SAN DIEGO, California (August 1, 2011) – Nippon Shaft on Sunday (July 31) won its second major in two weeks and also recorded another top five finish on the PGA TOUR.
The winner of the Ricoh Women’s British Open used the N.S. PRO 950GH in her irons to capture her second consecutive Women’s British Open, at Carnoustie Golf Club in Scotland. The 22-year-old from Taiwan shot 3-under par 69 in her final round to finish at 16-under par 272 and become the youngest woman to capture her fifth major title. She won by four strokes after trailing the third-round leader by two and earned $392,133 for the victory. A week earlier the player who won the U.S. Senior Open used Nippon Shaft products in his irons.
Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour, Nippon Shaft finished in a five-way tie for fourth place at the Greenbrier Classic at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulpher Springs, W. Va. It was the third straight finish of 13th or better for the native Zimbabwean who attended Virginia Tech before he turned pro. The 6-foot, 230-pounder used a prototype Nippon Shaft N.S. PRO MODUS3 steel shaft in his irons. He fired a final round 4-under 66 to finish at 9-under par for the week and earn $226,200.
“Nippon Shaft is proud that top players on every tour have been able to find success with its shafts,” said Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “We congratulate the winner of her fifth women’s major and wish all the players who use our equipment continued success as they compete around the world this season.”
Nippon Shaft now has multiple victories on the PGA TOUR, the Champions Tour, and the LPGA Tour in 2011.
“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 worldwide. 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 (o)
847-867-3032 (m)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
