Charismatic Spaniard closes with a 61 to win rain-shortened event
CARLSBAD, Calif. (December 18, 2012) – Nippon Shaft added another victory to its 2012 worldwide total at the Johor Open in Malaysia over the weekend. The Spanish champion used a set of Nippon Shaft steel shafts scheduled to go on sale this coming February: the N.S. PRO MODUS3 Tour 130.
The winner – a member of the victorious 2012 European Ryder Cup team – shot an 11-under par 61 in the tournament’s third and final round to finish at 18-under par 198 and defeat his American runner-up by three shots at Horizon Hills golf club. The final round was washed out by rain.
It was the second tournament victory of the season for the 32-year-old, who has used Nippon Shaft in his irons since May 2012. Earlier in the year, he won the Wyndham Championship, his first PGA TOUR victory since 2008.
“Nippon Shaft congratulates this week’s winner of the Johor Open on his excellent play in difficult conditions,” said Hiro Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “Nippon Shaft is proud to have been the steel shaft of choice for such a tremendous player.”
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 popular 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 200 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 200 professional victories worldwide. Based in Yokohama, Japan, Nippon Shaft is the No. 1-selling steel shaft in Asia.
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 Carlsbad, Calif.
Contact:
Barry Cronin
Cronin Communications, Inc.
847-698-1801 (office)
847-867-3032 (mobile)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com
