SAN DIEGO, California (May 23, 2011) – Nippon Shaft today is celebrating a highly successful weekend, having recorded three pro tour victories along with a third-place finish on the PGA TOUR. Here are the results:
• The winner of the LPGA Tour’s Sybase Match Play Championship used the new N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 to win her final match 1-up at Hamilton Farm GC in Gladstone, N.J. It was the seventh LPGA victory for the 30-year-old Norwegian and European Solheim Cup stalwart whose last win came in 2009.
• The champion at the OKI Open de Espana Senior notched a record 24th victory on the European Senior Tour, using the N.S. PRO 1050GH S flex. The victory made the Englishman the most prolific winner ever on the circuit. Leading by one stroke going in to the final round, he shot a 4-under par 32 on the front nine at El Vale Golf Resort in Murcia, Spain and finished with a 54-hole total of 13-under 200.
• The winner of the Ladies European Tour’s UniCredit Ladies German Open used the light weight N.S. PRO 750GH shafts in her irons. The 29-year-old Rome native shot 24-under par for the 72-hole event and won by seven shots. She had 20 birdies and no bogeys.
• Nippon Shaft’s prototype N.S. PRO MODUS3 shafts were used by the third-place finisher at the PGA TOUR’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. The shafts were installed in the Titleist irons used by the native of Richmond, Indiana, who shot a back-nine 30 on Sunday with four birdies, an eagle, and only one bogey. His finish at Colonial was the best of the year for 6-foot 4-inch, 200-pound former Oklahoma State standout, who shot 10-under par 270 for the week on rounds of 68-69-68-65 and earned $421,600. His other top 10 finish this year was a tie for eighth at The Masters.
“Nippon Shaft is extremely proud that its shafts proved effective across four professional tours, including the PGA TOUR and the LPGA Tour,” said Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “We wish all the players who used our shafts continued success as they compete around the world this season.”
With yesterday’s LPGA victory, the N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 model now has recorded victories on the PGA TOUR (Mayakoba Golf Classic in Puerto Rico, Feb. 27); the LPGA Tour, and the Japanese PGA Tour (Tsuruya Open, April 24).
“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. Other MODUS3 models are still in development.
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 Yokohama, 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.
Contact:
Barry Cronin
Cronin Communications, Inc.
847-698-1801 (office)
847-867-3032 (mobile)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
