SAN DIEGO, Calif. (August 22, 2011) – Nippon Shaft posted two more victories over the weekend in both the Safeway Classic in Oregon and the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open. The manufacturer of high quality steel shafts also recorded a top-five finish at the PGA TOUR’s Wyndham Classic in Greensboro, N.C.
The blonde Norwegian winner of the Safeway Classic trailed the leaders by nine shots when she began her final round Sunday at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club west of Portland. But the 30-year-old, who used Nippon Shaft’s N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 shafts with a stiff flex in her irons, shot a final round 64 and wound up winning a sudden death playoff with a par when her playoff opponent hit a shot in the water and made bogey.
The Safeway winner shot a total of 207 on rounds of 69-74-64, earned $225,000 for the victory, and on Monday moved to No. 2 in the world rankings. She won the Ladies Irish Open on August 7.
Meanwhile the winner of the Ladies Scottish Open shot a 6-under par 66 Saturday to post a 15-under total, 10 shots ahead of her nearest competitor. She earned Ì¢?åÂ33,000 for her efforts.
It was the eighth career victory for the 41-year-old native Scot and former Women’s British Open champion, who used Nippon Shaft N.S. PRO 950GH R flex shafts in her irons. The married mother of two is an honorary member of the host club, Archerfield Links, which is just a few miles from her home in North Berwick. She got the membership after winning the Women’s British Open.
At Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, the 48-year-old native of Fiji tied for fourth at 13-under par 267, recording rounds of 65-69-68-65-267. He used Nippon Shaft N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 TX flex shafts in his irons. It was the fourth top-10 finish of the year for the former Masters champion, who earned $196,040 for the week. He now stands 36th on the FedEx Cup points list and 37th on the money list, having collected more than $1.7 million in official earnings this season.
“Nippon Shaft is very proud that the No. 2 woman golfer in the world and the former Women’s British Open champion both chose to use Nippon Shaft products in their irons on their respective ways to victory over the weekend,” said Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “The MODUS3 Tour 120 shafts have been developed in consultation with PGA Tour players and we’re happy they can be useful to one of the stars of the LPGA Tour. In addition the N.S. PRO 950GH shafts used by our Scottish winner have long set a high standard among top pros and amateurs alike.”
Fukuda also praised the PGA Tour veteran, who has been using Nippon Shaft products in his irons all season.
“Nippon Shaft is thrilled that one of the truly great PGA Tour players over the last two decades earned a top-five finish against a formidable field using our shafts,” Fukuda said. “We wish him luck in the upcoming FedEx Cup Playoffs.”
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 (office)
847-867-3032 (mobile)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
