Management details the strategic and operational implications of moving the GTS launch for 2026 from Q3 to Q2, emphasizing market impact and supply chain coordination.
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How did management characterize the shift from a Q3 to Q2 GTS launch for 2026?
Management described moving the 2026 GTS launch from the customary Q3 timing to Q2 as both strategically beneficial and operationally demanding, with the main emphasis on (1) earlier market impact and (2) hitting a peak sales window.
Management said Acushnet typically launches in Q3 but is moving to Q2 for the year, and that this puts the program “a couple of months ahead of schedule” versus the historical Q3 launch pattern 1.
They also tied the shift to tangible launch milestones—fitting begins globally the following week and the global market launch is in mid-June 1. Separately, in management’s prepared remarks, they characterized the shift as a favorable transition: they will be launching “new Titleist GTS drivers and fairway metals in the second quarter” and see this as favorable versus the customary Q3 launch window 2. They reiterated that the shift impacts the cadence of the business in 2026 2.
Management explicitly cautioned that the timing change is operationally complex: they said the move requires adjusting the “entire supply chain to pull it all forward a few months” 1. This is an important framing: the shift is not presented as a simple calendar change, but as something that requires coordination across upstream and downstream execution.
Management’s most direct “why” for the timing shift was that it allows Acushnet to reach the market during a peak demand period. They stated the company expects to hit the market “really in a peak window” of May/June/July, whereas historically the market entry has been in the third quarter, which they called “clearly a less than peak window” 1. They emphasized that timing is a key differentiator for the launch 1.
On product performance and demand signals, they described “great early success across the worldwide tours” and “great adoption from players” as validation indicators supporting the move 1. Management also linked the tour activity to “early adoption and validation” that is “very important” for consumers and is “right on track” 1.
In discussing the implications of calendarization, management said the Q2 timing will provide “more months out of the driver in 2026 than you typically would in prior years” and characterized this as “a real positive” 3. This is a financial-cadence framing: it’s not just about when the product debuts, but about how long it can be sold through the season.
Management characterized the quarter that precedes/sets up the accelerated launch as being “a product sell-in quarter” and noted that the Q3→Q2 transition impacts the cadence of the business in 2026 2. They also explained the operational cash-flow footprint: total inventories were up 7% year-over-year because they built golf equipment inventory to support the accelerated GTS metals launch in the second quarter 4, and they said free cash flow was down $31 million in the first quarter “in part related to the increased inventory levels” for the upcoming launch 4. This reinforces that management views the acceleration as a timing-induced investment cycle rather than an immediately cash-neutral change.
Management characterized the Q3→Q2 GTS launch shift for 2026 as:
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Acushnet Holdings forecasts mid- to high single-digit EBITDA growth in Q2 2026 driven by key product launches—SM11 wedges, accelerated metals, and an early driver launch—with contributions inferred at the SKU level. While precise SKU-level EBITDA figures remain undisclosed, these launches significantly underpin Titleist Golf Equipment's profitability outlook.
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