Stricker’s 63 leads Senior Players after Round 1

Titleist has officially launched its T-series (T100, T200 and T300), 620 MB and 620 CB irons to the public, after recently launching its new U500 and U510 irons), as well as its TS hybrids. The T100, 620 MB and 620 CB irons first launched on the PGA TOUR at the 2019 U.S. Open, while the T200 and T300 irons first appeared at the 2019 Travelers Championship. PGA TOUR players have been using Titleist’s new irons since they launched, but until now, Titleist has remained quiet about retail dates, design details and pricing. With today’s announcement from Titleist, all of those details are now public. According to Titleist, the 620-series nomenclature is a nod to former 600-series forged blades released in the early-to-mid 2000’s. The T-series, on the other hand, is a separation from the past. After 11 years, Titleist is replacing the AP-series with the T-series. “The T-Series represents a revolutionary step forward in Titleist iron design and technology,� said Josh Talge, Titleist’s Vice President of Golf Club Marketing, in a press release. “Our Club R&D team is nearly six times the size it was when the first AP iron was introduced 11 years ago. It’s because of that ongoing investment that we’ve been able to make such significant breakthroughs in materials and construction, and learn how to package those technologies into constructions that offer the look, sound and feel that players expect from a Titleist iron.� Below, we take a look at what’s different with all of the new iron designs. The T100, T200, T300, 620 MB and 620 CB irons will all be available for fittings on August 8, and they will hit golf shops on August 30; read on for further information about each of the irons. T100 The T100 irons were developed based on direct feedback from TOUR players, including Jordan Spieth. They have a fully forged, dual-cavity construction, and they have an average of 66 grams of Tungsten in each head that’s placed in the heel and toe sections of the iron heads for added stability. Compared to the previous AP2 irons, the T100 faces are constructed thinner for higher ball speed across the face. Since these irons are made with TOUR players in mind, they have thin toplines, minimal offset, and camber on the sole to improve turf interaction. Throughout the sets (3-PW, W50), there are progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths to ensure CG (center of gravity) is in the right spot for each head. “With T100 we wanted to build an iron that delivers incredible performance and perfectly suits the player’s eye,� said Marni Ines, Director of Titleist Irons Development, Golf Club R&D, in a press release. “This is a precision product. It’s not about hitting it the furthest, it’s about hitting it that exact distance each and every time, being able to work the ball when necessary and having that pure look and feel that the best players in the world demand.� The T100 irons come stock with True Temper AMT Tour White steel shafts, or Mitsubishi Tensei White AM2 graphite shafts. They will sell for $175 per club in steel ($1,399 for a set of 8 clubs), or $187.50 per club in graphite ($1,499 for a set of 8). T200 and T300 Both the T200 and T300 irons are made with what the company is calling “Max Impact� technology, which is a design that was developed in partnership with Titleist Golf Ball R&D. To increase speed across the faces without sacrificing sound or feel, Titleist is putting polymer cores behind the faces, allowing them to be constructed thinner; this allows for more speed, consistent distances, and higher launch angles, according to Ines. “Max Impact allows us to make thinner, faster faces that push the limits of iron ball speed,� Ines said. “With this system in place, we’re able to take our materials and make them thinner and faster to maximize speed across the face, and help give us the launch angle we need to deliver more consistent distances on every swing.� The T200 irons are “player’s distance irons,� according to Titleist, while the T300 irons are a “player’s improvement iron.� Made for players who want distance without sacrificing looks, feel, trajectory or stopping power, the T200 irons have thin toplines and camber on the soles for better turf interaction. The also have SUP-10 L-Face inserts, and they use an average of 90 grams of Tungsten in each head to lower CG for higher launch. The T300 irons, which have a larger profile than the T200 irons, are made for maximum distance and forgiveness. They have an average of 52 grams of Tungsten in each head to lower CG. Both the T200 (4-PW, W48) and T300 (4-PW, W48, W53) iron sets have progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths. The T200 irons will sell for $175 per club in steel ($1,399 for a set of 8 clubs), or $187.50 per club in graphite ($1,499 for a set of 8). Stock shaft offerings will be True Temper AMT Black steel shafts or Mitsubishi Tensei Blue AM2 graphite shafts. The T300 irons will sell for $125 per club ($999 for a set of 8) in steel or $137.50 per club in graphite ($1,099 per set of 8). Stock shafts will be True Temper AMT Red steel shafts and Mitsubishi Tensei Red AM2 graphite shafts. 620 MB and 620 CB Due to the increased number of players switching into mixed irons sets, Titleist has matched the head profiles of the 620 MB and 620 CB irons, and each of the sets have progressive designs; the blade lengths are shorter in the short irons and longer in the long irons. The 3- and 4-irons of the CB sets, however, use Tungsten to improve ball speed and forgiveness.   “Our ability to use co-forged high-density tungsten in such a compact blade size like 620 CB is extremely powerful, especially at the long end of the set where players need the most help with launch and forgiveness,� said Marni Ines, Director, Titleist Irons Development. “We’ve seen many MB players gravitate toward mixed sets particularly because that combination of performance and workability in the CB 3- and 4- irons is so compelling. At the same time, with mixed sets becoming so common, we matched the profiles and blade lengths of 620 CB and MB so that players can start blending at any point in the set without making any sacrifices.� The MB heads, on the other hand, are all one-piece forgings made from 1025 carbon steel. They have a brushed chrome finish, and the labeling on the irons was kept intentionally simple based on TOUR feedback. “One request we started to hear over and over from both pros and amateurs was to make MB as clean as possible,� Talge said. “Really the only way to do that was to remove any ‘MB’ graphic, leaving only the Titleist script on the back of the club head. MB players know what an MB is, so that’s what we did.� The 620 CB irons (3-PW) will come stock with Project X LZ steel shafts, while the 620 MB irons (3-PW) will come stock with Project X steel shafts; both offerings will come stock with Mitsubishi Tensei White AM2 graphite shafts. They will sell for $175 per club ($1,399 for a set of 8) in steel and $187.50 per club in graphite ($1,499). Related: See more photos of each iron here.

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Bagdad, Florida – the hometown of Bubba Watson – is about 225 miles south of Talladega Superspeedway and about 430 miles west of Daytona International Speedway. In some ways, it’s in the heart of NASCAR country, certainly in the middle of its two most popular racetracks. Yet Watson was well past his 30th birthday and still had never attended a race. Oh, he had interest. He remembers watching back in the days when the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. was in his prime. Watson’s father was a big Jeff Gordon fan, too. But it was approximately 10 years ago when Watson discovered that Denny Hamlin – then an emerging NASCAR star – was a golf nut. Hamlin also played left-handed, just like Watson. And Hamlin also, like Watson, was born in Florida. So Bubba reached out to the driver on social media, just to touch base, say hello. The result? A decade-long friendship that’s been built on two sports – sports, by the way, that each rely heavily on a driver – and careers that have each blossomed during that time. Watson, a 12-time PGA TOUR winner with two Masters wins. Hamlin, a 38-time NASCAR Cup winner with three Daytona 500 wins, including the most recent one in February. In that decade, the two have played countless rounds of golf together, and Hamlin has taken Watson – who famously bought the General Lee from “The Dukes of Hazardâ€� fame – to stock car races around the country. Plus, Hamlin got to caddie for Watson in the Par-3 Contest at the 2012 Masters that his good friend went on to win. “So, it’s just one of the things that reached out because of common bonds, I guess you would say,â€� Watson said this week. “We’re sports fanatics and we also both play golf left-handed, right? And we’re fun. I would consider him fun-loving and obviously loves to give back. And that’s the same thing I would consider myself. … “It’s just one of those random things on social media that we kind of connected.â€� Thus, in some ways, partnering for the ALL IN Challenge was a no-brainer, too — golf, stock car racing and two long-time buddies helping to raise money to benefit America’s food insecure during this frightening pandemic. In a matter of days, Watson and Hamlin had put together a one-of-a-kind experience to auction off. “Bubba is a good friend of mine, so when we heard about the ALL IN Challenge, we thought it would be cool to auction an experience that combines our two sports, golf and racing,â€� Hamlin said. Hamlin wanted a foursome to be part of the prize, so Watson suggested the two of them host the winner and a guest at the ultra-exclusive Grove XXIII, Michael Jordan’s private golf course in Hobe Sound, Florida. PING will fit and provide custom clubs while Watson is offering up his own Richard Mille Aviator watch, which by itself is worth over $150,000. But the two weren’t through yet. Whoever wins the auction can take three of his or her friends to the 2021 Daytona 500 where they will meet Hamlin (the reigning two-time champ) and take a ride-along with him on the track. Also included are four seats in the FedEx pit box, as well as a signed race-worn helmet or fire suit. “If you’re a race fan, that has a little bit of like in golf, it’s a great thing,â€� Watson said. “If you’re a golfer who likes racing a little bit, it’s a great thing. If you’re just a sports person in general, it’s a great thing because you’re talking about two different sports worlds. “He’s won Daytona three times. And I’ve won of the Masters twice, so you’re talking about some people that have had some great experiences that you’re going to get to spend five hours with at a course. And then you’re going to get to see my side of it, you’re going to get to see from his side of it at a historic place at Daytona, which is unbelievable in itself.â€� So far, the bidding is up to $160,000 with less than a week remaining in the auction. The proceeds of the ALL IN Challenge benefit five different organizations that service the hungry – Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, America’s Food Fund, World Central Kitchen and Feeding America. Watson remembers helping at local food banks supported by the Waste Management Phoenix Open when he lived in Arizona, so the cause hits close to home. And he knows the coronavirus pandemic has put so many people out of work, people who now must wonder where their next meal will come from. “How would you not want to bless people and try to bless them as much as you can?â€� Watson said. “And this is a no-brainer that the charity organization that the money would go to in this time.â€� Including all auctions, the ALL IN Challenge has raised more than $15 million. But you don’t have to be a high-roller to participate. There are more than 80 sweepstakes where as little as a $10 donation puts you in a drawing to be a co-host on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,â€� or have a walk-on role in a Martin Scorsese movie starring Leonardo DeCaprio and Robert DeNiro, or have a speaking role in an episode of “This is Usâ€� next year or sign a one-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks – among many other things. “So, when you think about $15 million, that was, as of a week ago, nobody was even thinking about putting this money towards something like this,â€� Watson said. “… I think these auctions will go up a little bit in time, and the more people understand them, and the more people know that you could put in $10 to have a chance to be on the Ellen show, have a chance to be in a movie. “That’s small peanuts, but $10 goes a long way when you’re talking about providing a couple dinners or lunches for kids, or for anybody in need at this moment.â€� Interestingly, while Watson and Hamlin – who’s quite the trash-talker, his TOUR-playing buddy is quick to point out — have played many rounds of golf together, they’ve never ventured out on the racetrack like the winner of the auction is going to get to do. Surprisingly, Watson isn’t exactly a thrill-seeker … at least when it comes to stock cars doing close to 200 mph. “I’ve joked about this before,â€� Watson said. “I live here in Pensacola, Florida where the Blue Angels are. And the Blue Angels, they always ask, ‘Hey, you want to go up in the plane?’ And I’m like, ‘No, y’all are crazy.’ “And with Denny, it’s the same way. He goes, ‘Oh man, we’ll come off the railing, or the wall, we’ll be two inches off the wall. You won’t have anything to worry about.’ I was like, ‘Two inches off the wall at a hundred-and-something miles an hour? No. I will not do it.’â€� Lately, Watson has been content staying at home with his wife Angie and their two young children, Caleb and Dakota. He says it’s brought them closer together as a family and that he and his wife have grown as a couple, as parents and in their faith. In addition to getting into a routine with schoolwork, there’s been time to take the boat out and fish or ride the jet skis and those kayak-paddleboard hybrids they have. “And I jumped on the trampoline more than I’ve ever jumped in my life,â€� Watson said with a chuckle. A week or so ago, Watson and Caleb, who’s 8 years old, went out and played golf together. Watson also owns a driving range, but it’s closed – although he’s hit balls for a total of perhaps 40 minutes during the three times he’s been there to check that it’s still being mowed and maintained correctly. “The golf course is doing all their precautions as much as they can, with the cups upside down so the ball doesn’t go in the hole,â€� Watson said. “But we walked, he actually got a pull cart out and he put his bag on the pull cart and he pushed, and it was the first time me and him played nine holes without any complaints. “Normally kids at that age, they’re tired, they want a snack, they want water. But he never complained, and he played every shot. I think he had a blast. Maybe it was just because we’d been in the house locked up for over 20 days at that point.â€� Watson has been treating this time away from the PGA TOUR as he would his winter break. He been able to recharge his batteries and he’s starting to miss the game. More serious sessions in the gym and the practice range will begin in the next few weeks with a potential start date looming for the Charles Schwab Challenge in June. “I’m starting to get the itch, missing all sports, but I’m starting to get the itch of wanting to play and get back out there,â€� Watson said. “And we have to gear up. And as an athlete, you have to gear up like you’re going to play June 8th. Now obviously different things can develop and cause a delay again, but I have to prepare like we’re definitely going June 8th.â€� In other words, he hopes to put the pedal to the metal, as his good friend might say. To participate in the ALL IN Challenge auction for the Watson-Hamlin experience, click here, or to view all ALL IN Challenge auction items, click here.

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