FAIRHAVEN, MA (April 9, 2012) - When Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen began their sudden-death playoff Sunday at the Masters, the winner of the Green Jacket was still in question. The winning golf ball, however, was not. Both players teed up a Titleist Pro V1x.
Success at Augusta National requires confidence, creativity, focus and a lot of heart. It also takes unwavering trust in your golf ball. Watson topped Oosthuizen with a world-class par on the second extra hole - the 10th at Augusta - securing his first major championship along with memories that will last a lifetime. Watson drove his tee shot long and right, deep into the pine straw. Watson hit a gap wedge from approximately 160 yards away, working his Pro V1x golf ball with a near 40-yard draw which settled 10 feet from the pin. Watson then two-putted for the dramatic win, realizing his lifelong dream of winning the Masters.
Oosthuizen created early drama of his own when he seized the early final round lead following a miraculous double-eagle on the par-5 2nd hole, the first albatross on that hole in Masters history. Watson never owned the outright lead until he secured the victory, but he did gain a share of it with Oosthuizen following four consecutive birdies on holes 13 through 16. Both players made par on the final two holes to finish regulation at 10-under 278. Oosthuizen shot a final round 3-under 69, while Watson fired a 4-under 68.
The Masters win marks the fourth career PGA Tour victory for Watson. He also won the Travelers Championship in 2010 and the Farmers Insurance Open and Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2011.
Four players tied for 3rd at 8-under 280, including Lee Westwood, who posted a final round 4-under 68. The performance marks the 10th top-5 finish in major championships for the Pro V1x loyalist. His T-3 marks his second-best result at the Masters, behind only his 2nd place finish in 2010.
Ian Poulter (Pro V1x, 909H hybrid, Vokey Design sand wedge, Vokey Design SM4 lob wedge) closed with a 3-under 69 to finish alone in 7th at 5-under 283. He was followed a further shot back by three players, including Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott (Pro V1, 910D3 driver, 910F.d fairway metal, 910H hybrid, MB irons, Vokey Design SM4 pitching, sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Kombi long putter) and Padraig Harrington (Pro V1x).
Scott and fellow Pro V1 golf ball loyalist Bo Van Pelt recorded holes-in-one on the par-3 16th on Sunday. Scott's ace helped him secure his second consecutive top-10 performance at Augusta (he finished T-2 in 2011), while Van Pelt posted a final round 8-under par 64, the best score of the day.
EQUIPMENT COUNTS: Titleist was the top choice among players in the golf ball (53), iron (26), wedge (91), and putter (29) categories.
WINNING THE WORLD (AND THE PGA TOUR) OVER WITH THE #1 BALL IN GOLF: With his victory, Watson advances to No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking, a list that includes Titleist golf ball loyalists in positions 1 through 6, five of whom have already won on the 2012 PGA TOUR.
Watson's win marks the 11th victory by a Titleist golf ball loyalist on the 2012 PGA TOUR, joining World No. 1 Luke Donald (Pro V1x/Transitions Championship), No. 2 Rory McIlroy (Pro V1x/Honda Classic), No. 5 Hunter Mahan (Pro V1x/WGC-Accenture Match Play, Shell Houston Open), and No. 6 Steve Stricker (Pro V1x/Hyundai Tournament of Champions) in the winners' circle. World No. 3 Lee Westwood has posted three top 5 finishes in five PGA TOUR events so far this year. No competitor has more than one win.
Other Titleist golf ball players raising a PGA TOUR trophy in victory this year are: Johnson Wagner (Pro V1x/Sony Open in Hawaii), Mark Wilson (Pro V1x/Humana Challenge), Kyle Stanley (Pro V1x/Waste Management Open), Bill Haas (Pro V1x/Northern Trust Open) and John Huh (Pro V1/Mayakoba Classic).
With additional wins on the Nationwide and Asian Tours, Titleist players have accumulated 41 victories year-to-date across the worldwide professional tours, nearly seven times more than the nearest competitor with 6. ... A total of 4,600 players have teed up a Titleist around the world in 2012, more than six times the nearest competitor ... On the PGA TOUR, a total of 1,273 players have trusted Titleist golf balls for their success, over one thousand more than the nearest competitor with 209.
NATIONWIDE TOUR: It was a 1-2-T3 finish for Titleist golf ball players at the Soboba Classic where Andres Gonzales (Pro V1x, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 putter) completed a wire-to-wire victory, defeating Andrew Svoboda (Pro V1x, Vokey Design SM4 pitching, approach, sand and lob wedges) by two strokes for his first Nationwide Tour title.
Gonzales closed with an even-par 71 to finish at 8-under 276. Svoboda also shot a final round 71 to finish one stroke clear of Titleist Brand Ambassadors Alistair Presnell (Pro V1x, 910 D3 driver, 910F fairway metal, 910H hybrid, MB irons, Vokey Design pitching wedge, Vokey Design TVD sand and lob wedges) and Michael Letzig (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 910F.d fairway metal, 670 4-6 irons, MB 7-9 irons, Vokey Design pitching, sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron prototype putter), who tied for third at 5-under 279.
ASIAN TOUR: Australian Scott Hend (Pro V1x, 910D driver, 910F fairway metal, 910H hybrid, MB irons, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport 2 Putter) captured the weather-shortened ISPS Handa Singapore Classic for his second title on the Asian Tour. Hend closed with a 6-under par 64 to finish with a 54-hole total of 11-under par 199.
Four players tied for 2nd one shot back, including Titleist golf ball loyalists Mithun Perera (Pro V1x, Vokey Design SM4 pitching, approach and lob wedges), Lu Wei Chih (Pro V1x, Vokey Design TVD sand and lob wedges), and David Lipsky (Pro V1x).
