(Please visit the site to view this video)

Titleist Brand Ambassador Zach Johnson’s victory at John Deere Classic turned out to be anything but routine.

After four rounds of solid play at TPC Deere Run, Zach, the local favorite, found himself in a playoff with fellow Pro V1x loyalist Troy Matteson. On the first playoff hole, both players found the water and ended up making bogeys to force another hole of sudden death.

While Troy found the middle of the fairway with his tee shot, Zach ended up in a fairway bunker with 195 yards left to the hole.

“I hit a 6-iron, just a good full backswing with an abbreviated follow through. And just tried to get down on the golf ball,” said Johnson. “It landed middle of the green, maybe towards the back third… and released obviously quite a ways after it ricocheted off the bank.”

Once his Pro V1x settled, Zach sent his putt to the bottom of the cup to capture the title and cap his most memorable shot of 2012.

“When you had to execute a shot in a difficult circumstance, especially when your opponent is in the middle of the fairway. That’s the one that stands out,” said Johnson.

Watch the above video to hear Zach’s take on the shot.

Stay tuned for our next installment of the Team Titleist 2012 Shots of the Year and check out some of the earlier highlights below.

Team Titleist Shots of the Year: Louis Oosthuizen Edition

Team Titleist Shots of the Year: Rickie Fowler Edition

Team Titleist Shots of the Year: Jason Dufner Edition

The high winds at the Australian Open may have caused some delays, but for Pro V1 loyalist Peter Senior it was well worth the wait. Battling the challenging conditions, Senior closed with an even par 72 to finish with a 4-under 284 victory total, becoming the oldest champion (53 years old) in the history of the Australian Open. The win was his first since the 2010 Australian PGA Championship.

Joining Senior in the winners’ circle, Pro V1x loyalist Ariel Cañete took home top honors at the Olivos Golf Classic and claimed his second victory of the season on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica.

Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have now won 188 times across the worldwide professional tours in 2012, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 25 and more than all competitors combined.

Senior, a native of Australia and a regular on the Champions Tour, had 10 top-10 finishes this year, but no wins. The win was even more special for Senior as he was able to share the experience with his son Mitch. 

”It doesn’t get any better than this,” Senior said. ”We’ve had three years on the Champions Tour where Mitch has caddied for me for the last two years.  We’ve lost three playoffs, so it feels unbelievable to win with him on the bag.” (Click here to watch the Golf Channel Tour Report)

As for the conditions, Sunday morning featured wind gusts that topped 50 mph – causing one television tower to fall – and players also were greeted to golf balls that struggled to come to rest on the fairways and greens as the wind howled.

“It was probably one of the toughest days I’ve ever seen on a golf course,” said Senior.

Titleist was the top choice of more players in the Australian Open field of 156 in the golf ball category with 116, nearly six times the nearest competitor with 20.  Nine of the 13 players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.

• • •

PGA TOUR LATINOAMÉRICA: Ariel Cañete led a Titleist Pro V1x 1-2-3 finish at the Olivos Golf Classic where he posted a pair of 4- under par 67s on Sunday en route to a come from behind win.  Cañete finished with a 9-under-par 275 victory total to earn his second title on the 2012 Latinoamérica Tour and seventh top-10 finish in the tour’s first year.  A first round weather delay pushed play back a day and the final 36 holes were played on Sunday.

Clodomiro Carranza and Jose Cóceres, who relied upon the new Titleist Pro V1x prototype golf ball, shared second place, two shots behind Cañete.

Titleist was the top choice of 121 players, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 16.

• • •

ASIAN TOUR: Playing the new Titleist Pro V1x prototype golf ball, Bubba Watson shot a final-round 65 at the Thailand Golf Championship to tie for second. Pro V1x loyalist Thitiphun Chuayprakong joined Watson in the runner-up position, as seven of the top 10 finishers trusted a Titleist golf ball for their success.

In total, 78 players in the field played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball, more than three times the nearest competitor with 22 and more than all competitors combined. 

(Please visit the site to view this video)

First contested in 1904, the Australian Open is one of the oldest and most prestigious events across the worldwide professional tours.  The list of winners on the Stonehaven Cup is a who’s who of some of the most prolific names in the history of golf.

The tournament is also near and dear to a contingent of Australian golfers who are now members of the PGA and European Tours, but annually return to their roots to compete for their national championship. 

Team Titleist caught up with six former champions who are participating this week, including each of the last three winners – Greg Chalmers (2011, 1998), Geoff Ogilvy (2010) and Adam Scott (2009) – all of whom just happen to be full product line Titleist Brand Ambassadors.

Check out the video above to see what they all had to say. Enjoy mate!

We’ve entered the final month of 2012 and while the season may be winding down for some golfers, there is still plenty of action going on around the worldwide professional tours as players look to move into 2013 with some winning momentum.  This past weekend featured three wins for Titleist Brand Ambassadors and golf ball loyalists across two different continents.

The wins included a breakthrough performance from Titleist Brand Ambassador Arnond “Bank” Vongvanij, who trusted his Pro V1x and bag full of Titleist equipment to capture his first career win on the Asian Tour. The weekend also featured a stellar victory for Hiroyuki Fujita (pictured above) who carded a five-stroke victory at the Japan Series JT Cup trusting the new Titleist Pro V1 prototype golf ball and a playoff win by Pro V1x loyalist Sebastian Fernandez at the  Colombian Coffee Classic on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica.

Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have now won 186 times across the worldwide professional tours in 2012, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 25 and more than all competitors combined.

• • •

ASIAN: With four top 10 finishes in 2012, Titleist Brand Ambassador Arnond “Bank” Vongvanij relied on his Pro V1x golf ball to capture the King’s Cup in his native Thailand for his first career Asian Tour title. The 23-year-old rookie began Sunday three shots back, but closed with a bogey-free eight-under 64 to finish with a 22-under par 266 victory total.

“This win means a lot to me as I now have a two-year winner’s exemption and I can focus on playing well at every tournament I take part in,” said Vongvanij in an interview.

Vongvanij won by two shots over Thaworn Wiratchant (Pro V1x), and Mardan Mamat (Pro V1x), giving Titleist golf ball players the top three positions on the leaderboard and seven of the top 10. Wiratchant’s second place finish places him atop the Order of Merit with two more events remaining on the 2012 Asian Tour schedule.

What’s in Arnond Vongvanij’s Titleist Bag?:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver:  Titleist 913D3 8.5º (Graphite Design Tour AD GT X)
Fairway Metal: Titleist 913Fd 13.5º (Aldila RIP x), Titleist 910F 17º (Grafalloy Pro Launch Red x)
Utility: Titleist 909H 21º (Aldila NV Hybrid s)
Irons: Titleist CB 4-9 (TrueTemper Dynamic Gold SL s300)
Wedge: Vokey Design Spin Milled CC 48º, Vokey Design SM4 54º & 60º
Putter: Scotty Cameron Red X

Titleist was the most played golf ball at the 144-player event with 91 players, more than three times the nearest competitor. Titleist was also the top choice in iron sets with 34 and sand, lob and approach wedges with 90.

• • •

JAPAN GOLF TOUR: Trusting the new Titleist Pro V1 prototype golf ball, Hiroyuki Fujita never looked back on Sunday en-route to capturing the season-ending, limited-field Japan Series JT Cup. It was just the second event in which Fujita played the new golf ball in competition. He posted an 18-under par victory total, five shots clear of two players, including Titleist Brand Ambassador Toshinori Muto (Pro V1x). It marked the fourth victory of the year for Fujita, and the 15th of his 20-year JGTO career. The win also vaults Fujita to the top of the JGTO season-long money list.

Titleist Brand Ambassador K.T. Kim and Titleist golf ball loyalist Toru Taniguchi (Pro V1x), finished fourth and fifth place, respectively, as four of the top five finishers relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.

Titleist was the most played golf ball at the limited-field event and was also the top choice in sand, lob and approach wedges.

• • •

AUSTRALASIAN: After a final round 69, Titleist Brand Ambassador Daniel Nisbet finished in solo second place at 12-under in the the NSW PGA Championship. One stroke behind Nisbet at 11-under was Nick Cullen who posted a final round 67.

Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 95 players trusting a Titleist golf ball.

• • •

PGA TOUR LATINOAMERICA: The winner of the Colombian Coffee Classic trusted his Pro V1x golf ball and made a birdie on the first playoff hole at Club Campestre de Cali, after both players finished regulation at nine-under 275.

It was another action-packed weekend across the worldwide professional tours with many of the world’s best players determined to end their 2012 campaigns on a high note. It was also another noteworthy weekend for Titleist’s seeding and tour validation process for the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x prototype golf balls.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott’s final-round charge Sunday at the Australian Masters not only took home top honors, it also marked the first win for the new Pro V1 prototype golf ball across the worldwide professional tours. On the same day in Japan, Pro V1x loyalist Luke Donald put on a solid display of golf en route to victory at the Dunlop Phoenix – marking the first win for the new Pro V1x prototype golf ball.

Joining Scott and Donald in the winner’s circle were Pro V1x loyalists Henrik Stenson (SA Open Championship), Na Yeon Choi (CME Group Titleholders), Jeung Hun Wang (China PGA Champions Tour Chongqing) and Sebastian Vasquez (Puerto Rico Classic), resulting in a six-win week for Titleist golf ball players around the globe.

Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have now won 180 times across the worldwide professional tours in 2012, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 24 and more than all competitors combined.

• • •

AUSTRALASIAN: Adam Scott trusted his new Titleist Pro V1 prototype golf ball in firing a final round 5-under 67 to secure his first Australian Masters title.

“I’ve grown up watching the (Australian) Masters since I was a kid, so this has been somewhat a long time coming,” Scott said during the trophy ceremony.

“This is a pretty sweet today to be in the gold jacket and to hold this trophy which I’ve been admiring since I was just a kid.”

Scott’s final-round rally capped off a 17-under par 271 total that was good enough to top Pro V1x loyalist and Australian Masters defending champion Ian Poulter, who finished in second place.

This was the third tournament that Scott played the new Pro V1 prototype and he shared some of his feedback with the team earlier in the week.

“I put the new Pro V1 in play starting at HSBC and the Singapore Open. I’ve found it a very easy fit into my game and I’ve been very happy with the results,” Scott said. “I’ve played well.”

What’s in Adam Scott’s Titleist Bag?:
Ball: New Titleist Pro V1 prototype golf ball
Driver:  Titleist 910D3 9.5º (Graphite Design Tour AD DI8 X with SureFit Tour setting A•1)
Fairway Metal: Titleist 910F 15º (SureFit Tour setting D•3)
Hybrids: Prototype 712U utility iron 19º
Irons: Titleist MB (4-9) and Titleist MB (8-PW)
Wedge: Vokey Design SM4 48º, 54º, 60º
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi Long 

Titleist Brand Ambassador Gareth Paddison tied for third, another four shots back, and Pro V1x loyalist Adam Crawford closed with the best round of the day (7-under 65) to finish solo fifth, as Titleist golf ball loyalists occupied four of the top five positions on the leader board. Nine of the 12 player who finished among the top 10 and ties at Kingston Heath were Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players.

Titleist was the most played golf ball with 87 players in the field of 120, nearly four times the nearest competitor with 22 and more than all other golf balls combined.

• • • 

JAPAN GOLF TOUR: Brimming with confidence heading into the final round with a four-shot lead, Pro V1x loyalist Luke Donald relied on more steady golf to extend his lead on the final day and secure victory at the Dunlop Phoenix.

This was Donald’s first event playing the new Pro V1x prototype golf ball, and he found instant success with opening rounds of 64-65. He finished at 16-under 268, closing in 3-under 68 to win by five shots.

The win was the third of the season for Donald, who also captured the Transitions Championship on the PGA Tour in March and the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour in May. The victory, the 12th of his career, also vaulted him to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 34 players trusting Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf balls for their success. Titleist was also the top choice in sand, lob and approach wedges with 62.

• • • 

EUROPEAN TOUR: It was a 1-2 finish for Pro V1x loyalists at the SA Open Championship, where Henrik Stenson secured a three-shot victory over George Coetzee.

Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 110 players, more than four times the nearest competitor with 23. Titleist was also the top choice in irons with 42, and sand, lob and approach wedges with 125, more than twice the nearest competitor with 51.

• • • 

LPGA: Pro V1x loyalist Na Yeon Choi captured the season-ending CME Group Titleholders, edging Pro V1 loyalist So Yeon Ryu by two shots. Paired with her 2012 U.S. Women’s Open victory, this is Choi’s second of the season and seventh of her LPGA career.

Three consecutive rounds in the 60s preceded her final-round 2-under 70, giving her a championship total 14-under 274.

Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 49 players in the field of 73, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 6.

• • • 

CHINA: Seventeen-year-old Jeung Hun Wang (Pro V1x) of Korea captured the China PGA Champions Tour Chongqing event for his first-career win on the China Tour. Wang closed with two consecutive rounds of 5-under 67 to finish at 14-under and a four-shot margin of victory. Ha Yuan (Pro V1x) fired a final-round five under 67 to finish a tie for third, six shots back.

Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 90 players in the field of 124, six times the nearest competitor with 15. Eight of the 12 players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.

• • • 

PGA TOUR LATINOAMERICA: Sebastian Vazquez carded a final-round 71 to capture the inaugural Puerto Rico Classic in just his second professional start. Vazquez finished at 14-under 274, two strokes clear of Jorge Fernandez-Valdes, who also closed with a 71. Julio Zapata recorded a 71 as well to take third place at 11 under. All three players relied on the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball for their success.

Vazquez, a 22-year-old from Mexico City, was in the field just six weeks after finishing atop the World Amateur in Turkey.

Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 107 players in the field of 128, nearly nine times the nearest competitor with 12.