The winner of the Dubai Desert Classic cruised to a four-shot victory, posting rounds of 69-66-67-72 to capture his fourth DPWT title and first Rolex Series victory.
The 2018 Masters Tournament winner was in full control of his Pro V1x golf ball, ranking first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green (+12.08).
This week in Dubai, the champion also returned to his Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 1.5 tour prototype – which he used to win his last two PGA TOUR victories (2020 WGC-Mexico Championship, 2021 Farmers Insurance Open) – rolling in 18 birdies (T2) to lead the field in Scoring Average (68.5).
DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC CHAMP LEADS 1-2-3 SWEEP FOR PLAYERS GAMING TITLEIST GOLF BALLS, GT DRIVERS, VOKEY WEDGES
The Dubai Desert Classic champion led a 1-2-3 finish for players gaming Titleist golf balls, GT drivers and Vokey Design wedges, as Titleist Brand Ambassadors Andy Sullivan and Julien Guerrier finished second and third, respectively.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball in Dubai with 90 players (71%) teeing up a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, more than six times the nearest competitor (14). Titleist was also the most played driver (39/31%), iron (32/25%) and wedge (201/41%) in the 126-player field.
Thirty-four players added at least one new SM11 wedge to their setup – including runner-up Sullivan (WedgeWorks 60K*) and third-place finisher Guerrier (46.10F, 52.12F, WedgeWorks 58V) – with a total of 98 SM11 models going immediately into play in Dubai.
WITB | Hero Dubai Desert Classic Champion:
Titleist Pro V1x golf ball
GT3 9.0 driver | Aldila Rogue Silver 125 MSI 70 TX
Vokey Design SM10 56.08M, 60.04T wedges | True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 1.5 tour prototype putter
WITB | Andy Sullivan (2nd Place):
Titleist Pro V1 golf ball
GT3 10.0 driver | Fujikura Ventus Blue TR 6 X
GT1 14.5 fairway | Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 X
GT2 18.0 fairway | Fujikura Ventus Blue TR 8 X
T200 4-iron | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
NEW T100 5-6 irons | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
620 CB 7-P irons | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Vokey Design SM10 50.12F, 54.10S, NEW SM11 WedgeWorks 60K* wedges | Dynamic Gold S400
WITB | Julien Guerrier (3rd Place):
Titleist Pro V1 golf ball
GT2 9.0 driver | Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 65 TX
GT2 15.0 fairway | Mitsubishi Diamana WB 73 TX
TSi3 18.0 hybrid | Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 100HY TX
NEW T250 3-iron | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
NEW T100 4-9 irons | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
NEW Vokey Design SM11 46.10F, 52.12F, WedgeWorks 58V wedges | Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (46), KBS Tour 130 X (52), KBS Tour Hi-Rev 2.0 Wedge 125 S (58)
PGA TOUR
Event: The American Express (Pete Dye Stadium Course/La Quinta Country Club/Nicklaus Tournament Course)
Winning score: 27-under 261
Winner’s WITB: Titleist Pro V1 golf ball; Vokey Design SM8 50.12F, 56.14F, SM10 60.06K wedges
The champion, who has used his Pro V1 golf ball and a full set of Vokey Design wedges for every one of his PGA TOUR wins, is the second youngest player to reach the 20-win mark. He also did so in the second fewest number of starts (151).
On Sunday, he gained +1.880 strokes around the green (4th) on his way to closing 6-under 66.
RYAN GERARD’S RUN CONTINUES AT AMEX
Nobody went lower than Titleist Brand Ambassador Ryan Gerard this weekend (64-65), as he vaulted up the leaderboard to finish T2 at 23 under. Gerard’s runner-up finish comes on the heels of two solo-second results in his prior two worldwide starts: last week’s Sony Open and the DP World Tour’s Mauritius Open in December.
His performance in Mauritius earned him a spot in the Masters, as he climbed inside the top 50 in the OWGR by year’s end. After this week, he is projected to rise to a career-best No. 23.
WITB | Ryan Gerard
Titleist Pro V1 golf ball
GT3 11.0 driver | Fujikura Ventus Black TR 6 X
T200 4-iron | Mitsubishi MMT Hybrid 100 TX
T100 5-9 irons | KBS C-Taper 125 S+
Vokey Design SM9 46.10F, 50.08F, NEW SM11 54.10S, SM9 60.08M wedges | KBS C-Taper 125 S+ (46), Dynamic Gold S300 (50-60)
Scotty Cameron Phantom 3 tour prototype putter
VOKEY SM11 IS MOST PLAYED WEDGE IN FIRST WEEK ON TOUR
Earning immediate validation at the game’s highest level, Titleist’s new Vokey Design SM11 wedges debuted this week on the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour — immediately becoming the most played wedge model at both events.
In their first opportunity to game Vokey SM11’s in competition on the PGA TOUR, 52 players in the field at The American Express put at least one new SM11 right in the bag.
Many of them moved to full sets, including Russell Henley (48.10F, 50.08F, 54.10S, 60.04T), Ludvig Åberg (50.08F, 54.10S, WedgeWorks 60L), Johnny Keefer (46.10F, 50.12F, 54.10S, 60.04T), David Ford (46.10F, 50.12F, 54.10S, 60.04T), Michael Brennan (46.10F, 50.12F, 54.10S, 60.04T), Davis Riley (46.10F, 50.08F, 56.08M, WedgeWorks 60L), S.H. Kim (52.08F, 56.10S, WedgeWorks 60K*) and the 2025 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters champion (44.10F, 50.08F, 54.12D, 60.04T).
In total, there were 149 new SM11 wedges in play in La Quinta. That includes 121 gap, sand and lob wedges — more than double the nearest competitor’s total number (60). Twenty-eight players also used Vokey SM11 pitching wedges, with two players gaming the new 44.10F model.
Of all the gap, sand and lob wedges in play this week in the desert, 56% (260 wedges) of them are Vokey Design, more than four times the nearest competitor (53).
Vokey wedges have been the most played wedge on the PGA TOUR since 2004.
