FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (Feb. 6, 2012) -- On one of
the biggest sports days of the year, Titleist
Brand Ambassador Kyle Stanley charged to a
victory more than worthy of Super Bowl-sized
acclaim.
One week after finishing runner-up in a playoff
at the Farmers Insurance Open, Stanley, 24,
came from eight shots back Sunday at the
Waste Management Phoenix Open to earn his
first PGA Tour victory, authoring a story of
perseverance that golf won't soon forget.
"I just tried to focus on playing golf," said
Stanley, who combined with Titleist Brand
Ambassador Kieran Pratt and Pro V1x loyalist
Paul Lawrie to sweep the three events played
last weekend across the worldwide
professional tours.
"I knew I was playing well coming into this
week," Stanley said. "I think the biggest
challenge was seeing if I could put last week
behind me. I think I did."
Trusting a Pro V1x golf ball and bag full of
Titleist equipment, including a new set of
Titleist MB (712 Series) irons, Stanley closed
with a bogey-free 6-under 65 for a 15-under
269 total and one-shot victory, leading a 1-
through-7 finish for Titleist golf ball players.
Fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Ben Crane
(Pro V1x) finished runner-up after a final-
round 5-under 66. He was followed by Spencer
Levin (3rd, Pro V1x) and Titleist Brand
Ambassadors D.J. Trahan (4th, Pro V1x),
Brendan Steele (5th, Pro V1x) and Kevin Na
(5th, Pro V1x), and Pro V1x loyalist Bubba
Watson (5th).
A total of 92 players in the field at TPC
Scottsdale relied Titleist golf balls for their
success, more than eight times the nearest
competitor with 11 and more than all
competitors combined. Titleist was also first in
irons sets (39); sand, lob and approach
wedges (128); and putters (59).
Stanley's victory in the desert was highlighted
by both power and precision, not to mention
some grit and determination.
At the par-5 13th, Stanley ripped a 376-yard
tee shot with his 910 driver and hit his Titleist
MB 9-iron to 20 feet to set up an eventual two-
putt birdie. On the par-4 14th, he drove his Pro
V1x golf ball 325 yards down the middle of the
fairway, pitched to 12 feet and rolled in the
birdie putt with his Scotty Cameron Timeless
GSS.
On the par-4 17th, Stanley used his Vokey
Design Spin Milled 56•14º wedge to hit a
highlight-reel recovery shot from beneath a
cactus (see video below), and two-putted for
par. Stanley, who hit 89 percent of his greens
in regulation Sunday, sent his approach shot
on the par-4 18th to 12 feet above the hole.
He two-putted for the one-shot victory.
"You know… this week I just kind of tried to
just let it happen, not think about it, and just
focus on things that I could control," said
Stanley.
Two weeks ago, Stanley paid a visit to the
Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside,
Calif., a short drive from Torrey Pines and the
Farmers Insurance Open. There, he worked
with Dr. Greg Rose on his alignment, getting
himself squared up from what had become an
open stance.
As a result of the realignment, Stanley lost
some backspin with his Titleist 910D3 7.5º
driver. Enter: Senior Club Fitting Analyst Dino
Antenucci, who changed Stanley's driver head
from 7.5º to 8.5º, keeping the SureFit Tour
hosel in the A•1 position (standard loft,
standard lie).
Immediately, Stanley had a better ball flight,
more shot-shaping control and about 2,400
rpm of backspin.
Of course, the results speak for themselves.
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist Paul
Lawrie's final-round 7-under 65 earned him a
convincing four-shot victory at the
Commercialbank Qatar Masters.
Lawrie, whose bogey-free final 18 holes
included five birdies and one eagle, finished
with a 15-under 201 total in the weather-
shortened 54-hole event.
"I don't think I can play much better than
that," said Lawrie, who moved back into the
top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking. "I've
been playing well for a long, long time, but it's
just nice to come out one ahead and shoot 7
under."
Titleist was the No. 1 golf ball of choice at the
Qatar Masters with 74, more than three times
the nearest competitor with 21 and more than
all other golf ball combined. Titleist was also
first in iron sets (33); and sand, lob and
approach wedges (134).
• ASIAN TOUR: It was a 1-2 -3 finish for
Titleist Brand Ambassadors at the Zaykabar
Myanmar Open, as Kieran Pratt (Pro V1x)
birdied the second hole of a playoff to edge
Adam Blyth and Kiradech Aphibarnrat to
capture his first Asian Tour title.
Pratt, who was five-shots off the lead after
Round 3, closed with a 4-under 68 highlighted
by an eagle-3 on the 18th hole to get into the
playoff.
“Fantastic. It feels great to win the first event
of the year," said Pratt, who finished regulation
tied with Blyth and Aphibarnra at 15-under
273.
"Obviously you want to get off to a fast start
but to win is obviously better."
Pratt was one of 80 players in the field that
teed up a Titleist golf ball, more than twice the
nearest competitor with 36, including seven of
the top 10 on the final leader board.