FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (May 1, 2012) -- Titleist Brand Ambassador Jason Dufner closed out his first PGA Tour victory with four confident and courageous swings, trusting a Pro V1 golf ball and a bag full of Titleist equipment to the 2012 Zurich Classic of New Orleans winner's circle.
Dufner, 35, won with a tap-in birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff at TPC Louisiana to lead a four-win week for Titleist golf ball players around the world – including another breakthrough victory by Titleist Brand Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger (Pro V1x) at the European Tour's Ballantine's Championship.
Titleist golf ball players have now combined for 52 victories across the worldwide professional tours in 2012, more than seven times the nearest competitor with seven and more than all other golf balls combined.
To get into the playoff, Dufner posted a final-round 2-under 72 featuring two eye-opening par saves (Nos. 16 and 17). On the 16th, he rolled his Pro V1 in for par from 44 feet.
On the second playoff hole, the par-5 18th, Dufner hit his Titleist 910D2 9.5º driver down the right side fairway, leaving him 263 yards to a flagstick guarded by water front and right of the green. He pulled his 910F 13.5º 3-wood and calmly sent his Pro V1 golf ball over the hazard, landing safely on the front of the putting surface. Dufner closed out the victory with a tougher-than-it-looked two-putt for birdie from 58 feet.
"Your mind is in a lot of different places when you win your first Tour event," said Dufner, who is getting married next weekend in Alabama. "It's hard for me to get a handle on all of it. I'm really, really excited."
Dufner's week was really, really steady. He made just four bogeys over the 74 holes, only one on Sunday and two for the entire weekend, leading to his course-record tying 19-under 269 total. On the greens, he was resolute. Gaming a Scotty Cameron prototype putter, Dufner averaged just over 26 putts per round (T-2) and finished sixth in the Strokes Gained-Putting statistic (1.534).
He topped a leader board that featured nine Titleist golf ball players in the top 12 – including Pro V1x loyalist Luke Donald, who closed in 5-under 67 to finish solo third at 17-under 271. The finish bumped Donald back into the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Graham DeLaet (Pro V1x) and Ryan Palmer (Pro V1x) finished another shot back to share fourth. The T-4 finish was DeLaet's best on tour since returning from back surgery in 2011.
A total of 101 players teed up Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls at the Zurich Classic, more than five times the nearest competitor with 20 and more than all competitors combined. Titleist was also first in sand, lob and approach wedges (127); and putters (62).
Here's a closer look at Jason Dufner's Titleist equipment:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1Driver: Titleist 910D2 9.5º (Diamana 'ahina 60)3-wood: Titleist 910F 13.5º (Diamana 'ilima 80)5-wood: Titleist 906F2 18º (Grafalloy Prolite)Hybrid: Titleist 910H 19º (Project X PXi Steel)Irons: Titleist AP2 (712 Series) 4-PW (Project X PXi Steel)Wedges: Vokey Design SM4 54º, 60º (Dynamic Gold Spinner)Putter: Scotty Cameron GSS Circa 62 No. 2 Prototype
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger captured his first European Tour victory with one of the season's most impressive performances.
Trusting a Pro V1x golf ball and 14 Titleist clubs, Wiesberger closed in 4-under 68 for an 18-under 270 total and five-shot win at the Ballantine's Championship. Wiesberger, 29, played his final 59 holes without dropping a shot at Blackstone Golf Club – a streak that included consecutive course-record 7-under 65s on Friday and Saturday.
“I just tried to enjoy it and I had the three best rounds of my life,” Wiesberger said. “I tried not to make bogeys and I did that pretty well, it was awesome.
Wiesberger was one of 91 players in the field that relied on Titleist golf balls for their success, more than four times the nearest competitor with 19 and more than all other golf balls combined.
What's in Wiesberger's bag? Pro V1x golf ball; 910D3 9.5º driver; 910F 15º fairway metal; AP2 (2) and CB (3-PW) irons; Vokey Design SM4 52º, 56º & 60º wedges; Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport Fastback putter.
• LPGA TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist Stacy Lewis fired four rounds in the 60s (68-67-67-69) enroute to a one-shot victory at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic.
Lewis, who entered the final round with a two shot lead, posted a 17-under 271 total. Karine Icher (Pro V1) finished in solo 3rd, two shots off the mark set by Lewis.
The win marks the second LPGA Tour title for the 27-year-old Lewis, who made her first LPGA crown a major at the 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship, defeating fellow Pro V1x loyalist Yani Tseng by three shots.
A total of 99 players teed up Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 13 and more than all competitors combined.
• JAPAN TOUR: I.J. Jang (Pro V1x) came from behind to capture the Crowns Tournament. Jang fired his second consecutive 4-under 66 to finish at 8-under 272, two shots clear of two players, including Steven Conran (Pro V1x) of Australia.
Among those players who finished in the Top 10 at The Crowns, six trusted a Titleist golf ball for their success, including 20-year-old Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Pro V1x), who posted a runner-up finish last week.