Monday March 24, 2024
5 min read

Titleist brand ambassador Peter Malnati was unstoppable Sunday, shooting a back nine 31 with no bogies winning with a 2 shot lead over Titleist ambassador Cameron Young. This was Malnati’s 2nd career title on the PGA tour, the first win came at the Sanderson farms in 2015. Peter immediately put his new SM10 Wedges in play the week of The American Express in Palm Desert.

“I love my Vokey Wedges because they work! Generation after generation they stay super consistent with looks, feel, the way the club goes through the turf. The subtle improvements that the Vokey team is able to make allows me to do the same things over and over again, and the results just get a little better each time. I really like that when I put SM10 in my bag this year I didn’t have to make any adjustments because the look and feel is what I want and am used to, but from a performance perspective it makes everything a little bit easier and that is why I love them so much. Why do I love my Vokey Wedges so much…They looked great, feel great, and most importantly they work great.”

The Copperhead course at Innisbrook is one of the more difficult tests players face all season. The grainy Bermuda turf, dual sanded bunkers, and challenging length is a real test for the best players in the world. Peter is not one to make changes to his bag unless it’s absolutely crucial, he trusts his equipment and the Titleist tour fitters he works with. His set consists of four SM10 Wedges (48.10F @ 47, 52.12 F, 56.08 M @ 57, 60.04 T @ 62) and his loyalty to these models throughout the season is a big part of how he builds trust in his short game. In late January of 2023 at Pebble Beach Golf Links, we identified that versatility was something Peter was missing in his most lofted wedges. Peter had been working hard on his technique and felt like his ground contact was off. This led to us looking into his club path and we noticed that we could accomplish two key things, clean up his strike and add some confidence, and add some versatility and height to his wedge play green side. Height was something Peter struggled with which was a big reason for the 62 degree wedge that we added years back in Charlotte, this added versatility with his 60.04 T allowed the club to hug the turf and give him the confidence to pull off any wedge shot needed under pressure.

Peter has both a 48.10 F Grind bent to 47 and a 52.12 F Grind. These two wedges are extensions of his irons and made for distance control into greens. The purpose of these clubs is to hit target numbers and have a little short game versatility mainly for square faced pitches and bump and runs style shots. The 56.08M bent to 57 and 60.04 T bent to 62 are both about greenside versatility. The 57.08 M Grind is a full shot wedge that hits fairway numbers, but also has value with long bunker shots and into the grain greenside play. The 62.04 T Grind is Peter’s dominant short game club. Peter works hard on his short game, what he lacks in height around the greens he makes up for in his club and loft selection. Peter's path is a little from the inside and his contact is usually early with the turf. This encourages less bounce allowing the clubs sole to connect with the turf later giving cleaner contact with the ball with higher spin.

Peter is one of the hardest workers Aaron Dill and the Titleist Tour Department have the pleasure to service. The key things that players need to have in order to compete and win at the highest level revolve around a good short game. While Peter has this gift as part of his game, his true strength is his self-belief. We often look at stats and identify key strengths and weaknesses during rounds and during seasons, the category that Peter leads is “Strokes gained CONFIDENCE.” The way Peter conducts his practice, play, and lifestyle is a catalyst for success, something we all should pay attention to and strive to add to our own lives.