Cleveland Golf Blog

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!

Shane Lowry added a big win to his young career on Sunday, winning the European Tour’s Portugal Masters in dramatic fashion. Beginning Sunday’s final round four shots off the lead, he posted a 5-under-par 66 for a 14-under total and a one-stroke victory at Oceanico Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura, Portugal.

The biggest turning point on Sunday came when Lowry made eagle on the par-4 11th hole, holing his 7-iron approach shot from the fairway. He followed that eagle with birdies on the 15th and 17th holes to secure the win.

Lowry, 25, burst onto the scene three years ago when he won the Irish Open as an amateur. The Portugal Masters marks the Irishman’s first win as a professional and makes him only the second golfer ever to win on the European Tour as both an amateur and a professional.

“I cannot believe this,” said Lowry, who won €375,000 ($486,000) and moved to 29th in the Race to Dubai with €727,943 (the top 60 players qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship). “I can’t explain how I feel really. It’s a dream come true, I’m over the moon. I thought this could be my day, and thankfully it is. It was like playing in Ireland. It was crazy, it was great.”

In Lowry’s bag was:

Ball: Srixon Z STAR XV Pure White
Fairway: Launcher FL 3 Wood
Irons: Srixon ZTX2 3-pw
Wedges: 588 Forged

Readers,

What a summer it’s been on the PGA Tour! We can’t think of a better way to bring the exciting season to a close than with the Ryder Cup.

Cleveland Golf/Srixon is fortunate to have two Ryder Cup participants this year. Keegan Bradley will be representing the United States, while Graeme McDowell will be competing for Europe. Both have had great summers filled with amazing highlights, and both look to be major contributors for their teams this week at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, Illinois.

This year will mark the third Ryder Cup appearance for McDowell, a native of Northern Ireland who has a match record of 4-2-2 after competing at Valhalla in 2008 and Celtic Manor in 2010. You may remember the 33-year-old clinching the Cup for the Europeans with a dramatic singles win back in 2010. With his accurate driving, clutch putting and tenacious attitude, the fiery veteran will surely be one to watch this week.

Bradley enters the Ryder Cup as one of four rookies on the American squad. The 26-year-old native of Woodstock, Vt., is No. 14 in the Official World Golf Rankings, still riding the momentum he gained from winning the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last month. He’s already shown a knack for rising to the occasion in high-pressure situations, so this intense competition may fit his game perfectly. Although Bradley lacks professional match-play experience, two of his three PGA Tour victories have come via one-on-one playoffs.

On paper, this Ryder Cup looks as close as any we’ve ever seen.  You can follow a close look at the CG/Srixon staffers on our @CGSrixonTour twitter acount and we want to know who you’re rooting for! Visit our Facebook page and tell us who you think will bring home the Cup this week!

Cleveland Golf/Srixon staffer Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño continued his stellar 2012 European Tour campaign by winning the BMW Italian Open over the weekend. The 31-year-old Spaniard closed with a scorching 8-under-par 64 for a four-day total of 24-under 264, edging Garth Mulroy by two shots at Royal Park I Roveri.

It’s the sixth career European Tour title for Gonzo and second at this event, matching his victory in 2007. He was coming off a tie for fifth last week at the KLM Open and has had two other top-three finishes in 2012.

“I feel as though my game is hitting top form just at the right time of the season to enjoy an excellent finish,” said Fernandez-Castaño.

The victory, worth €250,000, moves Gonzo to 37th in the Official Golf World Rankings and 19th in the Chase To Dubai.

“I can’t wait to get to Dubai for the DP World Tour Championship,” he said after the win. “To be in that elite field for the end-of-year event means you have had a great year. I’ve jumped up many spots with this win, and now I have a chance of finishing in the top 10.”

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño had the following Cleveland Golf/Srixon products in his bag:

Driver: Cleveland HiBore Monster XLS, 9.5°

Fairway Wood: Cleveland Launcher FL, 13°

Irons: Cleveland CG1 Tour Irons, 3-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 Forged, 52° and 58°

Ball: Srixon Z STAR XV

Congratulations to Cleveland Golf/Srixon Staffer, Chris Wilson!  The Web.com Tour member won the Price Cutter Charity Championship in dramatic fashion yesterday, needing a playoff the seal the deal.

Wilson birdied the final hole of regulation to record a 5-under-par 67 and a tournament total of 21-under 267, placing him in a sudden-death playoff for the title. Wilson two-putted for birdie from 12 feet on the first playoff hole to clinch his first victory on the Web.com Tour.

“It’s comforting knowing I can perform when it matters most,” said Wilson, a 27-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, who earned $112,500 for the win and vaulted from No. 165 to No.23 on the money list.

In Chris’ bag was:

Driver: Classic Tour—9.5° with Miyazaki C.KUA 59X

Fairway: Ultralite FL 14° with Miyazaki Blue 83X

Irons: 588 Forged CB 3-PW

Wedges: 588 Forged, 54° and 60°

Ball: Srixon Z-Star

Wow! The first word that comes to mind after Keegan Bradley’s dramatic win at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational is simply…. Wow!

After gaining his first two PGA Tour wins by virtue of playoff, Keegan left nothing to chance this week,closing it out in regulation in dramatic fashion. Bradley made an incredible sand save from the greenside bunker on the 72nd hole to capture his first World Golf Championship title and his first victory of 2012. After hitting it out of the bunker to 15 feet, the 26 year old made a pressure packed putt, something that has started to become all too normal for Bradley.

“It’s amazing to be in that moment and I was loving every second of it.” said Bradley, after coming off the 18th green on Sunday.

Bradley was long and accurate off the tee all week, averaging 320 yards and hitting 65% of his fairways. His long game was highlighted by a 442 yard BOMB on Saturday.

In addition to being another huge win for the second year Tour member, it also guaranteed him a spot on the 2012 Ryder Cup team, moving him from ninth on the money list to fourth. It also moves Bradley from 26th place to 7th place in the FedEx Cup standings.

Bradley now heads to Kiawah Island where he will defend his PGA Championship title. You may remember Keegan coming back from a 5 shot deficit with 3 holes to play in last years PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club, becoming only the 3rd player to win their first career major.

Do you like the momentum that Keegan has going into the PGA Championship?

You can watch Keegan’s Post Round Interview here:

In Keegan’s bag was:

Driver: Cleveland Classic 290 9.0° with Miyazaki Kusala Indigo 61x

Fairway Wood: Cleveland Launcher FL 14° with Kusala Black 83x

Hybrid: Cleveland DST 2i 18.0° with Project X HB2

Hybrid: Cleveland Mashie Hybrid TM3 20.5° with Miyazaki C.Kua Hybrid 83x

Irons: Cleveland CG7 Tour with Dynamic Gold X-100 (+.5″)

Wedges: Cleveland 588 Forged Wedges 54° and 58° degrees with DGS400 (+.5″)

Srixon Z-Star Prototype

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

Raise your hand if you hold a world record. Now keep your hand raised if that world record is in a game that’s centuries old and has been the livelihood of some of the most famous athletes of the last 100 years. Now keep your hand raised if you own the world record for Best Round of Golf Ever Played.

If your hand is raised, your name is Rhein Gibson, and you just shot a new World Record score of 55 on a par-71 golf course in Edmond, Oklahoma. You heard me right, a 16-under par round of 55, shot at River Oaks Golf Club, which plays 6,698 yards. Unthinkable, right? Unimaginable, you say? Nope, just a near-perfect round that featured two eagles, 12 birdies and four pars last Saturday, May 12.

Rhein took time to chat with me on the phone this afternoon from Nebraska, where he’s competing in a National Professional Tour event. Here’s what he had to say:

Cleveland Golf: First of all, congratulations on the round, what an amazing story! Before we get into round details, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Rhein Gibson: I was born in Australia and moved to the States in 2004 when I accepted an offer to play at Oklahoma Christian University. Coach (David) Lynn recruited me and I played for him all four years, graduating in 2008. Since graduation, I’ve been playing mini tours and some international tours. I played the One Asia Tour, and a bit in Australia. Right now, I’m playing the National Professional Tour.

CG: So how does it feel knowing you just set the World Record?

RG: It’s pretty surreal, to be honest with you. The first couple days it didn’t really set in at all. Today the story has gone pretty viral online and my phone has been blowing up, so it has set in a bit. But yeah, it’s just completely surreal.

CG: At what point in the round did you know you had something special?

RG: First of all, I was making every putt I looked at. I could not miss, seriously. When I made the turn at 26 I thought about it for the first time. We played the back nine first, so I made a good birdie on 18 and realized I had shot 26 and just thought ‘Wow, this is unbelievable.’ I knew I needed to make a few more birdies to get into the 50s so I just kept thinking, Don’t screw this up (laughs)! Then the fourth hole (his 13th) is a par 3, uphill. I knocked it really, really close, I thought it was in. It turns out it was 2 inches behind the hole, but still, I knew at that point I just had it going that day.

CG: What was your mindset coming down the stretch?

RG: I wasn’t really nervous to be honest. I play hole-by-hole, so I wasn’t thinking about my score too much. Then, the last two holes are both birdie holes for me, I usually score well on them. I thought if I birdied in I would shot 56, but I was actually wrong. I had miscounted my score and ended up one better than I thought.

CG: Did you make any mistakes or leave any strokes on the course?

RG: Tough to complain (laughs), but if there was one spot it was on the par-5 sixth hole. I hit a Mashie M2 off the tee and had about 220 to the hole. I had a little mud on my ball, and it went way right of where I was aimed. I thought it was out of bounds, actually. I hit a provisional. Well, turns out it was in bounds and I was able to make par. But, it was the only 5 on my scorecard, so maybe it’s a little disappointing.

CG: Tell us about the driver you had in the bag.

RG: Funny story, I had never hit a shot with that driver in my life. I had been playing the (Launcher Ultralite) TL310 and had just got the Classic 290 in the mail the day before. However, it was raining so hard the day before that I hadn’t taken it to the range, and the range was still closed in the morning when I got to the course. So it was a completely new driver to me. It’s amazing, it’s never leaving my bag! I used to say that about the TL310, also, but now the Classic is never leaving my bag!

CG: When you look back, will there be a defining moment in this round?

RG: Probably when I was in the bar after the round. I was sitting there, enjoying it, and my friend’s dad came in and announced to the whole bar and said something like ‘You just shot the best round of all time. In the history of the game, nobody has played any better.’ At that point, I was floored. It was awesome.

So, readers, there you have it. Rhein Gibson becomes the World Record holder for the lowest score ever shot.

In his bag was:

Classic Driver, 9.5* with Miyazaki Kusala Black 66 X
Launcher Ultralite FL 3W, 15*
Mashie M2
588 Forged Irons: CB 3-5, MB 6-9
588 Forged Wedges: 48*, 54* and 58*
Never Compromise Connoisseur Perfecto

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…