he tees it up: for the fourth consecutive season, he is gaining strokes vs. the field in every strokes gained discipline.
What's in Patrick Cantlay's Titleist Golf Bag?
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: TS3 9.5° | Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX
Fairway: 915F 15.0° | Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 70 TX
Hybrid: TS2 21.0° | Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 80 TX
Irons: 718 AP2 (4-9) irons | True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Vokey Design SM9 (46.10F, 52.08F, 56.08M) & SM8 (61° Proto) | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom X 5 tour prototype
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