Titleist brand ambassador Justin Thomas (Pro V1x) made history this week, shattering the Sony Open and PGA TOUR record books en route to his second consecutive victory in Hawaii and the third in his last four starts on the 2016-17 wraparound schedule.
He also finished T8 at the season-opening Safeway Classic in October.
It was the fourth career victory for Thomas who also won the CIMB Classic in both 2015 and 2016.
Thomas, age 23, who opened the tournament by becoming the seventh and youngest player ever to shoot 59 in PGA TOUR history, followed it up with rounds of 64-65-65 to finish with a 27-under-par 253 victory total, seven shots clear of his nearest competitor.
Thomas won the SBS Tournament of Champions the previous week by three shots.
The only other player to win back-to-back events in Hawaii came in 2003, and that player also trusted his golf ball and full set of golf clubs to Titleist, switching to the new equipment just one week before the season-opener.
Thomas is expected to vault from No. 12 to No. 8 in the Official World Golf Rankings with the win, the first time he has ever ranked inside the Top 10.
TOP FINISHES:
Justin Thomas topped a leaderboard that included nine players among the top 10 finishers who relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success, including Titleist brand ambassador Jordan Spieth (3rd/ New Prototype Pro V1x), and Titleist golf ball loyalists Kevin Kisner (T4/New Prototype Pro V1), Player (T4/Pro V1), Zach Johnson (T6/New Prototype Pro V1x), Player (T6/Pro V1), Charles Howell III (T8/New Prototype Pro V1), Chez Reavie (T8/Pro V1) and Jim Herman (10th/Pro V1).
This marked the second consecutive week that Jordan Spieth posted a top 3 finish.
A LOOK AT THE STATS:
Statistically, it was clear why Thomas won going away as he ranked first in Strokes Gained Off the Tee and Tee to Green; 2nd in Putting; and 4th in Approach to the Green.
Among the records set by Justin Thomas at the Sony Open in Hawaii…
- Lowest winning score in Sony Open history: 27-under 253 (by three shots)
- Lowest 72-hole score in PGA TOUR history: 253 (by one shot)
- Lowest 54-hole score in PGA TOUR history: 188 (tied with Titleist brand ambassador Steve Stricker)
- Lowest 36-hole score in PGA TOUR history: 123 (by one shot)
While Justin Thomas was able to etch his name in the PGA TOUR record books with his opening-round 59, four other players shot 61 or better for the top five rounds of the week, all of them trusting Titleist golf balls for their success.
There were two 9-under par 61’s posted during the 2nd round by Titleist brand ambassador Bryce Molder (Pro V1x) and Titleist golf ball loyalist Zach Johnson (New Prototype Pro V1x). Titleist golf ball loyalist Kevin Kisner (New Prototype Pro V1) had a putt for 59 on Saturday that burned the edge of the cup and he settled for a 60, while Titleist golf ball loyalist Chez Reavie (Pro V1) closed with a Sunday 61.
FROM THE CHAMPION:
“Definitely driving it better," Thomas answered when asked what has helped put him on the winning track. "I feel comfortable once I get in contention. I think that's been the problem the last two years. I just wasn't getting there enough. The events I was in contention, I played well and I had a chance to win. It's just about getting there. I have been able to get there a lot more recently. Obviously I have been playing better. Just once I get there I feel comfortable and feel like I can win.”
With three wins under his belt already this season, Thomas is already starting to field questions about the majors, and he was more than happy to discuss one upcoming major championship in particular.
"I'm so excited for The Masters. I said that as soon as I finished last year, as soon as I finished the majors last year. I feel like it's a course that's really good for my game. It was so tough last year and I wasn't playing well to where I didn't have much. It's just such a fun place to play and a cool atmosphere. I'm so ready to get back there."
Congratulations, Justin!
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Let's take a closer look at the equipment that Justin Thomas and the top Titleist finishers trusted this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball
Driver: 917D3 (9.5°)
Fairway: 917F3 (15°)
Irons: 712U (2), 716 MB (4-9)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM6 pitching (46.08 F-grind), gap (52.12 F-grind), sand (56.14 F-grind) and lob (60.10 K-grind)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Futura X5
Note: Thomas replaced his 915Fd (18°) fairway metal from his winning set composition at the SBS Tournament of Champions with a Titleist 712U 2-iron at this week’s Sony Open. Why? As Thomas explained, "I know this course. If you drive it well, you can play it really well. These are the hardest fairways to hit on TOUR I think, and the greens aren't big, and the rough is kind of that length to where you can get some flyers or it can come out dead. The biggest thing is just getting it in play, because I can just hit a lot of 2-irons out here and then I'm having short irons in.”
The switch didn’t take the driver out of the bag for Thomas, however, who finished 9th in Driving Distance (319.8 yd.) with his 917D3. He also finished 1st in Putts Per Greens in Regulation (1.589).
Jordan Spieth (T3): New Titleist Prototype Pro V1x golf ball, 915D2 driver, 915F fairway metal, 816H2 hybrid, 716 T-MB 4-iron, 716 AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM6 pitching (46.08 F-grind), gap (52.08 F-grind), sand (56.10 S-grind) and lob (60.04 L-grind) wedges, Scotty Cameron 009 putter
Kevin Kisner (T4): New Titleist Prototype Pro V1 golf ball
Zach Johnson (T6): New Titleist Prototype Pro V1x golf ball
Charles Howell III (T8): New Titleist Prototype Pro V1 golf ball
Chez Reavie (T8): Titleist Pro V1 golf ball
Jim Herman (10): Titleist Pro V1 golf ball
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TITLEIST BY THE NUMBERS
At the first full-field event of the 2017 calendar year, Titleist was the overwhelming favorite in golf balls with 95 players in the field of 144, more than five times the nearest competitor with 18.
Titleist was also once again the top choice in the hybrid (24) and irons (37) categories. Vokey Design Wedges topped the approach, sand and lob wedge (167) category and Scotty Cameron putters were the top choice in putters (56 ).
Among the new players to the Titleist golf ball roster teeing up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x this week were Paul Casey (New Prototype Pro V1x), while Derek Fathauer (New Prototype Pro V1x), Russell Henley (Pro V1x) and Sean O’Hair (New Prototype Pro V1) are playing Titleist golf balls as well as Titleist golf clubs.
O’Hair closed with a 6-under 64 to finish T11 while trusting his tee-through-green game to Titleist for the first time in competition.
Titleist golf ball loyalists Branden Grace (Pro V1x), Billy Hurley (Pro V1) and Pat Perez (Pro V1) were among four new faces who teed up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x at the SBS Tournament of Champions and will be throughout 2017. Grace (T13) and Hurley (T20) both finished among the Top 20 at SONY.
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