Titleist brand ambassador Ricardo Santos sets tournament scoring record en route to earning first career European Tour crown
Fairhaven, MA (May 14, 2012) – Confidence and precision resulted in the round of Titleist Brand Ambassador Ricardo Santos’ professional career at the Madeira Islands Open in Portugal on Sunday. Trusting a Pro V1x golf ball and a bag full of Titleist equipment, Santos’ fairytale week on home soil culminated with a bogey-free 9-under 63 en route to his first career European Tour win.
“It was a sensational round – definitely the best of my career,” said Santos, 29. “It was amazing to have the crowds here supporting me. It would be difficult to imagine a better win than this.”
Santos’ performance highlighted a three-win week for Titleist Pro V1x players around the world, including victories by Toru Taniguchi (Japan) and Ryan Cairns (South Africa). Titleist golf ball loyalists have now combined for 57 wins across the worldwide professional tours in 2012, more than eight times the nearest competitor with seven, and more than all competitors combined.
Santos posted a tournament-record 22-under 266 victory total, and was the only player to shoot four rounds in the 60s. His final-round 63 was the best round of the day by three shots.
The 2011 Challenge Tour graduate, who plays a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, 910D3 driver (8.5), 910H hybrid (17), a mixed set of AP2 (3-5) and MB (6-P) irons, and Vokey Design SM4 gap (52), sand (56) and lob (60) wedges, hit 80.6 percent of his greens in regulation for the week. Santos made just three bogeys the entire tournament and none since the front nine on Saturday. He played his final 31 holes in 13-under, including four birdies over his last five.
“It is very emotional and I haven’t got the words to describe how I feel,” said Santos, the first Portuguese player to win a European Tour event in his home country. “To win my first European Tour event in my own country is very special. I didn’t have many bad moments in the round, but the supporters were always there to pick me up. This is a huge moment in my career.”
Santos topped a leaderboard that featured nine Titleist golf ball players in the top 10, including runner-up Magnus Carlsson (Pro V1x), who finished at 18-under 270, four shots behind Santos, and Andres Harto (Pro V1x), who finished solo 3rd, another shot back.
A total of 118 players teed up a Titleist at the event, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 16. Titleist was also first in iron sets (45) and sand, lob and approach wedges (197).
• JAPAN TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist Toru Taniguchi closed out a wire-to-wire victory at the JPGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup in extremely difficult scoring conditions. Taniguchi, also a winner of this event in 2010, finished the major championship with a 4-under 284 victory total for a one-shot victory. He was one of only two players to finish under par. The win is the 18th for Taniguchi in his 19-year JGTO career, and the third win for Titleist golf ball loyalists through the first four events on the 2012 season.
A total of 67 players in the event relied on Titleist golf balls for their success, more than twice the nearest competitor with 23. Titleist was also No. 1 in hybrids (23); and sand, lob and approach wedges (106).
• SUNSHINE TOUR: Ryan Cairns chipped his Pro V1x in for eagle on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the Vodacom Origins of Golf. Cairns, who closed with a course-record-tying 10-under 62, finished regulation tied with Pro V1 loyalist Vaughn Groenewald at 15-under 62. On the first playoff hole, knowing he had to get up and down for birdie to extend the playoff, Cairns chipped it in for eagle to secure his first Sunshine Tour trophy.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Louis de Jager (Pro V1x) and Jake Redman (Pro V1) finished two shots back in third place, as each of the top four finishers relied upon the #1 ball in golf for their success. In total, 51 players teed up a Titleist, more than three times the nearest competitor.
• PGA TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassadors Zach Johnson (Pro V1x, 910D2 driver, 910F fairway metal, 909F2 fairway metal, 909H hybrid, AP1/AP2 irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled pitching, sand and lob wedges) and Ben Curtis (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 910Fd fairway metal, 910H hybrids, AP1 irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled gap and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 putter), as well as Titleist golf ball loyalists Rickie Fowler (Pro V1x) and Martin Laird (Pro V1x) all posted runner-up performances at The Players Championship, two shots behind the champion. Luke Donald (Pro V1x) finished solo 6th, another shot back.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Kevin Na (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 910H hybrid, AP2 irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Tour Rat putter), the 54-hole leader, finished in a three-way tie for 7th, which also included Bo Van Pelt (Pro V1).
Fowler (77.78%) and Johnson (75%) ended the tournament 1-2 in Greens in Regulation, while Curtis topped the Strokes Gained – Putting statistic (2.418). Curtis, who games a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter, currently leads the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained – Putting at 1.242. Na, trusting the Scotty Cameron Tour Rat prototype putter, led the field in Putting Average (1.574).
Eight of the 11 players who finished among the top 10 and tied relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success. In total, 93 players made Titleist the top choice in golf balls, more than five times the nearest competitor with 17. Titleist was also first in iron sets (38); sand, lob and approach wedges (140); and putters (56).
• KOREA/ONE ASIA TOUR: At the the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, eight of the top 11 players on the final leader board relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
A total of 110 Titleist golf ball loyalists were in the field, more than five times the nearest competitor with 19. Titleist also led in hybrids (87); iron sets (67); and sand, lob and approach wedges (188).
• CHINA: Seven of the top 11 players at the China PGA Champions Tour Lianyungang event were Titleist golf ball players, including Wang Jeung Hun (Pro V1x), who tied for second. Hun was one of 107 Titleist golf ball players at the event, more than five times the nearest competitor with 21.
Contact:
Joe Gomes
Director of Communications
Acushnet Company
(508.979.3211)
