Cleveland Golf Blog

Yesterday, Will Wilcox stepped to the first tee at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club with a difficult task in front of him: hold a lead. Wilcox began the day with a seven shot lead at the Web.Com Tour’s South Georgia Classic. How was he able to gain such a commanding lead?

The day before, he came out and shot a course record 9-under par 63, five shots better than anyone else in the field. This amazing round included hole-outs from 135 and 193 yards away, on two of the most difficult holes on the course at that.

Wilcox, a 26-year old from Birmingham, AL, was able to control his nerves to shot a 1-over 73 and take home his first ever win on the Web.Com Tour.  When asked how he felt walking to the 18^th green, he simply stated, “That was sweet…I’ve been dreaming about it my whole life, and here we are.”

This win moved Will to 3^rd on the Web.Com Tour Money List for 2013 and puts him in a great position to earn his PGA Tour card for 2014. Fellow Cleveland staffers Zack Sucher and Michael Putnam both finished 2^nd to Wilcox at -11. All three players used 588 Irons and ROTEX wedges. Everyone at Cleveland Golf congratulates Will and the whole staff on an excellent week in Valdosta.

What’s In The Bag for Will Wilcox

Classic XL Custom Driver (10.5 degrees)

588 MT 3i

588 CB Irons 4-PW

588 Forged Wedges with ROTEX Face Technology (48, 52 & 58 degrees)

Two months after the release of the new 588 RTX Wedges with ROTEX technology, the golf industry is in agreement that these are the best wedges on the market! From GolfWRX to Golf Digest and more, we have complied a list of reviews to show to you, the reader, that ROTEX is a must-have this golf season. We have included written pieces as well as videos talking about the “New Face Of Spin”.

Here’s what people are saying:

GolfWRX Editor’s Review
Golf WRX “Best Wedges of 2013″
Golf Digest “Hot List” 2013
Bunkers Paradise
MyGolfConcierge
PGA.com “Game Changers” (VIDEO)

2013 RBC Heritage Champion Graeme McDowell wearing the Tartan Jacket.

Despite difficult conditions yesterday at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, SC, Graeme McDowell won the 2013 RBC Heritage in a one-hole playoff over Webb Simpson. Battling swirling winds and a four-shot deficit to start the day, G-Mac came out victorious in a legendary final round, taking home the Tartan Jacket and his first PGA Tour victory of the year.

Graeme played a phenomenal final round, in large part due to his ability to scramble around the greens. He finished #1 in scrambling for the event, making Par or better on 19 of 24 missed greens (79.17%), and maintained his position as the #1 Scrambler on the PGA Tour in 2013. A year ago, McDowell was 174th on TOUR in scrambling, but with a dedication to improving his short game and a new 588 RTX wedge with ROTEX face technology in his bag, he has greatly improved his ability around the green.

In addition to his phenomenal scrambling stats, he ranked inside the Top 10 this week in Driving Accuracy (T5), Strokes Gained Putting (6th), and Greens in Regulation (T7). This win also has propelled G-Mac back into the Top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings, currently sitting at #8 on this list. Aside from Graeme’s victory, fellow CG Staffer Jerry Kelly finished in 5th Place and led the field in Driving Accuracy at 82.14%. We want to congratulate Graeme, Jerry, and the whole Cleveland Golf staff on a tremendous week!

After two week and over 350 photo submissions, we want to congratulate Dustin Strickland of Mt. Airy, NC on being the winner of our What’s #MyAugusta Contest! With so many great entries, it was a very difficult decision but Dustin’s photo perfectly epitomized the idea of this contest and the feeling that people have for Augusta. Here is the winning photo (you can also see it on our Instagram):

“Madelyn’s first Masters with Daddy. #MyAugusta.”

His prize is a set of three Custom Augusta-themed wedges (52, 56, and 60 degrees), courtesy of MyCustomWedge. These were complete with KBS Tour Custom White shafts and Green Lamkin 3GEN grips (Pictured below). Thank you to everyone who participated and keep an eye out for more exciting contests from us.

Since it began in 1960, the Par-3 contest has become one of the most storied and endearing traditions at Augusta National every year. Held the Wednesday before competition begins, players traditionally bring their friends and family onto the course to walk alongside them and act as their caddy (or caddies) for the day.

This afternoon, Ted Potter Jr., also know as “The Wizard”, pulled out a win on the second playoff hole of the 2013 Par-3 Contest. Potter Jr., a 29-year old from Ocala, FL, is making his first trip to Augusta after winning the 2012 Greenbriar Classic last July.

As this year’s winner, he will attempt to break the so-called Par-3 winner’s “jinx”, being that the winner has never gone on to take home the big prize.

Here’s who will be representing Cleveland Golf (Thursday tee time [EDT]):

Keegan Bradley (1:41 PM)
Ben Crenshaw (12:24 PM)
Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño (11:40 AM)
Graeme McDowell (9:50 AM)
Larry Mize (8:11 AM)
Ted Potter Jr. (8:33 AM)
Vijay Singh (12:46 PM)
David Toms (8:33 AM)

We want to wish all of our players the best of luck this week at Augusta!

Hello friends.

It is that time of year. The Azaleas are in bloom and the grass is perfectly manicured. That’s right! We are talking about Augusta National and their world famous annual golf tournament.The tradition, the history, the memorable golf tournaments it has produced; We at Cleveland Golf love everything that Augusta offers and represents.

(Random Masters fact: Did you know that Cleveland Golf has won four jackets, in three different decades?)

Having said that, we thought to ourselves, “what could we do that would get people excited?” Then it dawned on us…FREE CLUBS! And not just any free clubs, but an amazing set of Augusta-themed wedges that we made on MyCustomWedge!

We didn’t want to just GIVE these away randomly, we wanted someone with a passion like ours to earn it. So, we decided to have a photo submission contest through Instagram. What type of photo you ask? A photo of what Augusta represents…to YOU. The idea is that it is pretty open-ended, so get creative. Whether it means it is the beginning of golf season, spring has sprung, or time to get your hands on some new Cleveland Golf gear; we want to know what it means to you!

We are so excited to see what everyone comes up with! Start submitting your photos today with #MyAugusta. You can learn more about this exciting contest here and follow us on Instagram.

Keegan after his win at the 2012 Bridgestone Invitational

This week, after finished tied for Third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, our own Keegan Bradley has moved into the Top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in his career.

Keegan joined the Cleveland Golf / Srixon team in 2008 after an illustrious college career at St. John’s University, which included nine collegiate wins. He then spent three years on the NGA Hooters and Nationwide Tours before earning his PGA Tour card in 2011. That same year, he went on to win the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club and became one of only three players in the history of golf to win the first Major they competed in. With his PGA Championship win, along with a win at the Byron Nelson Championship, he earned the 2011 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

Keegan with the Wanamaker Trophy in 2011

He is currently leading the PGA Tour with four Top 10 finishes in 2013 and is sitting at Number 11 on the Money List. He will be competing in this week’s Shell Houston Open, where he earned yet another Top 5 finish in 2012. Please join us in congratulating Keegan on his momentous accomplishment.

Last Monday, PGA Tour player Charlie Beljan made his way out to Orange County National in Orlando, FL to conduct a clinic for some avid golfers. He spoke on a multitude of subjects including how he got into golf, what is in his bag, his favorite golf shots, and tips to help improve your game. He answered questions from the crowd, displayed his ability to hit booming drive of 320+ yards, and even signed autographs and posed for pictures. Charlie has always been a man of the people and really enjoyed getting to interact with the group.

You can see some pictures from the event and a video of him talking about his new favorite clubs: the 588 MT irons. He said about these irons “…I’d really like to have them throughout my whole set, but they just go too far and I wouldn’t want to embarrass everyone out there.”

This week, Cleveland Golf / Srixon tour player Charlie Beljan will be featured on the hit NBC news show, Rock Center with Brian Williams. The feature will shed light on Charlie and his battle with panic attacks.

His situation became public knowledge during last year’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in Lake Buena Vista, FL. He suffered a severe panic attack during the 2^nd Round of the event, but was able to recover and went on to claim his first ever PGA Tour victory.

See a preview of the interview with Mary Carillo here: http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/13/17299824-pro-golfer-charlie-beljan-on-suffering-a-panic-attack-during-a-pga-tournament

Follow Charlie on Twitter: @charliebeljan. Make sure to tune in on Friday, March 15^th at 10pm/9CDT on NBC.

As a leader in wedge manufacturing and technology, Cleveland Golf is always striving to create new and innovative tools to help you utilize your wedges more effectively. Since golfers hit more shots inside of 120 yards than anywhere else on the course, it is vital to build the perfect wedge mix in order to shoot lower scores and play more enjoyable golf.

Recently, we released a brand new, state of the art Fitting System, which features interchangeable wedge heads that provide a multitude of loft, bounce, lie angle and model options, and are accompanied by a variety of interchangeable wedge shafts. As one of the only companies in the industry to have this feature available, you now have the ability to get fit for new wedges, just as you would with irons. Our Wedge fitting process is broken down into four main segments: Model, Loft Mix, Bounce Angles, and Custom Options.

1. Model: Choosing the model wedge you are looking for is the first step in creating your perfect wedge mix. This is where you decide if you are looking for a more forgiving wedge, like the 588 RTX CB, or a more versatile option, like the 588 RTX.

2. Loft Spacing: You want to build a wedge mix that creates an even distribution (which is ideally 4-6 degrees) between clubs. Based on the loft of your current Pitching Wedge, you will be able to build out a mix of at least three wedges that will work in collaboration with your irons to cover all distances into the green. For example, if you have a 46 degree PW, you could use a wedge mix of 52, 56, and 60 degrees.

3. Bounce Angle: Bounce is subjective to a player’s attack angle and the conditions that you play. This may include turf conditions, climate, type of bunkers, etc. For this, you should talk with your fitter and clearly explain what your home course is like. For firmer conditions or a shallow attack, you make want a lower bounce wedge. For someone with a steeper attack or who plays in softer condition, a higher bounce option may be best. Here is a diagram of the three bounce options:

4. Custom Options: The custom options available in our Fitting System would include length/loft/lie adjustments, custom shafts, and custom grips. Our carts include a multitude of shaft options from top shaft manufacturers like True Temper, KBS, Project X, Miyazaki, and more.

After going through this fitting, you will have created a mix that will help improve your play into and around the green, resulting in lower scores and more enjoyable golf. Learn more about our wedge fitting in the video below featuring Product Manager, Brian Schielke.