Nick Watney
FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (Oct. 29, 2012) -- Out on tour, Saturday is typically known as "moving day." Don't tell that to Titleist Brand Ambassador Nick Watney, who made a final-round charge on Sunday to climb up the leader board and claim the title at the 2012 CIMB Classic. Trusting a Pro V1x golf ball, new Titleist 913D3 driver and a bag full of Titleist equipment, Watney registered one of the year's best finishes to lead a four-win week for Titleist players.
Joining Watney in winners’ circles around the world were Pro V1 loyalists Justin Bolli (Web.com Tour) and David Frost (Champions Tour) along with Pro Vx loyalist JooYeob Baek (Korean Tour). Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have now won 166 times across the worldwide professional tours in 2012, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 21 and more than all competitors combined.
Watney's previous win this year came at The Barclays, the FedEx Cup opener and his fifth official PGA Tour title. This year's CIMB Classic, which was co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour, will become an official PGA Tour event next season.
Four shots off the lead heading into the final round, Watney birdied 11 of the final 18 holes to close with a 10-under 61. His 22-under 262 total made for a two-shot victory over Pro V1 loyalist Bo Van Pelt, winner of last week's European Tour ISPS HANDA Perth International.
"I didn't pay much attention until I got to 13, I saw I was tied for the lead walking to the 13th green," Watney said. "I was just trying to keep my head down and keep making birdies, and it worked out for me."
What's In Nick Watney's Bag?: Ball: Titleist Pro V1xDriver: Titleist 913D3 driver 10.5º (Diamana White 83) B•2 SureFit Tour settingFairway Metal: Titleist 910F 15º (Diamana Blue 93) A•1 SureFit Tour settingFairway Metal: Titleist 910F 19º Motore Speeder VC 8.2 A•1 SureFit Tour settingIrons: Titleist AP2 3-PW (Dynamic Gold)Wedge: Vokey Design SM4 54º, 60º (Dynamic Gold)Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport GSS prototype
In addition to Watney, six other Titleist Brand Ambassadors finished among the top 10 and ties, including Brendon de Jonge and Chris Kirk (T4), Jbe Kruger (8th), and Kevin Na, Scott Piercy and Gaganjeet Bhullar (T10). It was de Jonge's second consecutive top four finish.
• • •
WEB.COM TOUR: The race for the "The 25" heated up this weekend at the Web.com Tour Championship in McKinney, Texas, as players made their final push toward securing a spot on the PGA Tour for the 2013 season.
One of the top movers in the field was the tournament winner and Pro V1 loyalist Justin Bolli. Bolli, who fired a final round 6-under 65 to finish with a 16-under 268 total to capture the Web.com Tour Championship, vaulted from No. 44 to ninth with the win and earned his 2013 PGA Tour card.
Another player making an impressive Sunday charge was Titleist Brand Ambassador Morgan Hoffmann. Hoffman started the tournament in 31st place on the money list but after firing a final round 7-under par 64 to finish in a tie for third, he jumped up the list to No. 19 and secured his spot on the PGA Tour.
When the tournament was complete, 22 of the the 25 players who earned a promotion to the 2013 PGA Tour were Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players. The top 60 on the regular season money list qualified for the season-ending event with the top 25 earning 2013 PGA Tour cards.
A total of 43 players in the field of 60 played Titleist golf balls, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 6. Titleist was also first in iron sets (20), sand, lob and approach wedges (65), and putters (23).
• • •
CHAMPIONS TOUR: With a birdie on the second hole of an all-Titleist Pro V1 playoff, David Frost topped fellow Pro V1 loyalist Bernard Langer to capture the AT&T Championship. Frost and Langer overcame six-stroke deficits in the final round after they shot matching 6-under par 66's on Sunday for an 8-under 208 total in regulation. It was the third-career Champions Tour title for Frost.
Titleist accounted for a tournament-leading 62 golf ball players in the field of 81, nearly seven times the nearest competitor with 9. Titleist was also the top choice in the iron sets (20), and sand, lob and approach wedges (73) categories.
• • •
KOREAN TOUR: Joo-Yeob Baek relied upon his Pro V1x golf ball to earn his first career Korean Tour title at the weather-shortened the Windsor Classic. Baek vaulted to the top of the leader board after consecutive 66's in first two rounds. He closed with a final round even par 71 en route to a 10-under 203 victory total, topping Titleist Brand Ambassador Ki-Sang Lee (Pro V1x) by one shot and TaeHee Lee (Pro V1x) by two.
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the Windsor Classic with 85 players in the field of 120, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 12. Seven of the eight players who finished among the top 5 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.