Wins Volvo World Match Play Championship. Leads Titleist to five-win week.
Fairhaven, MA (May 23, 2011) – Determined and undaunted down the stretch, a pair of Titleist Pro V1x players swept the weekend’s top honors on the European Tour to lead a five-win week for Titleist golf ball players around the world.
At the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain, Pro V1x loyalist Ian Poulter concluded a hard-fought, marathon week with a 2-and-1 victory over fellow Englishman and Pro V1x loyalist Luke Donald.
At the Madeira Islands Open in Portugal, Titleist Brand Ambassador Michael Hoey made just two bogeys over his final 40 holes to earn his second career European Tour title.
So far in 2011, Titleist golf ball players have combined for 54 victories across the worldwide professional tours, nearly five times the nearest competitor with 11. A total of 6,811 players have teed up a Titleist golf ball in competition this season, more than six times the nearest competitor with 1,094 and more than all other golf balls combined.
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Already regarded as one of the world’s most daunting match-play competitors, Poulter successfully navigated 108 holes at Spain’s Finca Cortesin GC to earn his 15th career victory and return to the top 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Five of Poulter’s six matches went to the 18th hole or beyond, including his quarterfinal match against Pro V1x loyalist Lee Westwood (1 up) and semifinal match against Pro V1x loyalist Nicolas Colsaerts (19th hole).
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the limited-field event with 13 players, more than three times the nearest competitor.
In the 18-hole final, Poulter converted a 40-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 12th hole, kicking off a three-birdie, five-hole stretch that would decide the match against Donald, the 2011 WGC-Accenture Match Play champ.
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Michael Hoey’s final round in Portugal was both the steadiest and most successful. He made 15 pars, two birdies and just one bogey at Porto Santo Golf, to finish at 10-under 278 (72-68-67-71) and claim the two-shot victory.
Trusting Titleist equipment from tee-to-green, Hoey finished third in Greens in Regulation (72%).
Here’s a closer look at Hoey’s Titleist equipment: Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Titleist 910D3 8.5, A•1 SureFit Tour Setting (Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Kai’li 60)
3-wood: Titleist 910F 13.5, A•1 Setting (Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Kai’li 80)
Irons (3-P): AP2 (True Temper Dynamic Gold)
Wedge: Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled 54º, 58º (True Temper Dynamic Gold)
Pro V1x loyalists Federico Colombo, Jose-Filipe Lima and Lloyd Saltman all tied for 4th at 6-under 282.
A total of 111 players at the event trusted Titleist golf balls, more than five times the nearest competitor with 19 and more than all competitors combined.
• PGA TOUR: The winner of the Crowne Plaza Invitational trusted a Pro V1 golf ball for his success, leading a 1 through 6 finish for Titleist golf ball players. Pro V1 loyalist Charlie Wi shot a final-round 1-under 69 to finish at 14-under 266, one shot behind the winner.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Bo Van Pelt finished alone in 3rd, while defending champion and Titleist Brand Ambassador Zach Johnson was 4th.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Robert Karlsson and Pro V1x loyalist Chez Reavie tied for 5th at 8-under 272. Of the 15 players who finished among the top-10 and ties at the event, 13 relied on a Titleist golf ball for their success.
A total of 84 players at Colonial teed up Titleist golf balls, seven times the nearest competitor with 12.
• ONEASIA TOUR: Propelled by a course-record tying 8-under 64 in Round 2, Pro V1 loyalist Kurt Barnes won the SK Telecom Open by one shot over Titleist Brand Ambassador Kyung Tae Kim at Pinx Golf Club in South Korea.
Barnes, who turns 30 on Wednesday, posted a 14-under 202 total, good enough for a one-shot victory once the event was reduced to 54 holes due to weather. He shot a 5-under 67 in the third round.
Kim, a recent winner at the GS Caltrex Maekyung Open, shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 in Round 3. Nine of the top 11 players in the event played Titleist golf balls.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the SK Telecom Open with 113 players, more than 10 times the nearest competitor with 11.
• JAPAN TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist Masanori Kobayashi captured his first-career Japan Tour victory at the inaugural Totoumi Hamamatsu Open. Kobyashi won on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole. After starting the final round three shots back, Kobayashi closed with a 7-under 65 to finish regulation at 20-under 268.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 65 players. Titleist also was first in hybrids (49); and sand, lob and approach wedges (112).
• LPGA TOUR: At the Sybase Match Play Championship, runner-up and Pro V1 loyalist Cristie Kerr was one of 46 players that played a Titleist golf ball, more than seven times the nearest competitor with six.
• NATIONWIDE TOUR: Seven of the top 11 players at the BMW Charity Pro-Am were Titleist golf ball players, including runner-up and Pro V1x loyalist Sunghoon Kang.
In total, 123 players at the event trusted Titleist golf balls, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 15.
Titleist also was first in iron sets (47); sand, lob and approach wedges (164); and putters (82).
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