J.T. Poston Claims his Third PGA TOUR Victory at the Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas

By Zack R., Team Titleist Staff On 21 October 2024 Balls Tour Clubs

PGA TOUR | Shriners Children’s Open

In total control of his Pro V1x golf ball, Titleist Brand Ambassador J.T. Poston posted four rounds of 67 or better in Las Vegas to close out his third PGA TOUR victory.

  • Poston, whose all-Titleist winning setup included his NEW GT3 driver, T100 irons, Vokey SM10 wedges and Scotty Cameron GOLO 5 putter, made three birdies over a four-hole stretch from Nos. 12 through 15 Sunday on his way to a winning total of 22 under, one shot clear of Doug Ghim (NEW 2025 Pro V1x). 
  • By week’s end, Poston had gained over 2.5 strokes on the field in every major Strokes Gained category, while finishing fourth overall in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (+9.816).
    • SG: Off the Tee: +2.918 (15th)
    • SG: Approach: +2.930 (20th) 
    • SG: Around the Green: +3.968 (6th)
    • SG: Putting: +5.472 (8th)
  • He hit 79% of his greens in regulation (T16) and got up-and-down 12 of 15 attempts (80%, 5th).
  • The 31-year-old made as many eagles (3, T1) as he did bogeys (3, 3rd). 

What’s in The Bag? | J.T. Poston

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: NEW GT3 9.0° | Mitsubishi Diamana BF 60 TX
Fairway Metal: TS2 15.0° | Graphite Design AD IZ-7 X
Hybrid: TS2 19.0° | Graphite Design AD DI-95 Hybrid X
Utility Iron: U•500 4 | True Temper Project X 6.5
Irons: T100 5-9 | True Temper Project X 6.5
Wedges: Vokey Design SM10 46.10F, 50.08F, 56.10S (@ 55), WedgeWorks 60L wedges | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron GOLO 5 tour prototype

J.T. POSTON ON HIS PRO V1x GOLF BALL

  • “I play the Pro V1x, [I] play it because I think it's the best ball that I've come across, and I'm looking for every advantage against the rest of the field. For me, it's easier to take spin off the ball than it is for me to create it, especially with the longer clubs. I would rather have a ball that has more spin, or I have the ability to really spin it and get it to stop faster, than the other way around.”
  • “You know that if it doesn't do what you want it to do, it was me and it's never the (Titleist) golf ball. You know that the golf ball's going to perform exactly how you want it to, as long as you hit it exactly how you want it to. Being able to take that factor or check that box before you even swing the club is huge. Knowing that it's going to perform, you're doing yourself a favor and giving yourself as much of an advantage as you can by playing that golf ball.”
  • ON HIS GOLF BALL TESTING PROCESS: “I’m a feel player, so a lot of the initial feedback is what does it feel like? What does it look like when it's flying through the air? So we've played golf enough, like I know exactly what window I want certain clubs to come out of, and so I'll know if it's a little bit higher, a little bit lower. I’m looking at how does it feel off the face when I hit it good. How does it look? How does it react? How does it do in some wind? I live in Sea Island, Georgia, so a lot of times that's a little bit more of the last test. If the numbers are good with no wind and everything and I can hit all my numbers and windows, how does it perform when I get down there and it's blowing 15 (mph), and do I feel like I still have the same control.”

23 PLAYERS TEE UP 2025 PRO V1 & PRO V1x IN VEGAS; GHIM EARNS SEASON-BEST FINISH WITH NEW PRO V1x

  • The NEW 2025 Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls were officially introduced on the PGA TOUR this week in Las Vegas, with 23 players teeing up the new models at TPC Summerlin.
  • That list included runner-up Doug Ghim, who earned his best finish of the season while gaming 2025 Pro V1x.
  • Ghim led the field in both Strokes Gained: Approach (+6.710) and Greens in Regulation (87.5%), missing just nine greens all week at TPC Summerlin and only two over the weekend.
  • With the result, he jumped 23 spots to No. 70 in the FedExCup Fall standings.

  • Ghim, as well as the winner in Vegas, J.T. Poston, were among a large group of PGA TOUR players who tested the last round of 2025 prototypes earlier this season with Fordie Pitts, Titleist’s Director of Tour Validation and Research, before final selections were made.
  • Poston plans to test the NEW Pro V1x at home over the offseason as he dials in his game for 2025.
  • Said Poston: “I think it’s great – doing the due diligence and trying to get it as good as you possibly can. The golf ball's already so good, every year, I’m like, ‘I don’t know, how do you make it better?’ But then a new one comes out and you feel like you notice little things that are like, ‘yeah, OK, that might be a little more consistent, that might be a little bit better.’ And so I think getting a head start and getting to test the prototypes and going through the process of finalizing it is huge.”
  • Titleist was the overwhelming #1 ball this week at the Shriners, with 72 percent of the field (95 players) teeing up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 13 (10%).
  • Of the 23 players who teed up 2025 models this week, nine played Pro V1 and 14 Pro V1x.

1-2 FINISH FOR NEW GT DRIVERS IN VEGAS

  • It was a 1-2 finish for NEW Titleist GT drivers in Las Vegas, with more players in the field using a Titleist driver (52/39%) than any other brand.
  • The champion, J.T. Poston, who gained 2.918 shots off the tee (15th) this week at TPC Summerlin, was among the first players to make the move to a NEW GT driver this summer, putting his GT3 9.0° (Mitsubishi Diamana BF 60 TX shaft) in play straightaway when the new models launched the Memorial.
  • Since then, his average driving distance has increased from 288.4 to 291.9 yards.

POSTON’S WEDGE SETUP: FOUR VOKEY SM10’S

  • J.T. Poston brought four Vokey Design SM10 wedges to the winner’s circle on Sunday: 46.10F, 50.08F, 56.10S (@ 55), WedgeWorks 60L.
  • He used his scoring clubs to gain +3.968 strokes on the field around the green (6th), while ranking 5th in Scrambling (12/15, 80%).
  • Versatility in Poston’s wedge setup has been key since his first wedge fitting with Vokey Tour Rep Aaron Dill at the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, Calif.
  • By having different grinds in his sand and lob wedge, Poston has a wider range of shots at his disposal around the greens.
  • "What I took away from [the fitting], and I still use today, is [Dill] asked me ‘why is your bounce the same on your sand wedge and your lob wedge?’ And I didn't have an answer for it. It was just ‘That's what I've used as a kid in junior golf and college golf.’ I'm not one for change usually. And so, if I know that it's working, I'm like, ‘I'm going to keep doing it.’ But there was no real method, no real reason to why I was doing it. And [Dill] made a great point. If you kind of give one maybe a little more [bounce] and one that has a little less, it gives you more of a variety around the greens without having to really change too much other than just how the club reacts.”
  • Poston’s 56-degree S Grind has 10 degrees of bounce, while his 60-degree L Grind lob wedge has 4 degrees of bounce.  

POSTON KEEPS IT ROLLING WITH SCOTTY CAMERON GOLO 5

  • J.T. Poston captured the third PGA TOUR title with his Scotty Cameron GOLO 5 tour prototype putter in the bag, gaining over five shots on the field on the greens (+5.472, 8th) while averaging 1.68 putts per GIR (T15). 
  • Poston began his PGA TOUR career with a Scotty Cameron Circa 62 No. 2 blade putter that was in his bag for 11 years straight, dating back to his middle school days.
  • The streak ended at The PLAYERS Championship in 2019, when Poston moved into a mallet for the first time: a black GOLO 5 tour prototype.
  • One of the key motivations for the switch was the alignment line on the GOLO head, having previously used a sight dot on his Circa 62:
  • “The line on the back is a huge difference inside of 10 feet. I know exactly where I'm looking,” said Poston. “The line, it's not on the top of the putter, it's on the back, so it's not directly lining up to the ball. So it still kind of feels like I can putt with my path that I see when I read greens. It just gives me a general direction and it doesn't stick out as much because it's all blacked out. To me, a white line would look a little more glaring, especially on a white or on a black putter head. And I think that would almost catch my eye too much where I'd be too focused on where the line's lined up as opposed to everything's black, so I can still kind line the putter head up wherever I feel is comfortable and then just can use the line on the back of the mallet as sort of a visual aid as far as where I'm stroking it.”
  • Poston went on to capture his first career victory at the 2019 Wyndham Championship a few months after switching.
  • The black GOLO 5 model was also in the bag at the 2022 John Deere Classic.  

MICHAEL KIM DIALS IN GT2 DRIVER, CLOSES IN 62

  • Titleist Brand Ambassador Michael Kim tied his career low with a closing 10-under 62 Sunday in Las Vegas to finish T5 on the final leaderboard and jump 17 spots to No. 112 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings.
  • Kim was cruising off the tee at TPC Summerlin with +3.857 strokes gained on the field (10th), having worked with Titleist Tour Reps the last two weeks to dial in the performance of GT2 11.0° driver (Graphite Design AD DI-6 X shaft).
  • Kim has worked to add swing speed to his game, which necessitated a few adjustments at the top end of his setup.
  • The result was an adjustment to his shaft length (0.5” shorter) and adjustments to CG positioning, which allowed for more consistent spin and flight direction.
  • During his Sunday 62, Kim hit 11 of 14 fairways (T6).

DP WORLD TOUR | Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters

Titleist Brand Ambassador Julien Guerrier prevailed in a marathon nine-hole playoff to earn his first DP World Tour victory.

  • Guerrier, playing his Pro V1 golf ball, NEW GT2 driver, 620 CB irons and SM10 wedges, opened the week with a 10-under 62 on his way to a 21 under total.
  • After his 72-hole total was matched, Guerrier went back to the 18th tee for an all-Pro V1 playoff. Nine holes later, he was a DP World Tour champion for the first time.
  • For the week in Andalucía, Guerrier ranked 3rd in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 1.73 strokes per round.
  • He hit 79% of his greens in regulation (T7) and got up-and-down on 12 of 15 attempts (80%, 5th).
  • The Frenchman also ranked 7th in Driving Distance (308.12).

What’s in the Bag? | Julien Guerrier

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: NEW GT2 9.0° | Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 65 TX
Irons: T100 3 and 620 CB 4-9 | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Vokey Design SM10 46.10F, 52.12F, WedgeWorks 58L | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (46°), S300 (52°-58°)

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS | Dominion Energy Charity Classic

Tim O’Neal (Pro V1 Yellow) closed in 7-under 65 to earn his first career PGA Tour Champions victory, winning by two in Virginia.

  • O’Neal made two clutch birdies over his final three holes, taking care of the par-5 16th and par-5 18th with stellar wedge approaches.
  • For the week, O’Neal ranked 1st in Greens in Regulation (46/54, 85%) and 5th in Driving Distance.
  • Nobody made more birdies than O’Neal (T1, 18) or surrendered fewer bogeys (T1, 3).

PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA | Bowra & O’Dea Nexus Advisernet WA Open

Titleist Brand Ambassador Elvis Smylie broke through with his first professional victory, sticking his Pro V1x golf ball in tight for birdie on the first hole of a playoff to seal the victory.

  • Smylie, also playing a NEW GT3 driver and GT2 fairway, T-Series irons, Vokey SM10 wedges and Scotty Cameron Phantom putter, turned in rounds of 67-64-65-69 to post 19 under before winning on the first extra hole.
  • Smylie’s first win on the PGA Tour of Australasia, which follows a third-place finish at last week’s CKB WA PGA Championship, puts him atop the Order of Merit.
  • For the week at Mandurah Country Club, Titleist was the overwhelming #1 ball, with 81 percent of the field (107 players) teeing up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x.
  • Titleist also accounted for more than half of the drivers, fairways, irons and wedges in play.
  • Each of the top 4 finishers played a Titleist golf ball, driver, T-Series irons and Vokey wedges.

What’s In The Bag? | Elvis Smylie

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: NEW GT3 10.0°
Fairway Metal: NEW GT2 15.0°
Irons: T150 3 and T100 4-9
Wedges: Vokey Design SM10 46.10F, 50.12F, 56.10S, 60.04T
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 11.5

SUNSHINE TOUR | Fortress Invitational

Titleist Brand Ambassador Robin Williams successfully defended his title at the Fortress Invitational, posting 22 under for the week and cruising to a three-shot win.

  • The 23-year-old, gaming his Pro V1 golf ball, NEW GT3 driver and fairway, T100 irons and Vokey SM10 wedges, shot rounds of 64-65-70-67 around Glendower Golf Club to win his third Sunshine Tour title.

What’s in the Bag? | Robin Williams

Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: NEW GT3 10.0°
Fairway Metal: NEW GT3 15.0°
Irons: T100 4-9
Wedges: Vokey Design SM10 46.10F, 50.12F, 54.10S, WedgeWorks 60.06K

KLPGA | Sangsangin HankyungTV Open 2024

Bokyeom Park (Pro V1) closed with a stellar 6-under 66 to erase a four-stroke deficit at the start of the final round and win by one at 15 under.

  • Nine of the 11 players finishing inside the top 10 played a Titleist golf ball. 

JLPGA | NOBUTA GROUP MASTERS GC LADIES

Playing a Pro V1 golf ball, the winner of the Nobuta Group Masters GC Ladies carded a 1-under 71 on Sunday to post 14 under and win by one shot.

  • She also gamed a NEW GT3 9.0° driver, which she switched to two weeks ago from a competitive driver, as well as two TSR3 fairways (15.0°, 18.0°), a TSR3 21.0 hybrid, a T200 4-iron and two Vokey Design SM10 wedges (52°, 58°).

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