Spieth Rallies to Raise the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale

“I felt and believed I could win.”

These were the words of Titleist Brand Ambassador Jordan Spieth (Pro V1x) shortly after he captured the 146th Open Championship on Sunday, rallying with a collection of clutch shots down the stretch at Royal Brikdale for his third career major.

Spieth, who was the only player to fire four consecutive rounds in the 60’s (65-69-65-69), played his final five holes in 5-under-par to close with 1-under 69.

He finished with a 12-under-par 268 victory total, three shots clear of his playing partner and nearest competitor.

The rally actually began with a bogey save on the 13th hole where Spieth used a new Titleist 718 T-MB prototype 3-iron - a club he just put in the bag for the first time this week – to hit a blind shot from the driving range to just in front of the green after taking an unplayable lie. He lofted a delicate pitch to seven feet and made the crucial putt to turn the tide.

“After the putt on 13, I felt a lot more comfortable,” said Spieth,“because I felt I made a putt that really mattered from seven feet, six feet, that just was enough to say we're still in this tournament and create a new type of scenario. So I became the challenger instead of the leader at that moment.”

Down by one shot for the first time all week, Spieth nearly aced the par-3 14th before settling for birdie, converted a 48-foot eagle putt at the par-5 15th to take a two-shot lead, and followed with a successful long birdie putt at the 16th and another birdie at the par-5 17th. After his bumpy start, Spieth charged home with a back-nine 32.

Titleist golf ball loyalist Branden Grace (Pro V1x) made history on Saturday, relying upon the Pro V1x golf ball to card the first 62 in major championship history.

Grace finished in a five-way tie for 6th place, one shot behind Titleist Brand Ambassador Rafa Cabrera Bello (Pro V1x), who tied for 4th.

Cabrera Bello put the new 718 MB irons in the bag for the first time in competition last week when he won the Scottish Open.

Haotong Li (Pro V1) finished solo 3rd at 6-under par following a Sunday-best 63.

The Open title gave Spieth the third leg of the career Grand Slam and a chance to be the youngest to win them all next month at the PGA Championship. With the win, he also become only the second golfer in history to win three of four major championships before his 24th birthday.

Jordan Spieth’s two other major titles came during in 2015, a year in which he won both the Masters and the U.S. Open. He also came within a shot or two of winning golf’s Grand Slam, finishing T4 at the Open Championship and runner-up at the PGA Championship. His win at Birkdale made Speith reflect on that remarkable season.

“I look back on '15 and thought, yeah, I enjoyed it, but I never realized the significance until you kind of hit a low, hit a pitfall, to appreciate the high so much. And this is as much of a high as I've ever experienced in my golfing life. And I'm going to enjoy it more than I've enjoyed anything that I've accomplished in the past.”

Congratulations, Jordan!

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Let's take a closer look at the Titleist equipment that Jordan Spieth, Haotong Li, Rafa Cabrera Bello, and Branden Grace trusted this week at the Open Championship.

Jordan Spieth (Winner)

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Driver: Titleist 915D2 (9.5°)

Fairway: Titleist 915F (15°)

Irons: Titleist prototype 718 T-MB (3), 716 T-MB (4), 716 AP2 (5-9)

Wedges: Vokey Design SM6 pitching (46.06 F grind), gap (52.08 F grind), sand (56.10 S grind) and lob (60.04 L grind)

Putter: Scotty Cameron 009

 

Haotong Li (3rd):

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1

 

Rafa Cabrera Bello (T4)

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Driver: Titleist 913D3 (8.5°)

Fairway: Titleist 915F (15°, 18°)

Irons: Titleist prototype 718 MB (3-PW)

Wedges: Vokey Design SM6 sand (54.08 M grind) and lob (60.04 L grind)

Putter: Scotty Cameron Concept 2 Newport

 

Branden Grace (6th):

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

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TITLEIST BY THE NUMBERS

 This week at the 146th Open Championship, Titleist was once again the overwhelming golf ball choice, with 103 players trusting a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, more than five times the nearest competitor with 20 and more than all competitors combined. 

Titleist was also the top choice among players in the hybrids category (12) as well as the irons category with 36 sets in play. Vokey Design Wedges also topped the approach, sand and lob wedge (166) category and Scotty Cameron putters were the top choice among players with 55 putters in play. 

Spieth’s victory marks the 16th for Titleist golf ball players on the 2016-17 European Tour, four times the nearest competitor with 4.

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