Crane Tops Simpson in Playoff. Tom Lewis Wins First as Professional. Choi Holds Off Tseng on LPGA.
Fairhaven, MA (October 17, 2011) – Players striving to win at the highest levels of competitive golf require complete confidence in themselves and trust in their equipment. At the McGladrey Classic, Titleist Brand Ambassadors Ben Crane and Webb Simpson did just that, relying upon the Pro V1x golf ball and bags full of Titleist golf clubs to finish 1-2 in a sudden death playoff.
Crane closed with a 7-under par 63 that included eight birdies over the final 11 holes to reach the playoff en route to his fourth career victory. While Simpson, who has won twice this season, continued his career year and currently sits atop the 2011 PGA Tour money list with one event remaining.
The success stories continued around globe where, again this week, more players and more winners relied upon Titleist than all other golf balls combined. In addition to Crane’s victory on the PGA Tour, 20-year old Tom Lewis, playing in just his third European Tour event as a professional, captured the Portugal Masters. At the LPGA Malaysia, Na Yeon Choi edged fellow Pro V1x loyalist Yani Tseng by one shot for her first win of the year. Additional victories on the Asian, Korean and South African Tours advanced the 2011 worldwide win count for Titleist to 146, more than six times the nearest competitor with 23. Continued proof, that Titleist equipment doesn’t just meet the standard of the world’s best players, it sets it.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 16, 2011
PGA TOUR: It was an all-Titleist Brand Ambassador playoff at the McGladrey Classic where Crane, who entered the final round five shots off the 54-hole lead held by Pro V1 loyalist Michael Thompson, finished tied in regulation with Simpson at 15-under 265. Thompson, a rookie, missed the playoff by one shot, but his third place finish marks his best performance of the season. Pro V1x loyalist Louis Oosthuizen closed with a 4-under 66 to finish at 13-under 267, good for solo 4th.
– With the win, Crane becomes the 16th different full-product Titleist Brand Ambassador to win on the PGA Tour this season. Titleist full product line Brand Ambassadors have now won 19 times to date on the PGA Tour.
– Titleist golf ball players claimed 9 of the top-10 spots at the event. Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice with 87 players, nearly seven times the nearest competitor (13). Titleist also was first in iron sets (36); sand, lob and approach wedges (114); and putters (50). Titleist was second in drivers (34); and fairway metals (36).
What’s in Ben Crane’s Bag?: Pro V1x, 910D2 driver (7.5 with Titleist Bassara W 50-X, 46″ shaft, B-2 setting), 910F fairway metal (17.0), 910H hybrid (21.0), AP2 irons (5-PW), Vokey Design approach (51), sand (56) and lob (60) wedges.
What’s in Webb Simpson’s Bag?: Pro V1x, 909D3 driver (10.5), 910F fairway metals (13.5, 17.0), 910H hybrid (21.0), 680 irons (4-P), Vokey TVD sand (54) and lob (58) wedges.
EUROPEAN TOUR: Tom Lewis (Pro V1) closed with a 7-under 65 en route to 21-under par 263 victory total, two shots clear of runner-up and Titleist Brand Ambassador Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 910Fd fairway metal, 910H hybrid, New MB prototype irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 putter). Lewis is now exempt for two years on the European Tour.
– Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 74 players, more than four times the nearest competitor with 18.
LPGA TOUR: Na Yeon Choi reversed the outcome of the previous week’s 1-2 finish by holding off hard-charging World No. 1 Yani Tseng to win the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia. The win was the first of the year for Choi and the fifth of her three-year career. She has posted ten top-10 finishes this season, including two runner-up performances. Choi fired a final round 3-under 68 to finish at 15-under 269. Tseng, who started the final round four shots behind Choi, closed with a 6-under 65.
– Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 49 players, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 6.
SOUTH AFRICAN: Titleist Brand Ambassador Doug McGuigan (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, New CB prototype irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter) won his fifth career Sunshine Tour title in a playoff at the KCM Zambia Open. McGuigan outlasted fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Jean Hugo (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 910F fairway metal, New MB prototype irons, Vokey Design wedges) on the fifth extra hole after both players finished regulation at 16-under par 272. Pro V1x loyalists Robert Wiederkehr, Bradford Vaughan, and Allan Versfeld, finished 3rd through 5th, as Titleist golf ball players secured the top five positions on the leaderboard.
– Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 72 players, more than three times the nearest competitor with 18.
ASIAN: David Gleeson of Australia (Pro V1x) captured the Hero Indian Open for his third career Asian Tour title, and his first since 2008. Gleeson stretched his one shot overnight lead to a winning margin of three strokes following a final round 4-under 68, and a 20-under 268 victory total. Runner-up Chiragh Kumar of India (Pro V1x, ZB Irons, Vokey Design pitching, sand and lob wedges) finished solo 2nd, while Ross Bain (Pro V1x) and last week’s winner, LU Wei Chih of Taiwan (Pro V1x), tied for 3rd place another shot back.
– Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 104 players (71%), more than five times the nearest competitor with 18. Titleist also was first in iron sets and sand, lob and approach wedges.
KOREA: Kang, KyungNam (Pro V1, 910F fairway metal, 910H hybrid, Vokey Design gap and sand wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport Circle T Putter) closed with a 1-under 70 at the Meritz Solmoro Open to earn his second win of the season. Kang finished at 7-under 277 for a one-shot win over Titleist Brand Ambassador Han, MinKyu (Pro V1, 910D3 driver, 910H hybrid, CB irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport Circle T putter).
– Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 85 players, five times the nearest competitor with 17. Titleist also was first in fairway metals (45); hybrids (78); and sand, lob and approach wedges (108); and second in drivers (27); iron sets (35); and putters (35).
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Contact:
Joe Gomes, Director of Communications, Acushnet Company (508.979.3211) Joe.gomes@acushnetgolf.com
