Bernd Wiesberger and Ben Kohles become first players to win with new Titleist 913 drivers
Fairhaven, MA (July 29, 2012) -Titleist Brand Ambassador Scott Piercy led a five-win week for Titleist golf ball players, trusting the Pro V1x golf ball as well as a full bag of Titleist equipment from tee-through-green to capture the RBC Canadian Open for his second career PGA TOUR victory. At the European Tour’s Lyoness Open, Titleist Brand Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger became the first player to win on golf’s worldwide professional tours using a Titleist 913 prototype driver. Wiesberger’s victory with the 913 was validated a day later by Titleist Brand Ambassador Ben Kohles, who also relied on a Titleist 913D3 prototype driver to triumph in his very first professional start at the Web.com Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational. Additional wins on the South African and China PGA tours provide proof yet again that, tee-to-green, Titleist is Golf’s Symbol of Excellence.
Piercy closed with a 3-under par 67 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club to edge two players by one shot, including Pro V1 loyalist Robert Garrigus. The 33-year-old, who fired a record-setting 8-under par 62 in the first round of the tournament, posted a 17-under 263, tying the 72-hole tournament scoring record. Next week Piercy won’t be able to defend his lone career win, the Reno-Tahoe Open (which he won last year), because it is held opposite the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, an event he qualified for with his win in Canada. With the win, Piercy also qualifies for the PGA Championship, which will be contested the following week.
What’s in Scott Piercy’s Bag?: Pro V1x, 910D2 driver (7.5), AP2 iron (4), 690MB irons (5-9), Vokey Design SM4 pitching (49), gap (53), sand (57) and lob (60) wedges, Scotty Cameron GoLo putter.
Three players tied for 4th place, including fellow Titleist Brand Ambassadors Bud Cauley (Pro V1x, 913D2 driver, 910Fd fairway metal, 910H hybrid, CB iron, MB irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 putter) and Chris Kirk (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 906F fairway metal, CB and MB irons, Vokey Design SM4 wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport Tour putter), as well as Pro V1x loyalist Josh Teater.
Titleist was the top choice of more players in the Canadian Open field of 156 in the golf ball category with 103 (66%), nearly seven times the nearest competitor with 15. Titleist was also the field favorite in the iron (39), wedge (141) and putter (60) categories.
A total of 33 players relied upon Titleist drivers at the event, including a combined 16 new 913D3 (11) and 913D2 (5) models.
Piercy becomes the 11th different Titleist Brand Ambassador to win on the 2012 PGA TOUR for a total of 13 full product line victories this year. The tee-through-green success of Titleist players translates into the most wins across every major product category year-to-date, including: Golf Balls (22, Nearest Competitor 4), Drivers (13, Nearest Competitor 5), Fairway Metals (14, Nearest Competitor 8), Hybrids (10, Nearest Competitor 4), Irons (14, Nearest Competitor 5), Wedges (17, Nearest Competitor 5), and Putters (12, Nearest Competitor 6).
With his win at the RBC Canadian Open, Piercy joins fellow Titleist full product line ambassadors Steve Stricker (Hyundai Tournament of Champions), Kyle Stanley (Waste Management Phoenix Open), Bill Haas (Northern Trust Open), Rory McIlroy (Honda Classic), Ben Curtis (Valero Texas Open), Jason Dufner (Zurich Classic, Byron Nelson Championship), Zach Johnson (Crowne Plaza Invitational, John Deere Classic), Webb Simpson (U.S. Open), Marc Leishman (Travelers Championship) and Scott Stallings (True South Classic) in the Titleist Winners’ Circle.
EUROPEAN: Titleist Brand Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger called it “the best day of my life so far,” after firing a final round 7-under par 65 to capture the Lyoness Open on home soil. The 26-year old Austrian converted a dramatic 30-foot putt for birdie on the final hole to post a 19-under par 269 victory total, topping two players by three shots, including fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Thomas Levet (Pro V1, 913D3 prototype driver, 910F fairway metal, 910H hybrid, MB irons, Vokey Design SM4 sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select prototype R&D Concept 1 putter).
Wiesberger, who closed with a 6-under par 30 over the final nine holes, is the second Austrian to win his national Open. It also marks his second career European Tour victory, which comes just three months after his first win at the Ballantine’s Championship.
What’s in Bernd Wiesberger’s Bag?: Pro V1x, 913D3 prototype driver (7.5), 910F fairway metal (13.5), AP2 2-iron, CB irons (3-P), Vokey Design Spin Milled sand (54) and SM4 lob (60) wedges, Scotty Cameron GoLo putter.
Wiesberger becomes the first player to win on the worldwide professional tours with the new Titleist 913 driver. In fact, it was a 1-2 finish for players relying upon the 913, as Levet tied for 2nd, also trusting the 913D3. It was just the second event that Weisberger and Levet played the new 913 drivers in competition. Titleist had a total of 34 drivers in play, including a combined 14 of the new 913D3 (12) and 913D2 (2) prototype models.
Titleist golf ball loyalists accounted for 100 players (69%) in the 144-player Lyoness Open field, more than six times the nearest competitor with 15.
WEB.COM TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Ben Kohles won the Web.com Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational in his first professional start, topping Pro V1x golf ball loyalist Luke Guthrie by converting a 22-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole. Kohles also birdied two of the final three holes of regulation to close with a 1-under 70, matching Guthrie’s 12-under 272 total on Ohio State’s Scarlet Course. Guthrie birdied three of the last five holes in regulation for a final round 66.
Kohles relied on the Pro V1x golf ball and a full bag of Titleist equipment for his success, including the new 913D3 prototype driver the first time he played it in competition.
What’s in Ben Kohles Bag?: Pro V1x, 913D3 driver (9.5), 910F fairway metal (13.5), 910H hybrid (17), CB irons (3-P), Vokey Design SM4 gap (52) and lob (58) wedges, Scotty Cameron Select GoLo putter.
One of 12 college All-Americans invited to the event, the 22-year old Kohles, who played at the University of Virginia, turned pro after finishing his amateur career last week in the Porter Cup. Guthrie was also an All-American at the University of Illinois.
“It’s absolutely a dream come true,” said Kohles, the first player to win an event on the tour in his pro debut. “What more can you ask for in your first pro event than to win? It’s still a bit of shock and I’m not sure it’s all sunk in yet.”
Titleist was the top choice of more players in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational field of 144 in the golf ball category with 101 (70%), more than seven times the nearest competitor with 14. Titleist was also the field favorite in the iron (49/34%), wedge (169/50%) and putter (54/38%) categories.
A total of 41 players relied upon Titleist drivers at the event, including a combined 25 who chose the new 913D3 (19) and 913D2 (6) models.
SOUTH AFRICA: Titleist Brand Ambassador Allan Versfeld (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 910F fairway metal, CB irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter) went from a three-shot deficit to a three-shot victory at the Vodacom Origins of Golf. Versfeld carded a final round 5-under par 67 en route to an 18-under par 198 victory total to claim his maiden victory on the Sunshine Tour. Ockie Strydom (Pro V1x), who led the tournament through the first two rounds, posted a runner-up finish three shots behind Versfeld, followed by fellow Pro V1x loyalist Keith Horne.
Five players tied for fourth, including Titleist Brand Ambassadors Jbe Kruger, Shaun Norris and Louis De Jager and golf ball loyalist Johan Du Buisson, as seven of the top eight finishers relied upon the Pro V1x golf ball for their success.
Titleist was the top choice of more players in the field of 72 in the golf ball category with 50 (69%), more than twice the nearest competitor with 19.
CHINA: Pro V1 x Loyalist Xin Jun Zhang of China won the China PGA Champions Tour Shandong event by one shot after converting an eight-foot par putt on the 72nd hole. Zhang posted a final round 3-under 69 and 1-under par 287 victory total to secure his second career win on the China PGA Champions Tour, with his first coming in January at the Hainan event. Pro V1x loyalist Wei Hai Kong finished alone in 3rd, two shots behind Zhang, while Wei Huang Wu (Pro V1x) was among three players who tied for 4th place.
Titleist was the top choice of more players in the field of 130 in the golf ball category with 91 (70%), more than four times the nearest competitor with 20.
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