Titleist propels Manassero to biggest career win

Youngster Matteo Manassero stepped out of the shadow left by Rory McIlroy to declare himself as Titleist’s next hot property on the European Tour with a stunning win at the BMW PGA Championship.

The 20-year-old won his fourth European Tour title and became the youngest winner of the PGA Championship at Wentworth thanks to a playoff victory over England’s Simon Khan and Scotland’s Marc Warren.

The Italian was using a full set of Titleist gear, with FootJoy shoes and gloves; so we spoke to the team behind his winning equipment to find out more.

Manassero’s long game was aided by Titleist’s 913 woods, which can offer every serious golfer – from tour players to amateurs of all skill levels – “more distance potential and better performance,” according to Dan Stone, Vice President of Research & Development at Titleist.

Steve Pelisek, the General Manager of Titleist’s clubs, added: “Golfers are always looking for more distance and control in their long game, but they also need versatility. The 913 fairways and hybrids not only deliver better performance, they provide serious golfers with more options to dial-in their set composition to fit their long game strategy and the way they play the game.”

Manassero also used the Titleist AP2 and CB irons, which Pelisek says “continue to be well received by tour professionals and amateurs alike, and through our accurate and precise fitting process we can provide tour-standard irons for everyday golfers.”

“The AP irons incorporate a true blend of classic golf club aesthetics with modern playability, forgiveness and consistency. Whilst the CB irons deliver a core design that resonates with the traditional blade player.”

Renowned putter maker Scotty Cameron, whose GoLo 5 model was used by Manassero, said: “Working with the best players in the world gives me incredible feedback.

“This feedback resulted in the GoLo 5 being designed with a slightly smaller head, but with the look, feel and performance of the incredibly popular GoLo. For many players the compact setup instills confidence and control to make a flowing stroke, and hole more putts.”

The Italian also used the new 2013 Pro V1x golf ball, which has a more consistent core hardness and more consistent concentricity to improve uniformity of the golf ball, translating into more consistent on-course performance.

The 20-year-old also wore FootJoy’s DryJoys Tour, which were tasked with tackling some tough, wet conditions during the first two rounds on the West Course.

Russel Lawes, FootJoy’s European Marketing Manager, said “The DryJoys Tour are engineered to exceed the demands of the tour professional, providing the stability and performance required to compete on the most demanding courses.

“Blended with traditional upper styling crafted from the finest premium leathers, they deliver the comfort, flexibility and waterproof performance that players have come to expect from the DryJoys brand.”

Below is a list of all the equipment Manassero used to win the BMW PGA Championship:

Driver: Titleist 913D2 (8.5-degree; Aldila ATX 65-3.0 TX)
Fairway wood: Titleist 913F (13.5-degree; Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 7.1)
Hybrid: Titleist 913H (17 and 21 degree; Project X Black 6.5)
Irons: Titleist 712 AP2 (4-6), Titleist 712 MB (7-PW; Project X PXi 6.5)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM4 (52 degree Project X PXi 6.5; 58 degree True Temper DG Spinner)
Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo5
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Glove: FJ StaSof
Shoes: FJ Sport