FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (March 26, 2013) -- It takes commitment and consistency to put yourself in position to win. It also takes choosing the best golf ball for your game. There was more proof of this across the worldwide professional tours this week. At the Maybank Malaysian Open, Titleist Brand Ambassador Kiradech Aphibarnrat relied on the New 2013 Pro V1x to capture his first career European Tour title. On the LPGA Tour, it was an all-New 2013 Pro V1 sudden death playoff with Beatriz Recari edging I.K. Kim for the win. Michael Allen and Edward Loar took top honors on the Champions and Web.com Tours, respectively, trusting the Pro V1x for their success. Four more wins this week increases the 2013 Titleist golf ball victory total across the worldwide professional tours to 31, more than four times the nearest competitor with 7. Below are the Titleist on Tour highlights for the week ending March 24/25, 2013.
EUROPEAN: Titleist Brand Ambassador Kiradech Aphibarnrat (New 2013 Pro V1x golf ball, 913D3 driver, CB irons, Vokey Design SM4 wedges) captured the Maybank Malaysian Open to earn his first career European Tour title. The 23-year old Thai closed with a 2-under par 70 en route to a 13-under 203 victory total, one shot clear of the runner-up. The event was shortened to 54 holes due to inclement weather throughout the week, including a two hour storm delay on Sunday. Fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Anders Hansen (Pro V1, 910D3 driver, 913Fd fairway metal, 913Hd hybrid, CB irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges) finished solo third after tying for the best round of the day with a 6-under 66.
Aphibarnrat's victory is the seventh for Titleist golf ball loyalists on the 2013 PGA European Tour, more than three times the nearest competitor, and more than all other golf balls combined.
EUROPEAN TOUR EQUIPMENT COUNTS: Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 156 with 94 (60%) players, more than four times the nearest competitor with 22. Titleist also topped the field in the utility club (39/25%), iron (39/25%) and wedge (130/35%) categories.
LPGA: While the winner may have been in doubt when Beatriz Recari and I.K. Kim advanced to a sudden death playoff at the Kia Classic, the winning golf ball was not, it would be a New 2013 Pro V1, the golf ball choice of both participants. Recari topped Kim for the victory when she putted from off the green for birdie on the second extra hole. Both players ended regulation at 9-under-par 279. The win was the second of Recari's LPGA Tour career.
Fellow New 2013 Pro V1 golf ball loyalists Cristie Kerr and Mo Martin were among three players who tied for third place, one shot out of the playoff. In fact, 10 of the 12 players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
#1 BALL ON THE LPGA TOUR: Titleist golf ball loyalists have now won four of the first five events on the 2013 LPGA Tour. Titleist accounted for a tournament-leading 94 golf ball players (65%) in the field of 144, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 11.
CHAMPIONS: Michael Allen (Pro V1x) rallied to win the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic for his fourth career Champions Tour title. Allen fired a final round 5-under 67 to vault over a leaderboard loaded with fellow Titleist golf ball loyalists. In fact, all 11 of the players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
Allen, who started the day two shots behind the leaders, made five birdies on the front nine to charge into the lead. He closed with a 5-under par 67 en route to an 11-under 205 victory total, one shot clear of overnight co-leader Bernhard Langer (Pro V1). Russ Cochran (Pro V1), Gene Sauers (Pro V1x) and Titleist Brand Ambassador Tom Pernice, Jr. (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 910F fairway metal, 910H hybrids, AP2 irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter) tied for third place, another two shots back.
Titleist was the top choice in golf balls in the field of 81 with 60 (74%) players, 12 times the nearest competitor with 5. Titleist also topped the iron (21), wedge (63) and putter (19) categories.
WEB.COM: Pro V1x golf ball loyalist Edward Loar captured the Chitimacha Louisiana Open for his second career Web.com Tour title, closing with a 2-under par 69 en route to a 17-under 267 victory total. Loar, who won the Panama Claro Championship last year, finished two shots clear of Titleist Brand Ambassador Morgan Hoffmann (New 2013 Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 913Fd fairway metal, 712U 2-iron, MB irons, Vokey Design SM4 wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport Tour putter). Hoffman fired a tournament-best 9-under par 62 on Saturday and closed with a 69 on Sunday. Brett Wetterich (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 910F fairway metals, CB/MB irons, Scotty Cameron putter) finished solo third another shot back following a closing 6-under 65, as the top three finishers relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
Titleist was the top choice in golf balls in the field of 144 with 105 (73%) players, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 13, as well as in the iron (45), wedge (145) and putter (59) categories.
PGA TOUR: At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Titleist golf ball loyalists Rickie Fowler (New 2013 Pro V1x, Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges) and Mark Wilson (New 2013 Pro V1x) tied for 3rd place, while Ken Duke (New 2013 Pro V1), Henrik Stenson (New 2013 Pro V1x) and Titleist Brand Ambassadors Bill Haas (New 2013 Pro V1x, 913D2 driver, 913Fd fairway metal, 913Hd hybrid, CB irons, Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges, Scotty Cameron Tour Rat putter) and Jimmy Walker (New 2013 Pro V1, 913D2 driver, 913Fd fairway metals, MB irons, Vokey Design SM4 wedges, Scotty Cameron Tour Rat putter), tied for 8th.
PERFORMANCE STATS FROM THE API: Jimmy Walker, with his New Pro V1 golf ball and Titleist 913D2 (8.5) driver combination, topped the field in Driving Distance with a 305.0 yard average ... In fact, four players with Titleist ball/driver combinations finished among the top 10 in the Driving Distance, including Graham DeLaet (3rd/302.1), Brad Fritsch (8th/296.3) and Erik Compton (T10/292.5) ... Fritsch also tied for 8th in Driving Accuracy (73.21%) with fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Zach Johnson, and T2 in Total Driving (16), two spots ahead of DeLaet (21) ... Fritsch relies upon the combination of the Pro V1 golf ball and 913D2 (9.5) driver for his success, while DeLaet trusts the New 2013 Pro V1x and 913D3 (7.5) ... Titleist Brand Ambassador Ben Kohles (New 2013 Pro V1x, 913D3 driver/8.5, 913H hybrid/17, CB irons, Vokey Design SM4 sand/54 and lob/60 wedges, Scotty Cameron GoLo putter) has proven to be among the most accurate players on tour, ranking 3rd (78.57) in Driving Accuracy for the week and 5th (70.68) for the year. He also topped the field in Greens in Regulation with a 76.39% average ... Following Kohles in the GIR category were Haas (4th/73.61%), DeLaet (T7/70.83%), and Compton (T10/69.44%) ... DeLaet (5th/71.70%) and Haas (6th/76.58%) rank among the Top 10 in GIR for the season ... Kohles posted a T14 finish overall at the API, while Compton placed T16.
Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the select field of 132 with 79 (60%) players, nearly five times the nearest competitor with 16. Titleist also was the overwhelming top choice in the wedge category with 132 (43%) Vokey Design models in play, more than double the nearest competitor with 67. In addition, 59 players (41%) relied upon a Scotty Cameron putter for their success on the greens at Bay Hill.
