SCHAUMBURG, Illinois (Aug. 24, 2010) – Nippon Shaft lodged its 14th LPGA Tour victory out of a possible 17 last Sunday, Aug. 22, at the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola.
The 24-year-old Japanese champion used Nippon Shaft’s custom-made N.S. Pro V-90 lightweight steel shafts in her Bridgestone irons to shoot 11-under par for the tournament on rounds of 66-67-72-205 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club’s Ghost Creek Course outside Portland.
The victory was the fifth of the year for the champion and enabled her to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She earned $225,000 for the victory and now leads the LPGA money list with more than $1.3 million in 14 events. She also leads the Rolex Player of the Year race.
“Nippon Shaft congratulates the winner of the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola,” said Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “We also congratulate the many other players in the field who used lightweight steel shafts from Nippon Shaft in their irons. We are proud to continue our support of the players on both the LPGA Tour and the PGA TOUR.”
It was the sixth career LPGA victory for the champion, who notched her first win on the U.S.-based women’s tour at the 2009 Evian Masters. This year, she also has won the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand, the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore, the Tres Marias Championship in Mexico, and the ShopRite LPGA Classic in New Jersey.
Before coming to the U.S. in 2006 to play full time, the well-regarded champion had won 12 tournaments on the Japanese LPGA Tour.
Nippon Shaft has more than 100 professional victories worldwide. Based in Yokahama, Japan, Nippon Shaft is the No. 1-selling steel shaft in Asia, where it controls 80 percent of the golf shaft market. In North America, Nippon Shaft is the No. 2-selling steel shaft and growing.
Nippon Shaft is a privately-held subsidiary of NHK Spring Co. LTD, a Japanese automobile parts manufacturer. Nippon Shaft’s North American headquarters is in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Contact:
Barry Cronin
Cronin Communications, Inc.
847-698-1801 (office)
847-867-3032 (mobile)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
