Titleist ambassador Ben Curtis earned his second career victory at the Booz Allen Classic
Fairhaven, MA (June 27, 2006) – It took six days, but Titleist ambassador Ben Curtis captured his second career victory with a wire-to-wire five-shot win at the Booz Allen Classic. In the first Tuesday finish on the PGA Tour since 1980, Curtis fired a 20-under 264 total, one shot shy of the tournament record.
Curtis topped a leaderboard that included all Titleist golf ball players among the top 5 finishers, including Billy Andrade (Pro V1), Padraig Harrington (Pro V1x), Nick O’Hern (Pro V1) and Steve Stricker (Pro V1), all of whom tied for second. In fact, 9 of the top 10 trusted Titleist golf balls for their success, including four (Curtis, Stricker, Ben Crane/T6 and Brett Quigley/T6) who also relied upon a full bag of Titleist golf clubs.
WHAT’S IN BEN’S BAG?: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, Pro Titanium 905R (8.5) driver, PT 906F prototype fairway metal (15.0), Forged 735.CM irons (6-P), Forged 690.CB irons (4-5), Vokey Design Spin Milled sand (54) and lob (60) wedges, Scotty Cameron by Titleist prototype putter.
PERSONAL BESTS: Curtis established career low scores for 18- (9-under 62), 36- (15-under 127), 54- (19-under 194) and 72-hole (20-264 ) totals en route to setting tournament 36- and 54-hole records … His opening-round, 9-under 62 was the low start by a winner in 2006 and lowest on the PGA Tour since Bart Bryant opened with an 8-under 62 at the 2005 TOUR Championship.
JUST THE STATS: Curtis’ success is reflected in the week’s statistics where he finished T2 in Greens in Regulation (83.3%), 4th in Putts Per Green in Regulation (28.3), T7 in Putts Per Round (1.650) and T18 in Driving Accuracy (80.4%).
BALL COUNT: Overall, 78 percent of the field trusted Titleist golf balls, outnumbering the nearest competitor by an overwhelming 122-14 margin. Year-to-date, Titleist leads the nearest competitor in players by a 2,513-295 margin.
GOLF CLUB LEADERBOARD: Titleist was also the choice of more players than any other brand in irons sets (40), approach, sand and lob wedges (131) and putters (63). Titleist Pro Titanium drivers (45) were a strong second.
To learn more about Titleist’s golf club success on the PGA Tour, the PGA Professional National Championship and at major amateur events, visit the new Titleist Golf Club leaderboard at: http://titleist.com/leaderboard/default.asp
LPGA TOUR: Jeong Jang won the Wegmans LPGA for her second career title, closing with a 2-under 70 for a one-stroke victory over 19-year old rookie and fellow Titleist Pro V1 player Julieta Granada. The 26-year-old Jang, the defending Women’s British Open champion, finished the week with a 13-under 275. Marcy Hart (Pro V1) and Brittany Lang (Pro V1x) tied for third while Mi Hyun Kin (Pro V1) finished in fifth position as the top five players on the leaderboard all relied on Titleist golf balls.
Overall, Titleist golf balls accounted for 77 percent of the field with 111 players, more than five times the nearest competitor with 19. The victory was the ninth for Titleist players on the LPGA Tour, three times more than the nearest competitor with 3.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: John Harris, the 1993 U.S. Amateur champion, earned his first professional victory at the Commerce Bank Championship, topping fellow Pro V1 player Tom Jenkins with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden death playoff. Harris fired a final round 7-under 64 to reach the clubhouse at 11-under 202, only to be matched by Jenkins who birdied the 17th hole and made par on 18, to close with a 2-under 69.
The top six players on the leaderboard all relied on Titleist golf balls, including Titleist ambassador Jay Haas (Pro V1) who tied for third with Gil Morgan (Pro V1x) and Andy Bean (Pro V1) at 10-under. Dana Quigley (Pro V1) finished alone in sixth at 9-under.
Overall, 76 percent of the field trusted Titleist golf balls, outnumbering the nearest competitor by a 59-9 margin. The victory was the 12th for Titleist players on the Champions Tour, six times the nearest competitor with 2.
NATIONWIDE TOUR: Kyle Reifers, making his Nationwide Tour debut, established a new course record with a final round 61 and won the Chattanooga Classic in a playoff. He and his playoff partner each finished at 26-under 262, a new tournament record. Reifers birdied the first playoff hole for the victory, and gained full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour for the remainder of the 2006 season and all of 2007.
Third-round leader Boo Weekley (Pro V1x) tied for third with Titleist full-line player Andrew Buckle (Pro V1x, Pro Titanium 905S driver, Pro Trajectory prototype fairway metal, Forged 690.CB irons, Vokey Spin Milled sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport putter).
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the Chattanooga Classic by a 113 to 15 margin. Titleist was also the choice of more players than any other brand in the iron (44), wedge (143) and putter (69) categories, and a strong second with 43 Pro Titanium drivers in play.
The win is the 12th for Titleist golf ball players through the first 14 events on the 2006 Nationwide Tour.
JAPAN TOUR: Titleist ambassador S.K. Ho (Pro V1x, Pro Titanium 905R driver, Pro Trajectory 904F 3-wood, Forged 695 MB irons, Vokey Spin Milled approach and lob wedges) shot a final round 1-under 71 to win the Mizuno Open by three shots for his sixth career title and first of the year. Ho, who held a three-shot lead after the third round, parred the first nine holes before making two birdies and a bogey on the back nine on his way to a winning total of 14-under 274 at JFE Setonaikai Golf Club.
With 74 players, more players trusted Titleist golf balls than all other competitors combined.
CANADIAN TOUR: Mike Grob (Pro V1x) shot a final round 3-under 67 to win the Times Colonist Open by one shot at the Royal Colwood Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. He finished the week at 11-under 269, one shot clear of Pro V1x players Trevor Dodds and John Lieber.
WOMEN’S U.S. AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP: Over 84 percent, or 121 of the 144-player field relied upon Titleist golf balls at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, more than 12 times the nearest competitor with 10. Contested at Walking Stick Golf Club in Pueblo, Colo., their trust paid off as the Pro V1 was the choice of the champion in her 6 and 5 victory over a Pro V1x player. In fact, all eight of the quarterfinalists placed their confidence in the superior performance of the Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball models.
In addition to the Pro V1 golf ball, the winner also opted for Titleist Forged 670 irons and a Scotty Cameron by Titleist Red X putter for her success.
WORLDWIDE WIN COUNT: Six victories across the worldwide professional tours this week advanced the 2006 Titleist golf ball victory count to 82, more than six times the nearest competitor with 13.
DIRECT FROM THE TOUR: To view exclusive round-by-round interviews with Booz Allen Classic winner Ben Curtis, as well as other top Titleist players from every PGA Tour event, please visit our Direct from the Tour feature online at: http://titleist.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1
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