Smooth-swinging Englishman achieves coveted ranking with top-10 finishes in 14 of past 15 events worldwide
Norcross, GA (May 31, 2011) – Mizuno Brand Ambassador Luke Donald capped the most successful run of his career this past weekend with a playoff victory over the previous number one player in the world, Lee Westwood, at the BMW PGA Championship in Surrey, England, capturing the elusive number-one position in the Official World Golf Ranking. Donald, considered by many to be the best iron and wedge player in the game, proved that precision and accuracy remain paramount as he skillfully utilized his Grain Flow Forged MP irons, MP T-11 wedges, and Mizuno CLK Hybrid to showcase the most consistent golf the PGA Tour has seen in years.
Known for his tremendous iron play and short game, Donald is now ranked the number one player on the US PGA Tour, the number one player on the European Tour, as well as the number one player in the Official World Golf Ranking. Additionally, Donald is first on the PGA Tour in scoring average at 69.16 and money earned at $3,344,867; a clear testament to the hard work and dedication he put forth this year. Donald started the season with a record-breaking performance at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, when he ousted the number-one-ranked player at the time, Martin Kaymer, in the finals. He followed up the victory with runner-up finishes at the Heritage on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and the Volvo Match Play Championship in Spain, and then capped it off with his first-hole playoff victory this past weekend at the BMW PGA Championship. In total, Donald has earned top 10 finishes in 14 of the past 15 events, vaulting him to the number-one ranking and translating to his best year on Tour.
“We congratulate Luke on his amazing play, and we are excited to see what the rest of 2011 brings,” said Dick Lyons, Vice President and General Manager, Golf Division for Mizuno USA, Inc. “Luke is Mizuno’s longest-standing golf Brand Ambassador and since signing with us, has emerged as one of the world’s top golfers, proving that precision performance combined with superior products can lead to dominance.”
Donald, who played Mizuno irons while attending Northwestern, signed with Mizuno in 2004 and saw immediate results skyrocketing from 134th to 11th in the Official World Golf Rankings.
“Not only is Luke one of the best golfers in the world, but he provides enormous value in terms of collaborative input, always providing ideas, tips and insightful information that help Mizuno continuously respond to the changing needs of today’s golfers and consistently manufacture product that allow golfers of every level to be the best that they can be,” said Jeff Cook, PGA Tour Representative, Mizuno USA. “We are extremely proud of Luke’s performance thus far in 2011 and believe wholeheartedly that it will only continue as he continues to never settle for anything less than the best from himself every time he steps on to the golf course.”
Golf fans currently have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play a round of golf with the new number one player in the world, through Mizuno’s JPX-800 Swing to Win Challenge, a national contest that allows consumers to put their current irons to the test and experience the significant distance gains that can be realized through the JPX-800 line of game-improvement irons. Mizuno is now offering golfers across the country the ability to see for themselves at participating golf retailers and Mizuno demo events, and the chance to win one of 800 prizes, including a Dream Round of golf with Mizuno PGA Tour stars Luke Donald and Charles Howell III. For more information on the JPX-800 Swing to Win Challenge, visit www.mizunochallenge.com.
Mizuno delivers outstanding innovations and high-performance technologies for serious golfers of all skill levels. With groundbreaking design and processes like Grain Flow Forging™ Technology, and the innovative Performance Fitting System for custom club fitting, Mizuno has earned the trust of golfers at every level. For more information on Mizuno’s complete line of golf equipment, visit www.mizunogolf.com.
About Mizuno USA
Mizuno USA, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mizuno Corporation, one of the largest specialty sporting goods manufacturers in the world. Mizuno USA, Inc. manufactures and distributes golf, baseball, softball, running, track & field, and volleyball equipment, apparel, and footwear for North America. Mizuno USA, Inc. is based in Norcross, Georgia.
Contact:
Eric Hills
Mizuno USA, Inc.
770-453-7853
eric.hills@mizunousa.com
