Robert Karlsson captures second win of the season at Dubai World Championship; joins fellow Titleist brand ambassadors Michio Matsumura and Peter O’Malley in trusting Pro v1x and Titleist clubs tee-to-green in worldwide playoff victories.
airhaven, MA (November 29, 2010) – Titleist Brand Ambassador Robert Karlsson added a closing bookend to his 2010 season on the PGA European Tour with a second win in the Middle East. Karlsson, who won the Commercialbank Qatar Masters back in January, outdueled fellow Pro V1x loyalist Ian Poulter in a playoff to capture the season-ending Dubai World Championship. In his win, Karlsson trusted not only the Pro V1x golf ball, but also a full bag of Titleist golf clubs, including the new 910D3 driver and 910F fairway metals. Also relying on Pro V1x and Titleist clubs tee-to-green were Brand Ambassadors Michio Matsumura and Peter O’Malley, each of whom also won in dramatic playoff fashion. Matsumura claimed his second victory of the season on the Japan Golf Tour, prevailing at the Casio World Open with the New Pro V1x prototype golf ball. Australian icon O’Malley captured his first Australian PGA Tour title in five years, thrilling the home crowd with his win at the NSW Open hosted by Nathan Green. The wins by Karlsson, Matsumura and O’Malley advance the 2010 Titleist victory count across the worldwide professional tours to 144, six times the nearest competitor with 24. Proof once again that for tee-to-green performance, when it matters most, more of the world’s best players trust Titleist.
TITLEIST HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 28, 2010
EUROPEAN TOUR: Karlsson, three shots off Poulter’s lead heading into the final round, got off to an ideal start on Sunday, playing the first three holes birdie-birdie-eagle en route to a 5-under 67 that would give him a share of the lead in regulation at 14-under 274.
– Both players birdied the first extra hole. Returning to the par-5 18th, Karlsson was precise again; his wedge approach finishing four feet from the cup for a birdie that he would ultimately convert for the win. Poulter, who won last week’s UBS Hong Kong Open and was seeking consecutive wins for the first time in his career, bogeyed from 30 feet, which included a one-shot penalty.
– What’s in Robert’s Bag?: Pro V1x, 910D3 driver (9.5, D̢??2 SFT setting), 910F fairway metals (13.5, 19.0, D̢??4 SFT setting), MB irons (3-PW), Vokey Design Spin Milled pitching (49), sand (56) and lob (60) wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport prototype putter.
– World Number One and defending champion Lee Westwood (Pro V1x) shared 3rd place, a shot out of the playoff. Titleist Brand Ambassador Rory McIlroy (Pro V1x, 910D2 driver, 910F fairway metals, MB irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled pitching, sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Fastback putter) finished solo 5th.
– Lee Westwood finished 3rd in the Race to Dubai, followed by Ian Poulter. Karlsson finished 6th.
– Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Dubai World Championship with 35 players, nearly three times the nearest competitor with 12.
JAPAN TOUR: – It was an all-Titleist finish at the Casio World Open where Matsumura endured a final round charge by fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Do-hoon Kim (Pro V1, 910D3 driver, 910H hybrid, MB irons, Vokey Design wedges) and then went on to defeat the South Korean in a playoff to win the title.
– After the 27-year-old Matsumura carded a final round 4-under 68, the 21-year-old Kim closed with a 7-under 65 – the best round of the day. Both players finished at 13-under 275. On the fourth playoff hole, Kim conceded victory when Matsumura hit his third shot inches from the cup.
– What’s in Michio’s Bag?: New Pro V1x prototype, 910D2 driver (7.5), 910H hybrid (21.0), AP2 irons (4-PW), Vokey Design Spin Milled TVD approach (52), and Vokey Design Spin Milled lob (61) wedges.
– Hyung-tae Kim (New Pro V1x) finished alone in 3rd, while Toru Taniguchi (Pro V1x, Vokey Design approach wedge, Vokey Design TVD sand wedge) claimed solo 5th.
– Matsumura becomes the third player to win with the New Pro V1x prototype, following Padraig Harrington (Iskandor Johor Open) last month, and Steven Bowditch (Cellarbrations NSW PGA Championship) last week.
– The victory was Matsumura’s second of the season after winning last month’s Tokai Classic.
– Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Casio World Open with 43 players, compared to 25 for the nearest competitor. Titleist was also the top choice in hybrids (24); and approach, sand and lob wedges (75).
AUSTRALIAN PGA TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Peter O’Malley claimed the 2010 NSW Open hosted by Nathan Green following a three-way playoff with two players, including fellow Australian Peter Cooke (Pro V1x).
– After tying in regulation at 14-under 270, the trio headed back to the par-4 18th for sudden death. Cooke, who set a new course record with a 10-under 61 in the first round, bowed out after the second trip down 18, leaving O’Malley and his amateur opponent to fight it out for a third time. While O’Malley hit the green in regulation, his adversary hit his approach into a greenside bunker and was unable to get up and down to match O’Malley’s par.
– What’s in Peter’s Bag?: Pro V1x, 910D2 driver (10.5), 910F fairway metal, CB irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges, Scotty Cameron Kombi S putter.
– The win for O’Malley is his first PGA Tour of Australia title in five years, his last win coming at the 2005 NZ PGA Championship where he claimed the trophy following a playoff with Steven Bowditch.
– All professionals in the top-10 trusted a Titleist golf ball for their success.
– Titleist was the overwhelming top choice in golf balls at the event with 116 of the 156 players (74%) trusting the #1 ball in golf.
ASIAN TOUR: – Overnight co-leader Jbe Kruger of South Africa (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 906F2 fairway metal, 909H hybrids, AP2 irons, Vokey Design wedges) shot a 1-over par 73 to finish two strokes back. Pariya Junhasavasdikul of Thailand (Pro V1x, ZM irons) and Mo Joong Kyung of South Korea (Pro V1x, 910D2 driver, 910F fairway metal, 910H hybrid, CB irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter) also tied Kruger for 2nd.
– Of the 12 players who finished among the top 10 and ties at the King’s Cup, 8 trusted a Titleist golf ball for their success.
– Titleist was the overwhelming top choice in golf balls at the event with 88 players, nearly four times the nearest competitor with 24.
TITLEIST TOUR BLOG: http://titleistblog.com/
FOLLOW TITLEIST ON TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/titleist
JOIN TITLEIST ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/titleist
Titleist and FootJoy comprise the major golf brands of the Acushnet Company, an operating company of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE – FO). Contact: Joe Gomes, Director of Communications (508.979.3211).
Contact:
