Fairhaven, MA (September 15, 2008) – Demonstrating confidence in himself and his equipment, Titleist Brand Ambassador Robert Karlsson continues his momentum with a two-shot victory at the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Relying upon the Pro V1x golf ball and a full bag of Titleist equipment for his success, Robert has secured the respect of his peers with his proven talent and consistent play in 2008. His winning performance is the latest in what has become a career year that includes ten Top 10 finishes, second place on the PGA European Tour’s Order of Merit and a position on Team Europe for this week’s Ryder Cup Matches. Further proof, that from tee-to-green, when players want to be at the top of their game, more of them are equipped with Titleist.
TITLEIST HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 14, 2008
PGA EUROPEAN TOUR: Karlsson, who began the final day with a three-stroke lead, trusted Titleist from tee-to-green en route to a closing one-under 71 to finish at 13-under 275. The win was the eighth of his PGA European Tour career. He will be participating in his second Ryder Cup for Team Europe this week.
In addition to vaulting to No. 2 on the Order of Merit, Karlsson’s win also moved him inside the Top 20 (to No. 17) in the Official World Golf Rankings. He started the year at No. 41.
Included among Karlsson’s ten Top 10 finishes this year is an eighth place finish at the Masters, fourth at the U.S. Open and seventh at the British Open Championship. His success in the majors continued at the PGA Championship where he finished in a tie for 20th.
What’s in Robert Karlsson’s Titleist Bag?: Pro V1x golf ball, 905R driver (9.5), 909F3 fairway metals* (15, 18), ZM irons (4-P), Vokey Design gap (49) wedge, Spin Milled sand (56) and lob (60) wedges and Scotty Cameron Newport putter. The new Titleist 909 driver and metals will be available in golf shops in November.
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the limited-field Mercedes-Benz Championship with 45 players, more than four times the nearest competitor with 10. The win marks the 20th for Titleist players on the 2008 PGA European Tour, four times the nearest competitor with 5.
LPGA: Angela Stanford (Pro V1) earned her second career victory with a one shot win over Shanshan Feng (Pro V1x) at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic. Stanford entered the final round with a four-stroke lead following consecutive 67s. She closed with a one-over 73 to finish at 11-under 277.
Kim Hall (Pro V1) finished solo third at 8-under 280, followed by Hee Young Park (Pro V1), Danielle Downey (Pro V1x) and Katherine Hull (Pro V1x) in a three-way tie for fourth, as the top six finishers all trusted Titleist golf balls for their success.
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the Bell Micro LPGA Classic with 101 players, compared to 26 for the nearest competitor.
CHAMPIONS: R.W. Eaks (Pro V1x) successfully defended his Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn title, closing with a one-under 71 for a four-stroke victory over Tom Jenkins (Pro V1x) and Tom Kite (Pro V1). Eaks, who shot the low round of the season on the Champions Tour with a 61 on Friday – entered the final round tied for the lead with Jenkins. With his 16-under 200 total, Eaks earned his second win of the season and the fourth of his Champions Tour career.
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 57 players, compared to 12 for the nearest competitor. The win was the 20th for Titleist players on the 2008 Champions Tour, more than six times the nearest competitor with 3. Of the nine players who finished tied for seventh place or better, eight trusted Titleist for their success.
NATIONWIDE: Chris Tidland (Pro V1) earned his first Nationwide Tour victory following a final round seven-under 64 to finish at 20-under 264. His winning performance was four shots clear of runner-up Scott Piercy (Pro V1, 690MB irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled gap, sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron putter), who tied a course record with a final round 10-under 61. He was followed by Greg Owen (Pro V1x) and Peter Tomasulo (Pro V1x) who finished third and fourth, respectively, as Titleist golf ball players secured the top four positions on the leaderboard.
Titleist was the most played golf ball with 107 players, compared to 20 for the nearest competitor. Tidland’s win marked the 20th for Titleist golf ball players on the Nationwide Tour, 10 times more than the nearest competitor with 2. Titleist was also the top choice in the iron (43), wedge (145) and putter (58) categories, and second in drivers (39).
SOUTH AFRICAN: Jake Roos (Pro V1x) earned his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour with a birdie on the third extra playoff hole at the Suncoast Classic. Roos, who began the wind-blown final round four strokes behind the overnight leader, birdied the final hole of regulation to finish at six-under 210 and force the playoff. Titleist players accounted for 75 percent of the field with 66 players, more than three times the nearest competitor with 19.
U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP: Titleist was the most played golf ball at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship with 216 players, more than nine times the nearest competitor with 23 players. Titleist was also the top choice in the fairway metal (97), iron (69), wedge (252) and putter (84) categories, and second in drivers (74).
WORLDWIDE WINS: With five more wins this week, Titleist golf ball loyalists have accumulated 131 victories across the worldwide professional tours, over 100 more than the nearest competitor with 26.
TITLEIST TOUR BLOG: For daily notes from the world of golf, visit the Titleist Tour Blog at: http://titleistblog.com/
DIRECT FROM THE TOUR: To view exclusive round-by-round interviews with Titleist players from every PGA TOUR event, please visit our Direct from the Tour feature online at: http://www.titleist.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1
TITLEIST GOLF CLUB LEADERBOARD: To learn about Titleist’s golf club success on the PGA Tour, the PGA Professional National Championship and at major amateur events throughout the year, visit the Titleist Golf Club leaderboard at: http://www.titleist.com/leaderboard/default.asp
Contact:
Joe Gomes, Director of Communications (508.979.3211)
