SAN DIEGO, California (March 26, 2012) – With Nippon Shaft’s N.S. PRO 950GH shafts in her irons, the most dominant player in women’s golf won the Kia Classic by six strokes Sunday (March 25) at the La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
Meanwhile, on the PGA Tour, five Nippon Shaft players from across the world finished in the Top 25 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill – a Swede, an Englishman, a Fijian, and two Americans.
“Nippon Shaft congratulates the Kia Classic champion and the Top 25 PGA Tour finishers on their outstanding play,” said Hiro Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “Nippon Shaft is honored that such highly skilled players would choose our shafts when tournament outcomes are on the line.”
It was the second LPGA victory in a row and the third in five starts for the 23-year-old native of Taiwan, who bought Annika Sorenstams’s former house in Orlando and now looks to make a run at the Swede’s incredible competitive record. She shot 14-under par 274 on La Costa’s Legends Course in the wire-to-wire 72-hole victory.
At Bay Hill, two Nippon Shaft-using Americans were among seven players tied for fourth at 5-under par 283 – the mustachioed native Texan who won the Sony Open in Hawaii earlier this year and the sartorially splendid eighth-year pro from Washington state.
The Texan used Nippon Shaft’s N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 X flex shafts in his irons and maintained his spot on top of the FedEx Cup points list. The 5-foot 9-inch former U.S. Amateur champion used an N.S. PRO MODUS3 prototype flex. Both earned $210,000 in prize money,
The 35-year-old Swede used the N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 X flex hit one of the top shots of the week when he made eagle from the rough on the fifth hole and jokingly passed his hat to the gallery. He tied for 15th at 3-under par 285.
The Englishman finished at 2-under par 286 and tied for 20th – his third Top 25 of the year. He used the Nippon Shaft N.S. PRO MODUS3 prototype X flex. His best performance of the season came at Pebble Beach, where he tied for ninth.
The 49-year-old iron man from Fiji ended the week at 1-under par 287 in a tie for 24th on rounds of 71-68-75-73. He used the N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 120 shafts TX flex in his irons.
Nippon Shaft products are available either as stock or custom shafts in many of the world’s top iron brands.
In addition, Nippon Shaft products 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. An R flex is new this season. 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 growing in popularity with tour 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 160 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.
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
