Cleveland Golf Blog

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!

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!

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.

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.

What makes golf such an incredible game is the incredible range of emotions and achievements that come with it. Spirit. Determination. Passion. Victory. Cleveland Golf staffers experienced all of these feelings and more in 2012, making it one of the most memorable years in recent memory and living proof of How The Game Should Feel.

Following his breakthrough 2011 season, Keegan Bradley played with tremendous fire and focus in 2012. The 26-year-old validated his superstar status by winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and wowed millions of viewers with a dominant effort at the Ryder Cup.

Graeme McDowell returned to the winner’s circle at the World Challenge. The native of Northern Ireland truly is a gritty competitor whose future remains very bright, especially after becoming engaged to his longtime girlfriend just before winning.

Proving that dreams really can come true, two talented rookies, Ted Potter Jr. and Charlie Beljan, notched their first career PGA Tour wins in dramatic style – Potter in a playoff at The Greenbrier Classic, Beljan at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic after overcoming an on-course panic attack.

There were plenty of other highlights. George McNeill won the Puerto Rico Open. Australian Cameron Percy graduated from the Web.com Tour to the PGA Tour, while Steve LeBrun, Steven Bowditch and Tag Ridings advanced through the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School. And let’s not forget Aussie Rhein Gibson, whose 16-under-par round of 55 may have been the lowest score in golf. Ever.

At Cleveland Golf, our staffers’ accomplishments keep pushing us to create the best equipment on the market. We want to ensure that they, along with all golfers around the world, continue to hit amazing shots so they can continue to experience amazing feelings in golf.

It was a banner year for Cleveland Golf. The Classic Driver was a hit with tour players and amateurs alike, and 588 Forged wedges redefined the standard for feel and precision. Now that golfers have had a chance to experience the advanced performance of Rotex Technology – “The New Face of Spin” – there’s no telling how much more we can do to improve the short game and promote lower scores.

You’ll just have to see what’s next. We thank you so much for your support this year and will see you in 2013.

What was your favorite moment of 2012? What is your bold prediction for 2013?

G-Mac is back in the winner’s circle!

Congratulations to Cleveland Golf/Srixon staffer Graeme McDowell for capturing the World Challenge Presented by Northwestern Mutual over the weekend at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. McDowell locked up the title in style with birdies on two of his last three holes for a
4-under-par 68 and a 17-under total.

After coming so close so many times over the last two years, McDowell, the 33-year-old native of Portrush, Northern Ireland, notches his first victory since winning the same event in 2010.

“This event has been incredibly good to me. This one feels even more amazing,” said McDowell. “It just puts me in a nicer frame of mind going into the offseason.”

The win caps an eventful end of 2012 for McDowell, as he recently became engaged to girlfriend Kristin Stape. He popped the question last month on the helipad of the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, about 700 feet above ground.

Fellow Cleveland Golf/Srixon staffer Keegan Bradley, who was paired with McDowell in the final round, finished three strokes behind in second. The 26-year-old Bradley shot a 3-under 69, ensuring he and his playing partner were the only ones in the elite 18-player field to post all four rounds
in the 60s.

Both players trusted their Cleveland/Srixon equipment to own the top two spots — McDowell earned $1,000,000, while Bradley took home $500,000.

McDowell and Bradley have each recorded wins with their prototype Srixon Z-STAR golf balls. Bradley plays the Z-STAR, and McDowell plays the Z-STAR XV. Both also game Cleveland 588 Forged wedges and a Cleveland Classic 290 driver.

See a full list of the Cleveland/Srixon equipment below.

So, who’s going to win more in 2013: GMac or Keegan? Tell us!

In Graeme McDowell’s bag:

Driver: Cleveland Classic 290 (9.0°)

3-Wood: Cleveland Launcher FL (14.0°) with Miyazaki Dromos 83X shaft

Irons: Srixon Z-TX II, 4-9

Wedges: Cleveland 588 Forged (48°, 52° and 58°)

Ball: Srixon Z-STAR XV Prototype

In Keegan Bradley’s bag:

Driver: Cleveland Classic 290 (9.0°) with Miyazaki Kusala
Indigo 61X shaft

3-Wood: Cleveland Launcher FL (14.0°) with Miyazaki Kusala
Black 83X shaft

Hybrids: Cleveland Launcher DST (18°) and Cleveland Mashie
(20.5°) with Miyazaki C. Kua Hybrid 83X shaft

Irons: Cleveland CG7 Tour, 4-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 Forged (54° and 58°)

Ball: Srixon Z-STAR Prototype

Talk about a storybook ending.

In the place “Where Dreams Come True,” Cleveland Golf staffer Charlie Beljan pulled off an unforgettable win to cap the 2013 PGA Tour season.

Earlier this month at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Beljan, a 28-year-old rookie, needed a strong finish at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic to jump inside the top 125 on the money list and retain his card for next year. He did that and more, besting the field with a 16-under-par total to earn $846,000 and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

Beljan gained international notoriety for how he won, persevering through shortness of breath, a racing heart and a massive headache throughout the week. He particularly struggled to keep himself together during the second round, during which he gained the lead with a stellar 64.

The Mesa, Ariz., native overcame his nerves and held off the field with a power game off the tee and a deft short-game touch.

His first career PGA Tour victory also marked the first win for Cleveland Golf’s Rotex Face Technology. In Beljan’s bag were 52, 56, and 60-degree models of Cleveland’s new 588 RTX CB wedge, which features the most advanced spin technology ever created by the wedge leader. It combines three huge performance features – 16% larger grooves, enhanced laser milling and the Rotex Face Pattern – to generate more spin for more control and confidence from the widest variety of conditions.

Beljan also gamed a 9-degree Classic 290 Driver, leading the field with a driving average of 307.4 yards. For the year, he averaged 311.6 yards, second on the PGA Tour. Also in Beljan’s bag were Cleveland 588 Forged CB irons (4-PW), a Gold Medal winner in Golf Digest’s 2012 Hot List.

This win capped another memorable PGA Tour season for Cleveland Golf, in which three other staffers – Keegan Bradley, Ted Potter Jr., and George McNeill – claimed victories. Cleveland Golf tour professionals all over the world continue to trust the uncompromising performance of Cleveland products to play their best inside the ropes.

What will you remember most from 2012? Beljan? Bradley? Potter? Let us know!

Readers,

What a weekend on the PGA Tour!

In a magnificent display of golf, Cleveland Golf staffer and PGA Tour rookie Ted Potter Jr. won The Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia for his first career victory! Potter, who bested fellow Cleveland Golf staffer Troy Kelly with a birdie on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff, finished regulation with an eagle on 17 and a birdie on 18 to force extra holes.

Potter was firing on all cylinders, posting scores of 69-67-64-64 to finish at 16-under par. The 28-year-old native of Ocala, Fla., led the field in putting and tied for third in fairways hit (80.4 percent) while averaging over 304 yards off the tee with his Cleveland Classic Tour Driver. He managed only four bogeys and was perfect in sand saves thanks to his Cleveland 588 Forged Wedges.

Potter has a true journeyman story, having catapulted up the ranks in the last 15 months.  At the start of 2011 Potter only had status on the NGA Tour (formerly the Hooters Tour) and had to Monday Qualify for a Web.com Tour event that he would eventually go on to win.  He paired that win with one other, and secured a high enough status on the Web.com Tour to make the jump to the PGA Tour this year.  Not only did this win net the left-hander a check for $1,098,000 and a two-year PGA Tour exemption, it vaulted him from 167th to 42nd on the money list.

Kelly also had many highlights this week, among them a third-round 62 to tie for low score of the week honors along with Cleveland Golf staffer Charlie Beljan. The 33-year-old Kelly finished the week 11th in driving distance, averaging 314.9 yards off the tee with his Cleveland Classic 290 Driver.

One of Sunday’s most incredible moments was when Beljan holed a 58-foot flop shot for birdie on the 13h hole, providing a dramatic spinning fist pump en route to his T3 finish!

So as you can tell, it was a huge weekend for these fantastic tour professionals and all of us at Cleveland Golf!

Tell us your biggest highlight of the week!

In The Bag This Week

Ted Potter, Jr:

Driver: Classic Tour, 10.5 degrees, Miyazaki Kusala Black 61X

3-Wood: Cleveland Composite 15 degrees, Aldila Voodoo 80X

Hybrids: Mashie 2i and 3i, Miyazaki Kusala 83X

Irons: CG1 Tour 4-PW, Dynamic Golf X100 Shafts

Wedges: 588 Forged, 54 and 60 degrees, Dynamic Gold S400

Troy Kelly:

Driver: Classic 290, 10.5 degrees, Miyazaki Kusala Silver 61X

Irons: CG7 Gold Irons 5-PW

Wedges: 588 Forged, 50, 56, and 60 degrees, Dynamic Gold S400

Charlie Beljan:

Driver: Classic Driver, Miyazaki C. Kua 59X

Irons: 588 Forged CB Irons, 3-PW

Wedges: 588 Forged, 52, 56 and 60 degrees

Ball: Srixon Z-STAR 3 Prototype

I’ve been coming to Augusta National Golf Club as a Cleveland Golf/Srixon representative for seven years now. With all of the rich history and the course’s unmatched condition and beauty, Masters week is flat-out special. We are very lucky to have the opportunity to come here for a few days in April year after year.

With past champions having a lifetime invitation, our staff list for Masters week was a cool mix of Masters legends and current stars. We have five former champions playing our Srixon golf ball this week: Vijay Singh, Larry Mize, Craig Stadler, Ben Crenshaw and Sandy Lyle. We also have Keegan Bradley, Graeme McDowell, David Toms, and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in this prestigious field.

We were able to get a few thoughts from Crenshaw on his 41st Masters appearance:

Cleveland Golf/Srixon: Welcome back to Augusta. How does it feel to be back?

Ben Crenshaw: By virtue of the fact that I won the Masters, I always look forward to coming here in the spring. It really is different than any other tournament. You watch springtime unfold and it’s just beautiful.

CGS: The old saying is you learn something new every time you play this course. Is that still the case for you after all these years?

BC: I still do, absolutely. I’ve played this tournament over 40 times. It’s just an amazing piece of land. It has something to do with the undulation and change of elevation on the holes. You can still get fooled going uphill or downhill.

CGS: You’re regarded as one of the best putters in history. Do you change anything in your putting when you come here?

BC: Well, you still have to putt the ball. Like I said before, the greens fool you, as everyone here knows. You have to have a great respect for these greens or they’ll get you.

With our staffers spending the majority of their preparation time playing the course and practicing, there wasn’t much club work done this week. We made fresh 588 Forged Wedges for Keegan Bradley early in the week — complete with the colors of his alma mater, St. John’s University — and checked the lofts and lies on his irons. On Tuesday, we cut down David Toms’s Never Compromise Limited Dinero Tycoon putter a half-inch to allow for a little more arm hang at address. Otherwise, he’s really happy with his gear.

One of the cooler moments of the week was when Keegan had his mother, Kaye, caddy for him in the annual Par 3 contest. She was fired up and even got to hit a shot (with a Mashie hybrid, I might add). So neat for them to be able to share that moment!

‘Til next week…

It was a busy few days for us in Orlando, Fla. While the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational was gearing up on Monday and Tuesday at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, some of the best players in the world were competing just down the road at Lake Nona Golf Club for the annual Tavistock Cup.

The Tavistock Cup is a match between four high-end private clubs in Florida and the marquee tour players that represent them. Besides featuring amazing golf, it has raised more than $7 million for charity in its brief history. Cleveland Golf/Srixon had three players in this exclusive event: Graeme McDowell, Soren Kjeldsen, and Robert Allenby. One of our tour representatives was fortunate to snag a really tough ticket and was there for the festivities. Check out some of his photos on Facebook.
Back over at Bay Hill, it was business as usual for the rest of our staff. With only two weeks remaining until the Masters, guys who know they’ll be playing at Augusta National start to think ahead just a little bit. Some will start to experiment with lower-bounce wedges for Augusta’s super tight fairways, others will have an “Augusta Driver” built that might fly a bit higher and be easier to turn right-to-left since the course calls for that shot quite often. Those little “projects” are always fun.

Bay Hill is in immaculate condition. It’s greener than I’ve ever seen it, and the thick rough will definitely play a factor. Most work this week was normal maintenance aside from some of the Augusta prep work for McDowell and Vijay Singh. GMac got off to a slow start Thursday with an even-par 72, but bounced back with a 9-under 63 Friday to put himself in the thick of the title hunt.

We have some guys really feeling good about their games at the moment, so we’re looking forward to watching some good golf this week! Next week we head West for the Shell Houston Open, the final tune-up before the Masters.

‘Til next week…