Fairhaven, MA (May 6, 2013) - When it comes to trust, Titleist continues to win the world over. This week, from Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas in the United States to China, Indonesia, Japan and South Africa around the globe, the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls were the choice of eight champions across the major worldwide professional tours. There were first-time champions and a back-to-back winner, dramatic playoff victories and a rain-shortened titlist. No matter where or how, eight more wins this week is further proof that wherever golf is contested, there’s really only one performance choice. Titleist.TITLEIST HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 5, 2013PGA: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball loyalist Derek Ernst, who secured a spot in the Wells Fargo Championship as the fourth alternate, earned his first career professional victory with a par on the first hole of a sudden death playoff. The 22-year old rookie, who earned his PGA TOUR card last fall after advancing through pre-qualifying and all three stages, birdied the closing hole of regulation to close with a 2-under par 70 and an 8-under par 280 … Ernst was playing only his ninth PGA TOUR event … The victory earns Ernst a two-year PGA TOUR exemption, a spot in this week’s THE PLAYERS Championship, and qualifies him for two World Golf Championships, the PGA Championship, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions next year at Kapalua and the Masters next April … Fellow Pro V1x loyalists Robert Karlsson and Lee Westwood tied for fourth place, two shots out of the playoff, as three of the top five finishers trusted Titleist golf balls for their success.
Equipment Notes: Rickie Fowler transitioned from the New 2013 Pro V1x into the New 2013 Pro V1 at the Wells Fargo Championship after testing the New Pro V1 on the range a week earlier in New Orleans and again in Charlotte. According to Titleist Golf Ball Tech Representative Jeff Beyers, who walked with Fowler during the Wednesday pro-am, Fowler thought the trajectories and distances off the irons with the New Pro V1 were very similar to the New Pro V1x and he preferred the lower, flatter ball flight off the driver. Fowler and his caddie felt the New Pro V1 was slightly longer than the Pro V1x off the driver based on the launch, spin and overall flight characteristics he produced … The new Scotty Cameron by Titleist Futura X prototype putters were in demand at the Wells Fargo Championship. Players were seeking heavier putters on the slower greens at Quail Hollow, and Scotty Cameron Tour representatives Kelly Moser and Larry Silveira were busy adjusting weights in current putters and working with players interested in the new prototype. The new conventional length Futura X prototype, which is a smaller version of the long putter Adam Scott played to win the Masters, made it into five bags at Quail Hollow, including that of Geoff Ogilvy, who put it into play for the first time with immediate results. Ogilvy finished 9th in Putting Average with a 1.761 average and 13th in Strokes Gained – Putting (1.148).
Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 156 with 106 players (68%), more than five times the nearest competitor with 20. Titleist also was the overwhelming top choice in the wedge (154/41%) and putter (61/39%) categories.
EUROPEAN/ONEASIA: Titleist Brand Ambassador Brett Rumford (Pro V1x, 913D2/8.5 driver, 913Fd/15.0 fairway metal, 712U 2,3 and 4 utility irons, CB/5-9 irons, Vokey Design SM4 pitching/48, sand/54 and lob/60 wedges) claimed his second consecutive European Tour title, validating last week's win at the Ballantine's Championship with a four-shot victory over fellow Pro V1x loyalist Mikko Ilonen at the Volvo China Open. Rumford, who started the final round one shot clear of Ilonen, carded five birdies through his first 10 holes, as well as birdies on holes 12 through 14 en route to a closing 4-under par 68 and a 16-under 272 victory total … Rumford, who won last week's event in South Korea in a sudden death playoff, now has five career European Tour victories and vaulted to the top of The Race to Dubai standings with this week's win. It marked the second runner-up finish of the year for Ilonen … Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 150 with 98 players (65%), more than five times the nearest competitor with 19. Titleist was also the top choice in the iron (53/34%) and wedge (161/45%) categories.
LPGA: Titleist Pro V1 loyalist Cristie Kerr captured the Kingsmill Championship with a par on the second hole of a sudden death playoff for her 16th career title. It was the third time she had won the event. Kerr closed with a 2-under par 69, after finishing regulation at 12-under 272 … Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 144 with 97 players (67%), nearly nine times the nearest competitor with 11.
CHAMPIONS: It was a three-way all-Titleist Pro V1x playoff at the Insperity Championship, where Esteban Toledo (Pro V1x, Vokey Design SM4 gap/52 and lob/60 wedges) became the first Mexican winner in Champions Tour history. Toledo topped Mike Goodes (Pro V1x) with a par on the third extra hole after Gene Sauers (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 913H hybrid, Scotty Cameron Newport Tour putter) had been eliminated on the second hole. The 50-year-old Toledo, making his ninth start on the Champions Tour, eagled the opening hole of the final round and finished with a 5-under 67 to match Goodes and Sauers at 6-under 210 … Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 81 with 63 (78%) players, more than nine times the nearest competitor with 6. Titleist also was the top choice in the wedge (60/34%) category.
WEB.COM: Brendon Todd (Pro V1x, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter) earned his second career title when steady rains forced the cancellation of the final round of the Stadion Classic at UGA and the tournament reverted back to the 54-hole standings. Todd’s 2-under par 69 on Saturday moved him to 8-under 205, one shot better than playing partner Tim Wilkinson (Pro V1x, AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM4 sand and lob wedges). Wilkinson matched his career-best finish, while Todd advanced to No. 4 on the Web.com money list with the win … The UGA Golf Course was determined to be unplayable by tournament officials after more than 2 ½ inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period … Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 156 with 102 players (65%), more than five times the nearest competitor with 19. Titleist also was the overwhelming top choice in the utility iron (16/37%), iron (47/30%) and wedge (144/38%) categories.
JAPAN: Titleist Brand Ambassador Michio Matsumura (Pro V1x, 913D2/7.5 driver, 913Hd/20 hybrid, 712U 4-iron, AP2/5-P irons, Vokey Design SM4 gap/52 and lob/58 wedges) closed with a 3-under par 67 to clinch his third career Japan Tour title with a victory at the Chunichi Crowns. Matsumura finished with a 2-under par 278 victory for his one shot win over last week's JGTO victor. He began the final round two strokes off the pace, but jumped into the lead with birdies on four of his first seven holes en route to the narrow victory … Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field with 42 players. Titleist was also tops in the wedge category with 85 Vokey Design models in play.
ASIAN: Titleist Brand Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger (Pro V1x, 913D3/7.5 driver, 913Fd/13.5 fairway metal, 712U 3-iron, CB Irons/4-P, Vokey Design gap/51, sand/56 and lob/60 wedges, Scotty Cameron GoLo putter), captured the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters in Jakarta for his second Asian Tour title. He won the European Tour co-sanctioned Ballantine's Championship in South Korea last year. Wiesberger closed with a 5-under par 67 to finish with a 15-under 273 victory total and a one-shot win … Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 150 with 98 players (65%), more than five times the nearest competitor with 19. Titleist was also the top choice in the iron (50/33%) and wedge (160/42%) categories.
SOUTH AFRICA: Titleist Brand Ambassador James Kingston (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 913F fairway metal, 913H hybrid, AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM4 wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport putter) was crowned the Investec Royal Swazi Open champion after draining a clutch 12-foot putt in a sudden death playoff. The victory marked the 10th career Sunshine Tour title for Kingston, who accumulated 45 points in the modified Stableford system scoring format that awarded 8 points for an albatross, 5 for an eagle, 2 for a birdie, none for a par, and one point deducted for each bogey and three points deducted for a double bogey or worse. Titleist Pro V1x golf ball loyalists Darryn Lloyd and Mark Williams tied for third place, one point out of the playoff … Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 72 with 55 players (76%), five times the nearest competitor with 11.
WORLDWIDE WINS: With eight more victories this week, Titleist players have accounted for 54 victories across the worldwide professional tours, nearly five times the nearest competitor with 11.
