Hall of Famer uses company’s tour shafts to record his best finish since 2009
SCHAUMBURG, Illinois (February 7, 2011) – A Hall of Fame tour pro used prototype Nippon Shaft N.S. Pro Modus3 steel shafts in his irons at the Waste Management Phoenix Open enroute to his best PGA TOUR finish since 2009.
The 6-foot 2-inch former Masters champion used the Modus3 Tour 120 steel shafts to shoot 16-under par for the 72-hole event, which concluded Monday. He finished tied for third two strokes out of a playoff.
“Nippon Shaft is very excited that our new Modus3 Tour 120 shafts played a role in helping one of the game’s elite players shoot his best tournament round in two years,” said Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “We wish him continued success as he competes this season on the PGA TOUR and around the world.”
The player, who turns 48 later this month, shot rounds of 69-65-68-66-268 at TPC Scottsdale. He ranked second in birdies for the week with 24, including seven in his final round. He averaged more than 300 yards off the tee, hit 75 percent of his greens in regulation (12th best in the field), and hit 59 percent of his fairways. He finished tied for 20th last week at Torrey Pines.
In addition, two other pros using Modus3 prototype shafts finished in the top 25 in Phoenix.
The week before, the Nippon Shaft N.S. Pro Modus3 recorded its first professional victory at the Volvo Golf Champions at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain. The winner is among the top 10 players in the world, according to the Official World Golf Rankings.
“Nippon Shaft is committed to manufacturing the world’s best shafts for the world’s elite players, as well as for avid amateurs and casual golfers,” Fukuda said. “We are pleased and excited that the men and women pros who have been using our products have been performing so well.”
The new N.S. Pro MODUS3 Tour 120 is the first new shaft to come to market since Nippon Shaft began researching the needs of top PGA touring pros in July 2009, according to Fukuda. Other Modus3 models are still in development. Company representatives traveled regularly with the PGA TOUR, talking with players, allowing them to sample prototypes, and refining the shafts to fit the players’ unique requirements. A number of players used the shafts in competition last season, including this past weekend’s winner, who is a PGA TOUR member.
“By traveling with the PGA TOUR, Nippon Shaft gained insight into the equipment preferences of many of the world’s elite players,” Fukuda said. “The N.S. Pro MODUS3 Tour 120 is the initial product to result from this exhaustive research and development process.”
For the first time, consumers may purchase the shafts directly from major golf retailers, such as GolfSmith and The GolfWorks.
As always, the shafts are available through Shaftology – Nippon Shaft’s dedicated clubfitter network – and through the custom club departments of top club manufacturers.
A number of PGA touring pros – including former Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team members – are playing prototype versions of the MODUS3 shafts in PGA and European PGA tournaments this year. The Tour 120 model weighs between 114 and 126 grams and comes in S, X, and Tour X flex options. Other models still in the testing phase weigh as little as 106 grams and as many as 139 grams – but all meet the requirements of top players.
The N.S. Pro MODUS3 series shafts are popular with touring pros because they offer optimal performance in the three key areas:
1. Desired trajectory, which comes as a result of the unique shaft structure;
2. Accurate distances, thanks to the shaft’s unique raw steel material and accompanying heat treatment;
3. Tight dispersion, which comes from the exacting tolerances of the highest quality level.
Nippon Shaft made its reputation in the late 1990s by developing the first high quality lightweight steel shaft. The revolutionary N.S. Pro 950GH became the industry’s first sub-100 gram steel shaft, combining the stability and consistency of heavier shafts with extremely light weight. Soon, Nippon Shaft grew to be the No. 1-selling shaft in Asia, controlling 80 percent of the market, and No. 2 in North America. Along the way, Nippon Shaft recorded more than 100 pro tour victories worldwide and became the dominant shaft on the LPGA Tour.
Nippon Shaft manufactures all of its steel and graphite shafts in a state-of-the-art factory at its headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. The company’s integrated production lines are strictly monitored and controlled with thorough checks conducted responsibly through the entire production process, Fukuda said. As a result, Nippon Shaft is able to control high product quality – from material selection to final testing.
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 is 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
