-- Team Titleist
FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (August 1, 2011) -- Titleist Brand Ambassador Scott Stallings won The Greenbrier Classic with one of the year's most extraordinary finishes, trusting a Pro V1x golf ball, new Prototype Titleist AP2 irons and a bag full of Titleist equipment to his first PGA Tour victory.
Stallings, 26, emerged from an all-Titleist playoff with a birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to cap off a three-win week for Titleist golf ball players around the world, including Pro V1x loyalist Yani Tseng, who won the the Ricoh Women's British Open to become the youngest player across all tours to win her fifth major championship.
Stalling's comeback victory featured eight birdies over his final 11 holes Sunday at The Old White TPC Course, as well as four storybook shots to close out the tournament.
On the tee at the 169-yard par-3 18th hole at the end of final round, Stallings stood over his Pro V1x golf ball with his new Prototype Titleist AP2 (712 Series) 9-iron in his hands, knowing he needed a birdie to get into a playoff with Titleist Brand Ambassador Bill Haas and Pro V1x loyalist Bob Estes.
He sent his Pro V1x sailing just left of the flag, the ball landing 5 feet from the hole. Stallings dropped in the birdie putt for a 1-under 69 and 10-under 270 total, finishing at the top of a leader board that featured eight Titleist Brand Ambassadors and nine Titleist golf ball players in the top 10: Stallings (Pro V1x), Haas (Pro V1), Estes (Pro V1x), Brendon de Jonge (T-4, Pro V1x), Cameron Tringale (T-4, Pro V1x), Jimmy Walker (T-4, Pro V1), Gary Woodland (T-4, Pro V1), Webb Simpson (T-9, Pro V1x) and Kyle Stanley (T-4, Pro V1x).About 20 minutes later, Stallings was back on the 18th tee, Pro V1x in hand.
"I actually put my ball on the same tee that I used in the same spot during regulation," he said.
And again, Stallings struck his new Prototype Titleist AP2 9-iron perfectly. His Pro V1x slammed down on the green, 7 feet left of the flag. (Earlier in the round, Stallings also used his 9-iron to set up short birdie putts on Nos. 11 and 14.)
Stallings' caddie handed him his Scotty Cameron 009 putter, and he stood to the side of the 18th green watching birdie tries by both Haas and Estes miss just short.
"I just closed my eyes right before, when I was reading the putt, and just took a deep breath and visualized the ball going in the hole," said Stallings, who finished third earlier this season at the Transitions Championship.
"It was great. After the ball went in, I don't really know what happened. Everything is kind of a blur."For the week, Stallings finished second in birdies (19) and tied for second in Green in Regulation (79.2 percent), becoming the third player to win on the PGA Tour trusting new Prototype Titleist (712 Series) irons since their launch five weeks ago at the AT&T National. That week, Stallings put the new prototype irons in the bag after just one practice round.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Nick Watney won the AT&T National playing the new Prototype AP2 irons, and Titleist Brand Ambassador Chris Kirk won the Viking Classic using the new Prototype CB irons.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at The Greenbrier Classic with 109 players, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 14 and more than all competitors combined.
Titleist also was first in iron sets (49), including 27 sets of new Prototype Titleist 712 irons; sand, lob and approach wedges(149); and putters (64).With the win, Stallings earned an invitation to the 2012 Masters Tournament. He also moved to 26th in the FedExCup standings and earned a spot in this week's World Golf Championships event at Firestone Country Club.
Stalling's victory was one of three on the weekend for Titleist golf ball players across the worldwide professional tours.
So far in 2011, 99 players have trusted Titleist golf balls to worldwide victories, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 14 and more than all competitors combined.
A total of 12,294 players have played Titleist golf balls in competition this season, more than six times the nearest competitor with 1,874 and more than all other golf balls combined.
• LPGA: Pro V1x loyalist Yani Tseng continued her major championship dominance with a four-shot victory at the Ricoh Women's British Open.
Tseng, 22, closed with a 3-under 69 to finish the four rounds at Carnoustie at 16-under 272, rolling her Pro V1x golf ball in for three birdies over her final five holes, including Nos. 17 and 18.
Pro V1x loyalist Brittany Lang shot a final-round 5-under 67 to finish runner-up at 12-under 276."I wish to win more, but I am really happy. In my mind, I say, 'Wow, five majors.' I never think about that...," said Tseng, who last month captured the Wegman's LPGA Championship by 10 shots.
"I feel like this is just very special, and I'm very happy and very appreciative that I worked hard and finally all the hard work has paid off."
Tseng was one of 102 players at the Ricoh Women's British Open that relied on Titleist golf balls for their success, more than nine times the nearest competitor with 11 and more than all competitors combined.
SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Jean Hugo won the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Simola Golf Estate, converting an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff with Pro V1 loyalist Peter Karmis.
Hugo, who played his first nine hole in 7-under 29, closed with an 8-under 64, making birdie on the par-5 18th to force the playoff.
It marked Hugo's 12th career Sunshine Tour victory.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 54 players, more than three times the nearest competitor with 16 and more than all competitors combined.
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Irish Open with 95 players, including runner-up and Pro V1 loyalist Richard Green, more than four times the nearest competitor with 22 and more than all competitors combined.
• CHAMPIONS TOUR: At the U.S. Senior Open, 112 players trusted Titleist golf balls for their success, including runner-up and Pro V1x loyalist Mark O'Meara, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 13 and more than all competitors combined.
Titleist also was first in iron sets (44); and sand, lob and approach wedges (132). Titleist was second in drivers (49), including 34 910D2 or 910D3 models; hybrids (46); and putters (36). • NATIONWIDE TOUR: A total of 107 players at the Utah Championship teed up Titleist golf balls, more than six times the nearest competitor with 16 and moe than all competitors combined. Titleist also was first in iron sets (42); sand, lob and approach wedges (141); and putters (69).
• JAPAN TOUR: Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Sun Chlorella Classic with 62 players. Titleist also was first in hybrids (38); and sand, lob and approach wedges (108).