I’m back home on the Gold Coast and enjoying the Saturday afternoon. I got back a few days ago and have been practicing with my coach. I spent a few days in Southern California training after match play in Tucson. Congratulations to Ian for winning Match Play, he’s clearly playing well and has been for several weeks. I felt good after my first round against Angel Cabrera, I played well and was confident going into the second round. Unfortunately I met the eventual winner in the second round. I’m feeling good about my game and I am hopeful it will all come together soon. It’s just a matter of time. I look forward to getting back to the states in about a week to compete at Doral. I’ve always liked the Florida swing and look forward to getting back to Miami.

Adam in recent action at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

On a separate note, I wanted to let everyone know we are making a few changes to my website and we will have the updates soon so stayed tune. Our next Clubhouse Newsletter will be sent out on April 1st with a newly revamped look including detailed information on my foundation, Scott Golf Designs and my sponsors. Be sure and sign up in the clubhouse section of my site to receive the newsletters and to also have a chance to win prizes in our newsletter trivia contests. I will have more foundation news soon, we are working on a new project and I look forward to announcing it soon.

I’ll write more next week. Until then, take care and have a good weekend.

-Adam

Titleist Brand Ambassador Robert Karlsson looks on as Chris Tuten from the Titleist Leadership Team checks Robert’s irons on the loft and lie machine.
Click here for more images.

Practicing and playing with the new 2010 conforming grooves in his wedges over several months, Robert has found that his Vokey Design Spin Milled C-C 60° produces a higher trajectory and shorter carry distance than did his previous Vokey 60° wedge. With four wedges in his bag as well as a long game yardage gap between his 18° 909F3 and MB 4-iron, Robert and the team decided it was time to fit him into a set composition with tighter yardage gaps while allowing for the requisite short game versatility.

Robert had been playing his MB irons with 1° strong lofts (6-iron at 30°). To bridge the gap between his 18° fairway and 4-iron, the team built him an MB 3-iron at standard 21° loft and adjusted his 4-iron back to standard at 24°. The remainder of Robert’s irons were adjusted to 1° weak, with his pitching wedge at 48°.

Next, the team built Robert several sets of wedges to help him determine the correct models, lofts and bounce angles to meet his short game needs. Robert worked with all of the wedges in the short game practice area, hitting the various shots he needs for his game, and determined that a 53° and 58° set-up was ideal. Robert previously carried 49°, 55° and 60° wedges in addition to his strong pitching wedge.

Details on the Titleist equipment in Robert Karlsson’s bag:

Ball: Pro V1x
Driver: 909D2 (9.5°, Aldila RIP 80X, 45″)
Fairway: 909F3 (13°, Grafalloy ProLaunch Red X, 43.25″ tipped to length)
Fairway: 909F3 (18°, Grafalloy ProLaunch Red X, 42.25″ tipped to length)
Irons: MB (3-P, 1° weak loft (5-P), True Temper Dynamic Gold SL X100, +1″ length, +2° lie)
Wedge: Vokey Design Spin Milled C-C TVD 54 (at 53°, True Temper Dynamic Gold SL X100, 37″ length, 66° lie)
Wedge: Vokey Design Spin Milled C-C TVD 58 (True Temper Dynamic Gold SL X100, 37″ length, 66° lie)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Newport 2 GSS (4° loft, 37″ length, 71° lie)
Grips: Golf Pride New Decade Multi-Compound 60R (Red/Black, 2 extra wraps)

To learn more about the fitting opportunities available for your Titleist equipment, be sure to visit FittingWorks.com.

With an impressive rookie class (http://www.lpga.com/entertainment_content.aspx?pid=23031) and a host of talented young players returning for 2010, the LPGA Tour stands to challenge its record of 11 Rolex First Time Winners in a single season. 2009 Rookie of the Year Jiyai Shin starts the 2010 season ranked #2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. We caught up with Jiyai and a number of her fellow Pro V1 and Pro V1x loyalists on the LPGA Tour during the LPGA Tour Championship in Houston, click here to watch the video.

Match Play begins tomorrow. I had a good practice round today, played 18 this afternoon and the course is in pretty good shape. I did some filming for CNN Living Golf yesterday at The Gallery Course at Dove Mountain with Justin Armsden. It should air soon, check the CNN Living Golf website for airtimes in your area. The weather here is ideal, warm and not too much wind. I play Angel Cabrera for my first round and we tee off at 8:23am local time. Competition is tough this week so every match will be competitive, have to play really well for 5 days straight. Looking forward to the challenge and it’s always an interesting week.

I gotta run but take care and I’ll be in touch soon.
-Adam

Adam Scott plays Pebble Beach during the 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

One player who is not generally known for making equipment changes is Titleist Brand Ambassador Steve Stricker. The world number two golfer did, however, win the recent Northern Trust Open with a new Titleist 909H hybrid in his bag.

Strick arrived in Hawaii for the SBS Championship in January and asked the guys on the Titleist Tour Van to build him a 21° 909H (bent to 20°) to replace his 3-iron (he also has a 19° 909H (bent to 17°) in the bag). He indicated that the 909H would provide him with a more playable trajectory and perform better out of the rough than his 3-iron. Looking forward to April, he also felt that the hybrid would work well for the second shot into 15 at Augusta National.

During his two weeks off at home in Wisconsin after returning from Hawaii, Strick worked with the new hybrid to get all of the critical shots dialed in. The new club made its way into the bag in Los Angeles, and Steve went on to collect his fourth PGA Tour title in his last 14 events.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Steve Stricker with a 909H hybrid during the
Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.

Steve Stricker
Model: 909H
Loft: 21° (bent to 20°)
Shaft: UST Mamiya Proforce V2 Hybrid 100X
Length: 41″
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord Ribbed .580 (+2 wraps left hand, +1 wrap right hand)
Swingweight: D4

With the sea level golf courses and cool, wet California winter weather in effect at Torrey Pines, Riviera and Pebble Beach, a few players have adjusted their driver specs to increase spin and launch for more carry. Titleist Brand Ambassador D.J. Trahan was fit into a 909D3 (8.5°) with the new Graphite Design Tour AD DI-7X to replace his previous 909D3 (9.5°) with the Aldila VooDoo XPP7. Despite the lower loft, the new driver provides D.J. with more launch and spin due to the new shaft’s more responsive tip section.

D.J. Trahan
Model: 909D3
Loft: 8.5°
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI-7X
Length: 44.5″
Grip: Lamkin Tour Black Cord .580 (+3 wraps)
Swingweight: D3

Titleist Brand Ambassador Jeff Klauk, on the other hand, switched back to a previous driver/shaft combination to combat the cold, heavy air encountered on the seaside courses. The 909DComp (8.5°) with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue 73X that worked its way back into Jeff’s bag provides him with more carry than the 909DComp (8.5°) with Matrix Ozik F6M2X he was fit into last year for more roll.

Jeff Klauk
Model: 909DComp
Loft: 8.5°
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Blue 73X
Length: 45″
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord .580 (+1 wrap)
Swingweight: D3

Lefty Titleist Brand Ambassador Greg Chalmers has been working with his swing coach recently on technique changes. Swing changes often lead to a need for equipment spec changes, and the technique Greg and his coach are working on calls for an additional 1/2″ in length to his CB irons, which were already 1/2″ over standard. Greg will likely continue to game the 1/2″ over standard set while working into the swing changes and new set.

Properly fit equipment is essential for optimal performance on the PGA Tour and for everyday play. To learn more about the fitting opportunities available for your Titleist equipment, be sure to visit FittingWorks.com.

I just got back from a practice round at Spyglass and also my media conference. I got to Monterey on Saturday, Tony and I drove over from LA.

Adam Scott in action at last week’s Northern Trust Open.

I haven’t been here for a long time and I guess I forgot how amazing this place is. The views from all three courses are spectacular….each course has it’s own unique charm and postcard views. I was able to play all three courses during practice rounds so I’ve had an opportunity to get a feel for them. Monterey Peninsula is probably draining the best out of the three so it’s in pretty good shape. I feel good and have been working hard so I’m hopeful for a good result. Even though I missed the cut last week I still felt like things were right on track given it was my first week back in the new year. It’s been a cold and damp week in Monterey but it’s supposed to dry out by the weekend. The sun was actually out this afternoon so that’s a good sign! I don’t really have too much to report this week. It’s been a positive time this week preparing for the tournament and just looking forward to teeing it up in the morning at Spyglass! Have a great weekend and will touch base next week from Tucson.

-Adam

The Avantha Masters is an event co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour, affording us a great opportunity to see a number of Titleist Brand Ambassadors from an emerging corner of the golfing world. Check out some images from New Delhi below.

Click here to view the slideshow

Team Titleist headed to Los Angeles early last week to check out the action at the Northern Trust Open. Click here to see some of the images we captured.

Stricker started the final round with a six-stroke lead. This was the largest lead he has held heading into the final round of a PGA TOUR event. His previous largest lead was five strokes at the 1996 Motorola Western Open, which he also won.

Prior to his final-round 70, Stricker had recorded nine consecutive rounds in the 60s this season – the final two rounds of the SBS Championship, all four rounds of the Sony Open and the first three rounds of the Northern Trust Open.

Stricker topped the field at the Northern Trust Open with 104 total putts and was T-10 in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation.

Stricker matched the record for consecutive rounds in the 60s at the Northern Trust Open at 8, previously set in 1981-82. He shot 69 in the final round of the 2008 event, 68-66-69-67 in 2009 and began the tournament with rounds of 67-65-66.

Stricker’s win makes him the fifth player in the event’s 84-year history to win the tournament the year after finishing second or T-2. The last time on the PGA TOUR that a player finished runner-up and then won the tournament the following year was Titleist Brand Ambassador Ryuji Imada at the 2007-08 AT&T Classic.

Stricker has held or shared a 54-hole lead nine previous times in his career – including this week – and has now gone on to win four of those events. He has never been over par on Sunday when he was the 54-hole leader. Stricker has won all three times when he has been the outright leader heading into the final round.

Stricker is coming off the best season of his career, having captured three PGA TOUR events (Crowne Plaza Invitational, John Deere Classic, Deutsche Bank Championship); he is one of just nine players since 2000 to win three or more times in a season.

Stricker is one of two players with top-10 finishes in the first two events of the season: T-10 at the SBS Championship and 3rd at the Sony Open. This is the first time Stricker has started his season with three consecutive top-10 finishes.

This is the largest margin of victory on the PGA TOUR since the 2009 TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. The last eight official PGA TOUR events (four of the 2009 Fall Series and four of the 2010 season) have been decided by one shot or in a playoff.

Luke Donald
Titleist Pro V1x loyalist Luke Donald moved into contention with a bogey-free 66 (-5) in Round 3. He followed with another 5-under-par 66 in his final round to finish solo second. This is Donald’s ninth consecutive start at the Northern Trust Open. He has finished in the top 10 the last three years: T-3 in 2008, T-6 in 2009 and 2nd in 2010.

J.B. Holmes
Titleist Pro V1x loyalist J.B. Holmes continued his solid play at Riviera Country Club and the Northern Trust Open as the only player in the field with all four rounds in the 60s, 68-69-67-67=271 (-13). The two-time PGA TOUR winner has finished in the top 10 in each of his past three appearances at Riviera with a T-7 in 2008, a T-6 in 2009 and a T-3 in 2010.

Alex Prugh
Titleist Pro V1x loyalist Alex Prugh, the leading rookie money-winner so far this season and ranked No. 13 in FedExCup points, finished T-10 this week. Prugh is the only player to post top-10 finishes in the three California PGA TOUR events this year – a fifth-place at the Bob Hope Classic, a T-5 at the Farmers Insurance Open, and a T-10 at the Northern Trust Open.

Jason Bohn
Titleist Brand Ambassador Jason Bohn posted five consecutive birdies during the final round en route to a 65 (-6). Bohn, who started Round 4 on the back nine, birdied 15, 16, 17, 18 and 1, matching the longest birdie streak of the season (set by six other players). He ended his round with a bogey on No. 9, but still vaulted up the leaderboard from a T-34 after Round 3 to a T-10. This is Bohn’s first top-10 finish since a T-2 at the 2009 Wyndham Championship in August.

The early season success enjoyed by the new Titleist AP2 irons validates the high performance qualities that have been embraced by competitive and better players at all levels. With a multi-material, dual cavity design that provides playability with shot control and a soft forged construction for solid feel, AP2 irons have become a mainstay in the bags of better players at all levels of competition.

Titleist AP2 Irons 2009 Proven Performance:
• Most played iron on the 2009 PGA Tour*
• Most played iron at the 2009 PGA Professional National Championship
• Most played iron at the 2009 U.S. Amateur (more AP2 than any other brand’s combined models)
• Most played iron at the 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur

If you are looking for proven performance, look no further and try the new Titleist AP2 irons. To learn more, visit with your local Titleist golf shop or explore Titleist.com.

The high performance qualities of Titleist AP2 irons have been embraced by competitive and better players at all levels. Click here to see some of the AP2 irons in play on the PGA Tour.

*Most played iron claims based on Darrell Survey results.

The ever-changing Dubai skyline provides a stunning backdrop for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Click here to view this week’s slideshow.

Speaking of which, that’s exactly where we are coming from with this week’s update. The Emirates Club in Dubai is once again the host venue for the coveted Omega Dubai Desert Classic, a tournament which consistently attracts some of world golf’s biggest names. This year is no exception and a stellar field is once again in attendance. The aforementioned Robert Karlsson will be strongly favored after tasting success last week in Qatar and current European #1 and Pro V1x loyalist Lee Westwood will also be one to watch. But we couldn’t come to Dubai and not mention the reigning champion, Rory McIlroy. Rory claimed his maiden European Tour victory at this event 12 months ago and goes into this season’s Dubai Desert Classic as one of the most consistent performers in world golf. Rory has finished fifth or better in each of his last five European Tour events and is seemingly in contention whenever and wherever he tees it up. This week is no different and Rory is certainly in no mood to relinquish his crown without a fight as opening rounds of four-under 68 and two-under 70 would testify. Rory is currently two shots off the halfway lead and in a strong position to mount a successful title challenge.

During the practice days in Dubai the Titleist Tour Team spent some time working with Portuguese Titleist Brand Ambassador Jose Filipe Lima. Jose is back on the European Tour after a successful season on the Challenge Tour in 2009 and will be looking to produce the sort of form that saw him record a European Tour victory at the Saint Omer Open in 2004. Jose took time out during his practice session to work with Tour Technician Phil Dimmock on his driver set-up. Using a Trackman launch monitor, the test revealed that his current 909D2 at 8.5° was not quite producing the optimum spin rate causing the ball to drop out of the sky a little early. This lack of spin also made it harder for Jose to turn the ball over and hit the soft draw that he likes with the driver. Fortunately, the fix for Jose was very straight forward with the switch to a higher lofted head producing the required result. Specifications for Jose’s new driver are detailed below:

Jose Filipe Lima
Model: 909D2
Loft: 9.5°
Shaft: Aldila VooDoo XDV6
Length: 45″
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Ribbed .580 (Std)
Swingweight: D3

Denmark’s Soren Hansen is another player to make a tweak to his driver set-up this week in Dubai. Soren has been using the Aldila RIP 70 X-Flex shaft in his 909D2 (9.5°) but felt this specification was yielding too much spin. After consultation with the team, Soren decided to go back to a shaft that worked very well in his previous Titleist 905R driver, the Mitsubishi Diamana Whiteboard. The Diamana Whiteboard is designed with a strong tip section which helps reduce spin and is a shaft that has found favor with a number of hard-hitting Titleist players over the past couple of seasons. Soren’s full driver specifications are detailed below.

Soren Hansen
Model: 909D2
Loft: 9.5°
Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Whiteboard 73X
Length: 45″
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Ribbed .580 (Std)
Swingweight: D3

A quick glance at the halfway leaderboard in Dubai would suggest another enthralling weekend ahead of us with the likes of Westwood, McIlroy and Karlsson all in contention. This is the final week of the European Tour’s “Desert Swing” before moving on to an entirely new venue for the inaugural Avantha Masters in New Delhi, India. The new event marks a new destination for the European Tour and the sights and sounds of one of the world’s most bustling cities will provide a unique backdrop for this event (and a new experience for the Titleist Tour Team!). We will report back from our voyage of discovery next week.