As many Titleist Brand Ambassadors start their journey to the 2012 AT&T National, they’ll have a nice surprise waiting of for them on the range of Congressional Country Club – new prototype Titleist 913 drivers.

And we’re excited to be bringing Team Titleist a sneak peek of what’s in store for this week.

Starting Monday morning, our Titleist Tour Reps will be in full force working closely with Titleist players in the field to check all of the build specs and SureFit Tour hosel settings to help players get dialed-in with the new prototype 913 drivers for testing. 

This marks the official introduction of the new drivers on the PGA Tour and kicks off the tour seeding and performance validation process that all Titleist clubs go through prior to being released in the market. 

The Titleist Golf Club R&D team will also be on-site to walk through some of the new technology and advancements that players will see in the prototype 913 drivers. They’ll also be taking note of the feedback from the player testing as this will influence the design and specifications of the final product that is made available to golf shops around the world. 

In case you were wondering, “913” is the series designation for the new family of drivers. Titleist continues to release metals under the 900 number designation with the “9” standing for metals and the “13” indicating the new model year, 2013.

As the tour seeding and performance validation process continues in the coming weeks across the worldwide professional tours, we’ll continue to share more behind-the-scenes information and product details here on the Team Titleist.

In the meantime, check out the slideshow below for a first look at the new prototype Titleist 913 drivers as they were being built and packed for their trip to Washington D.C. (and a few player’s homes).

This week the PGA Tour returns to TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT, site of the Travelers Championship. Ranked 41 (out of 51) in difficulty on the PGA TOUR in 2011, TPC River Highlands typically affords players an opportunity to catch their collective breath after the pressure of U.S. Open week. However, with temperatures soaring into the upper 90s this week, the 6,841-yard, par-70 layout may prove considerably more demanding than expected.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Charley Hoffman currently sits tied for 2nd at 8-under. Charley shot an opening round 3-under 67 and was 5-under today before the threat of thunderstorms this afternoon postponed the finish to his round.

U.S. Open Champion and Titleist Brand Ambassador Webb Simpson is also in the field and continues to play well after the thrill of his first major victory last week at Olympic Club. Webb is currently tied for 10th at 5-under. When asked how he was feeling after his second round, Webb said, "I'm feeling good, but you know it was so hot out there. I was really getting tired at the end. I'm glad we have the afternoon off."

"I think it's helped being at a place I'm familiar with," Webb continued. "Just getting inside the ropes and refocusing on this week. I didn't know what to expect to be honest, but it's been great. The fans have been awesome and it's been fun."

One of the highlights at The Travelers is the drivable par-4 15th hole. The hole measures just 296 yards, but it's protected by water left and if players go long, they'll face a challenging uphill pitch from thick rough. Expect to see some drama on this hole during the final round.

Both Charley and Webb will be relying on Titleist Pro V1x golf balls to try to top last year's winning mark of 20-under 250.

In total, 107 players in the field are trusting Titleist golf balls for their success, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 15 and more than all other golf balls combined. Titleist is also first in iron sets (40); sand, lob and approach wedges (132); and putters (62).

For a look at some of the Titleist players in this week’s field, take a look at Team Titleist’s slideshow from the practice rounds by clicking the image above.

Have a great weekend!

"I still can't really believe it but it's been exciting," said Webb Simpson to a packed room of reporters earlier this week at TPC River Highlands, host of the Travelers Championship and this week's stop on the PGA Tour, while reflecting on his recent triumph at Olympic. 

It has certainly been a busy 96-hours (give or take a few hours) for the new U.S. Open Champion but Webb was kind enough to spend some time with Team Titleist on the range to share some thoughts on winning his first major.

Webb also gave us a little more insight on what was going through his mind as he stood over his Pro V1x with his trusty 58º Vokey Design Spin Milled wedge in hand, and sized up what would turn out to be a clutch up-and-down on the par-4 18th at Olympic.

Check out the video above for the exclusive Team Titleist recap.