Nick Watney Captures AT&T National Trusting Pro V1x Golf Ball, Full Bag of Titleist Equipment. Wins Playing New AP2 Prototype Irons and Scotty Cameron Putter for First Time.
Fairhaven, MA (July 4, 2011) – To win on the PGA Tour, you need to trust every decision, every swing and every shot. At the AT&T National, Titleist Brand Ambassador Nick Watney did just that, topping a world-class field and proving once again that he has the tools and talent to succeed at the game’s highest level. Performance excellence from tee-through-green, it’s what makes Titleist the equipment brand of choice for more of the world’s best.
– Trusting the Pro V1x golf ball and complete bag of Titleist equipment, including AP2 prototype irons for the first time, Watney earned his second victory of the year (he previously won the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral) and the fourth of his career.
– Watney moved into the top ten in the Official World Golf Ranking and is now No. 1 on the PGA Tour money list for the first time in his career. He becomes the first player this year to top the $4 million mark in earnings.
– What’s in Nick Watney’s Titleist golf bag?: Pro V1x golf ball, Titleist 910D3 (10.5) driver, 910F (15) fairway metal, 910H (21) hybrid, AP2 prototype irons (3-P), Vokey Design sand (54) and lob (60) wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport Fastback putter.
– Just the Stats: Watney proved to be well-fit with his Titleist 910D3 driver, placing 4th in driving distance (320.8) and 10th in driving accuracy (69.6). In addition to the new AP2 prototype irons, Watney also played a new Scotty Cameron Fastback putter for the first time in competition, and finished 2nd (27.8) in puts per round (32, 28, 25, 26) and 3rd in putts per GIR (1.667). Watney’s set composition helped him to 20 post birdies for the week – second most in the field.
– Watney’s success shined a spotlight on Titleist’s tour debut of the new 712 series iron family (AP1, AP2, CB, MB), where he immediately put a set of the AP2 prototype irons in the bag at the AT&T National and won the event in convincing fashion. Watney fired a course-record 8-under 62 at Aronimink Golf Club on Saturday and then followed up with a bogey-free final round 4-under 66 to post a tournament record-tying 13-under 267 total, two strokes clear of Titleist Pro V1 golf ball loyalist K.J. Choi.
– Watney’s prototype AP2 irons(3-P) are standard length and one degree upright throughout; 2 degrees weak in the 3, 4, 5, P and one degree weak in the 6, 7, 8, 9. He decided to put the new irons in the bag after practicing with them for the first time during the Wednesday pro-am round.
– While the initial tour launch of the prototype irons was highlighted by Watney’s winning effort, a total of 19 players (out of an event-leading 40 Titleist iron sets) put the new sets in play at AT&T National, the first week they were available to players. Among those putting them in play were (by model):
AP1: Ben Curtis
AP2: Brendon DeJonge, Jason Dufner, Hunter Haas, Michael Sim, Scott Stallings, Nick Watney
CB: Kris Blanks, Greg Chalmers, Brian Davis, Bill Haas, Ryuji Imada, Troy Matteson
MB: Chris Kirk, Marc Leishman, Geoff Ogilvy, Jimmy Walker
Split: Michael Connell (5-9 MB/3-4 CB); Bobby Gates (4-9 MB/2-3 CB)
– Choi was followed by Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott (Pro V1, 910D3 driver, 910F.d fairway metal, 910H hybrid, MB irons, Vokey Design pitching, sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Kombi Long putter), Jeff Overton (Pro V1x) and Charles Howell III (Pro V1x), all of whom tied for 3rd place, four shots off the winning pace. Howell, who fired a bogey-free 4-under 66 in the final round, earned an invitation to the British Open as the top finisher from the top five who wasn’t already exempt.
– In fact, Watney topped a leaderboard that included eight players among the top 10 finishers, including each of the top five, who trusted a Titleist golf ball for their success. Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 80 players, more than six times the nearest competitor with 13.
– Rounding out the top ten were Titleist Brand Ambassadors Bryce Molder (Pro V1x, 909D3 driver, 909F2 fairway metal, 910H hybrid, CB irons, Vokey Design pitching wedge, Vokey TVD sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport 2.7 SS putter), Chris Kirk (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 906F4 fairway metal, 910H hybrid, CB prototype irons, Vokey Design pitching and sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Del Mar putter) and Webb Simpson (Pro V1x, 909D3 driver, 909F2 and 910F fairway metals, 910H hybrid, 680 irons, Vokey TVD sand and lob wedges). The trio finished tied for 8th at 7-under 273.
– Titleist also was first in iron sets (40), including 19 sets of 712 prototype irons; sand, lob and approach wedges (113); and putters (52). Titleist was second in drivers (39), including 34 910D2 or 910D3 models; fairway metals (40); and hybrids (25).
EUROPEAN TOUR: Another Titleist Brand Ambassador, Thomas Levet, claimed victory on home soil in the Alstom Open de France, finishing one shot clear of two players, including joint overnight leader Mark Foster (Pro V1, Scotty Cameron Detour putter). Levet closed with a final round one-under 70 to finish on seven-under 277. He becomes just the second French winner of the tournament since The European Tour began in 1972. Jean-François Remesy triumphed in 2004 and 2005.
– What’s in Thomas Levet’s Bag?: Pro V1 golf ball, 910D3 driver (8.5), 910F fairway metal (13.5), 910H hybrid (18), MB irons (3-P), Vokey Design Spin Milled sand (54) and lob (60) wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 putter.
– The win is the sixth of Levet’s European Tour career and his first since the 2009 Open de Espana.
– Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball choice of the field with 95 players, more than four times the nearest competitor with 23. Titleist was also the top choice in irons (40) and wedges (165).
WORLDWIDE WINS: Victories by Watney and Levet advanced Titleist’s golf ball victory total across the 2011 worldwide professional tours to 85, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 12 and more than all other golf balls combined.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Montreal Championship with 57 players, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 8. Titleist also was first in iron sets (22); and second in drivers (13); sand, lob and approach wedges (38); and putters (21).
– Chien-Soon Lu (Pro V1x, Scotty Cameron Kombi putter), who held a one-stroke lead heading into the final round, closed with a 2-under 70 to finish alone in 2nd at 18-under 198. He was followed a further shot back by Joey Sindelar (Pro V1x, AP2 6-PW irons, Vokey Design lob wedge, Scotty Cameron prototype putter). Rod Spittle (Pro V1) shot the course record of a 10-under 62, to finish at 15-under, tied for seventh.
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