Records another top-5 finish on PGA Tour to go with victory on LPGA
SCHAUMBURG, Illinois (March 21, 2011) – Nippon Shaft scored another victory and another Top 10 finish yesterday on the world’s top men’s and women’s pro golf tours.
Longtime Nippon Shaft staff player Karrie Webb fired a 6-under 66 in the final round Sunday to come from behind to win the RR Donnelly Founders Cup in Phoenix. The 36-year-old Australian played Nippon Shaft’s N.S. PRO 1050GH steel shafts in her irons and the N.S. PRO REGIO graphite shafts in her driver and fairway metals. She shot 12-under par 204 on rounds of 71-67-66 in the 54-hole event and earned $150,000 for the victory.
It was the second consecutive victory and the 38th overall for Webb, who won the HSBC Women’s Champions in Singapore last month.
On the PGA TOUR, Nippon Shaft had another strong showing, with the man from Zimbabwe finishing in a tie for fifth at the Transitions Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida. The 6-foot, 230-pounder out of Virginia Tech (2003) – who won the Mayakoba Classic on Feb. 27 – tied for fifth at 14-under par 274, shooting 69-66-66-73 on the Copperhead Course at the Innisbrook Resort in the Tampa Bay area. He earned $180,125 for the tournament. He played prototype Nippon Shaft N.S. PRO MODUS3 steel shafts in his irons.
“Once again, we are proud that players competing on the world’s biggest stages have had the confidence to play Nippon Shaft and we are very pleased with their success,” said Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “We congratulate them 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 (office)
847-867-3032 (mobile)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
