SAN DIEGO, CA (May 11, 2011) – Playing his new Nippon Shafts for the first time in competition, the 44th-ranked player in the world finished runner up at last Sunday’s (May 8) Open de Espana in Barcelona.
The 40-year-old Dane shot 8-under par 280 at Real Club de Golf El Prat on rounds of 69-72-69-70 and finished two strokes behind the winner. His second-place check was for 222,2220 Euro ($315,585).
It was the best finish of the year for the European Tour stalwart, who tied for third in March at the WGC Cadillac Championship at Doral.
This week, he used Nippon Shaft’s N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 (X flex) steel shaft in his Titleist irons to post his strong finish.
“Nippon Shaft is pleased and extremely proud that the N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 could play a contributory role in the success of a veteran European Tour player, especially because it came the first time he used our shafts in a tournament,” said Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft.
Earlier this year, one of Nippon Shaft’s new tour-oriented shafts won the European Tour event in Bahrain, and the shafts have met with increasing acceptance on pro tours worldwide, including the PGA TOUR.
“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 and meeting the needs of top PGA touring pros in 2009, according to Fukuda. 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 on both the U.S. and European PGA Tours.
This year, 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 San Diego, California.
Contact:
Barry Cronin
Cronin Communications, Inc.
847-698-1801 (office)
847-867-3032 (mobile)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
