Finishes 1-2-3 on LPGA, PGA and Champions Tours
SCHAUMBURG, Illinois (February 22, 2011) – Nippon Shaft scored an unconventional “trifecta” on Feb. 20, finishing 1-2-3 on three of the world’s major professional tours.
The first place finish came at the Honda LPGA in Thailand, where the World’s No. 1 female player won her fourth consecutive tournament by an impressive five shots against the top players in the women’s game. The 22-year-old South Korean played Nippon Shaft’s classic lightweight N.S. PRO 950GH shafts in her irons en route to a 15-under par 273, including a final-round 66, at Siam Country Club. She earned $217,500.
Finishing in second place at the PGA TOUR’s Northern Trust Open was the 48-year-old Hall-of-Famer, three-time major champion, and former World No. 1 who hails from the South Pacific. The 6-foot 2-inch Fijian played the new N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 TX flex steel shafts at legendary Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles. He shot 10-under par 274 on rounds of 68-70-67-69 and won $702,000.
On the Champions Tour, the 52-year-old left-hander from Paducah, Kentucky finished in a tie for third place at the Ace Group Classic at The Quarry in Naples, Florida. The winner of the 1991 Western Open played a prototype of the new N.S. PRO MODUS3 steel shaft to shoot 15-under par 201 on rounds of 64-70-67 and earned $105,600.
Meanwhile, multiple major champion Karrie Webb also finished third, at the Honda LPGA. She played the N.S. PRO 1050GH in her irons and N.S. PRO WT 6000 graphite shafts in her driver and fairway metals, shooting 7-under par 279 to earn $90,294.
“Nippon Shaft is extremely pleased that elite players on three of the world’s major tours have had success playing Nippon Shaft products,” said Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “We congratulate them all on their outstanding performances. 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.”
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. This year, several players are using the shafts, as well as other prototype MODUS3 shafts, in PGA TOUR and Champions Tour competition.
Nippon Shaft products are available through Shaftology – the company’s dedicated clubfitter network – and through the custom club departments of top club manufacturers. In addition, for the first time, consumers may purchase Nippon Shaft products shafts directly from major golf retailers, such as GolfSmith and The GolfWorks.
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 (o)
847-867-3032 (m)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
