Laird and Westwood Lead Titleist to 5-Win Week across Worldwide Professional Tours
Fairhaven, MA (October 19, 2009) – As the world of professional golf grows, so do the success stories of those players who trust Titleist. Across the globe, again this week, more players and more winners relied upon Titleist than all other golf balls combined. From the United States to Portugal, and South Africa to China, five more wins advances Titleist’s 2009 victory count to 136, more than five times the nearest competitor with 25. Continued proof that, when it comes to performance, one ball is a world apart.
PGA: It was an all-Titleist golf ball playoff at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open where Martin Laird (Pro V1x) topped Titleist Brand Ambassador George McNeill (Pro V1, 909D3 driver, 906F2 fairway metals, New MB irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter) and Chad Campbell (Pro V1x, Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges, Scotty Cameron putter) for his first career PGA Tour title. Laird won on the third playoff hole over McNeill, converting a 12-foot par putt on the par-4 18th. Campbell was eliminated after the second playoff hole. The three players were tied at 19-under 265 after regulation. Laird earned a two-your tour exemption for the breakthrough victory at TPC Summerlin in his 53rd tour start. He advances from 134th to 62nd on the 2009 PGA Tour money list.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Jeff Klauk (Pro V1, 909D Comp driver, New AP2 irons, Vokey Design pitching and sand wedges, Spin Milled lob wedge, Scotty Cameron prototype putter) tied for fourth, one shot out of the playoff. Titleist Brand Ambassador Charley Hoffman (Pro V1, 909D2 driver, New MB irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron Red X putter) finished a further shot back, in solo sixth place.
Titleist was the top golf ball choice among players at the event with 95, compared to 15 for the nearest competitor. Titleist was also first in iron sets (42), wedges (120) and putters (54), and second in drivers (38) and fairway metals (27). Laird becomes the 20th player to win with a Titleist golf ball on the 2009 PGA Tour, more than twice the nearest competitor.
EUROPEAN: Lee Westwood (Pro V1x) captured the Portugal Masters by two shots for the 30th victory of his professional career. Padraig Harrington (Pro V1x) finished third, four shots back. Westwood posted a 23-under 265 total following a bogey-free closing 66. The win vaults Westwood from fourth to first in The Race to Dubai, surpassing Titleist Brand Ambassador Rory McIlroy (Pro V1x, 909D2 driver, 906F2 fairway metals, ZM irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter), who is now in 2nd after closing with a final round 66.
Titleist was the top golf ball choice among players at the Portugal Masters with 70 players, more than all other golf balls combined. Westwood becomes the 21st player to win with a Titleist golf ball on the 2009 European Tour, three times the nearest competitor with 7.
NATIONWIDE: Chad Collins (Pro V1x) won the Miccosukee Championship for his second career Nationwide Tour title, closing with a one-under 70 for a two-stroke victory in the final full-field event of the season. The 31-year-old Collins posted a 10-under 274 total, edging three players including Titleist Brand Ambassador Won Joon Lee (Pro V1x, 905R driver, 906F2 fairway metal, New MB irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter) who tied for second at 8-under 276. Fabian Gomez (Pro V1x) tied for fifth another shot back.
At the conclusion of the Miccosukee Championship, the top 60 on the money list qualified for the Nationwide Tour Championship next week at Daniel Island Club in Charleston, SC. Titleist Brand Ambassador Michael Sim (Pro V1x, 905R driver, 909F2 fairway metal, 909H hybrid, AP2 irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport Square putter) increased his Nationwide Tour-record total to $536,142. He has three victories this year and has already earned a promotion to the 2010 PGA TOUR. With the win, Collins jumped from eighth to second on the money list. The top 25 following the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship earn 2010 PGA Tour cards.
Titleist was the top golf ball choice among players at the Miccosukee Championship with 93, compared to 17 for the nearest competitor. Titleist was also first in wedges (125) and putters (44). Titleist was second in drivers (25) and iron sets (37).
ASIA: Liang Wenchong (Pro V1x) fired a final round three-under 68 to capture the Midea China Classic. His 14-under 270 was four shots clear of his nearest competitor. The event was the third on the new OneAsia Tour. Titleist Brand Ambassador Peter Wilson (Pro V1) closed with a seven-under 64, the best round of the day, to share third place with Matt Millar (Pro V1x) and Michael Long (Pro V1x), another shot back. Eight of the top 10 finishers relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success. Titleist was the top golf ball choice with 87 players (73%), six times the nearest competitor.
SOUTH AFRICA: Titleist golf ball loyalist Graham DeLaet (Pro V1x) won the BMG Classic by one shot after carding a final round 68 for an 11-under 205 total. Titleist Pro V1x golf ball loyalists Louis De Jager and Brandon Pieters were among three players who tied for third, two strokes back. Titleist was the golf ball choice of more players than all other balls combined with 110 (73%).
CHAMPIONS: Titleist Brand Ambassador Jay Haas (Pro V1, 905R driver, 909F2 fairway metals, 909H hybrid, New CB irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Design putter) tied for second at the Administaff Small Business Classic, two shots behind the champion. First and second round leader Dan Forsman (Pro V1x, 909D3 driver, 909F3 fairway metal, 585.H utility metal, ZM irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter), closed with a 73 to tie for fourth at eight-under with two-time defending champion Bernhard Langer (Pro V1).
Titleist was the top golf ball choice among players at the event with 54, more than six times the nearest competitor with 8. Titleist was also first in iron sets (21) and wedges (51).
TITLEIST TOUR BLOG: http://www.titleistblog.com/
FOLLOW TITLEIST ON TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/titleist
JOIN TITLEIST ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/titleist
DIRECT FROM THE TOUR VIDEO: http://www.titleist.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1
Contact:
Joe Gomes, Director of Communications (508.979.3211)
