-- Team Titleist
FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (Feb. 20, 2012) -- Titleist Brand Ambassador Bill Haas stood on Riviera Country Club's 10th green Sunday evening, a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball in one hand and his Scotty Cameron Kombi Mid putter in the other. His ball marker sat on the putting surface, 43 feet from the hole for birdie.
Minutes later, Haas walked toward the hole with his right fist the air, his Pro V1x golf ball now resting at the bottom of the cup.
It would prove to be the final birdie of the 2012 Northern Trust Open, Haas winning the tournament on the second hole of sudden-death playoff to conclude a standout weekend for Titleist equipment players.
Titleist Brand Ambassadors and golf ball loyalists combined for six wins Sunday around the globe, including Pro V1x loyalist Yani Tseng's repeat victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
Through the first 50 days of 2012, Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have won 19 times across the worldwide professional tours, more than six times the nearest competitor with three and more than all other golf balls combined.
For Haas, it was the second win in his last six official PGA Tour events, dating back to last September's double-victory in the Tour Championship/FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Both wins came in playoffs. Both were highlighted by improbable up-and-downs, one from the edge of a water hazard (Tour Championship) and one from a patch of gnarly kikuyu rough (Northern Trust Open).
Both times, Haas relied on his Vokey Design Spin Milled wedge to get his Pro V1x to the putting surface and keep him in the running.
"That's a hard putt," said Haas, the reigning FedEx Cup Champion. "In my opinion I hit a really good chip just to get it to (43 feet), so I was happy about that. I thought I put myself in the best position to give myself the best case to continue the playoff.
"It just happened that I won right there."
Trusting a Pro V1x golf ball and bag full of Titleist equipment, Haas closed with a 2-under 69 to finish the four days at Riviera 7-under 277, tied with his two playoff partners.
Haas was one of 94 Titleist golf ball players in the field, more than five times the nearest competitor with 17 and more than all competitors combined. Titleist was also first in iron sets (42); sand, lob and approach wedges (125); and putters (63).
For the week, Haas tied for first in Putts per Round (25.8) and was third in the Strokes Gained (2.251) putting statistic.
• LPGA: Pro V1x loyalist Yani Tseng birdied her final two holes Sunday to win the Honda LPGA Thailand for the second consecutive year.
On the final hole, Tseng, who earned seven LPGA victories in 2011, nearly holed out her Pro V1x golf ball for eagle. Instead, she tapped in for the birdie and the one-shot victory.
"I didn't know my ball was that close," said Tseng, who finsihed with a 6-under 66 and 19-under 269 total.
"After I saw that, I was really happy. It wasn't like two feet and then I would be really nervous. That tap-in putt was great. It feels really good to win here again."
Tseng topped a leader board the featured three Titleist golf ball players in the top four, including Pro V1 loyalists Jiyai Shin (3rd) and Amy Yang (4th).
A total of 46 players in the field relied on Titleist golf balls for their success, more than five times the nearest competitor with eight and more than all other golf ball combined.
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Jbe Kruger captured his first career European Tour title, shooting a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke victory at the Avantha Masters in New Delhi.
Trusting a Pro V1x golf ball and bag full of Titleist equipment, Kruger finished with a 14-under 274 total at DLF Golf & Country Club. For the week, he totaled, 11 birdies, three eagles and just three bogeys.
On the 72nd hole Sunday, he stuck his Pro V1x to 10 feet to seal the victory.
“I’m very relieved to win for the first time,” said Kruger. “If you want to win you need to make putts on the final day and I did that today."
Kruger was one 87 players in the field that played Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf balls, more than five times the nearest competitor and more than all other golf balls combined.
• SOUTH AFRICAN: Titleist Brand Ambassador Oliver Bekker won the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt, rolling his Pro V1x golf ball in for birdie from 10 feet on the final hole to secure his second Sunshine Tour victory.
Bekker closed in 2-under 70 for a 13-under 276 total, two strokes clear of fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador Tyrone Ferreira (Pro V1x) and Pro V1x loyalist Thomas Aiken.
“It’s an awesome feeling to win the Di-Data (Pro-Am) – it’s one of the premier events on our tour – it’s what you dream about on the Sunshine Tour,” he said.
A total of 107 players teed up Titleist golf balls in the event, nearly three times the nearest competitor with 37 and more than all competitors combined.
AUSTRALASIAN: Titleist Brand Ambassador Gareth Paddison (Pro V1) won the Victorian PGA Championship, leading a 1-through-6 finish for Titleist golf ball players.
Paddison finished the four rounds at 7-under 277 for a one shot victory over Leighton Lyle (Pro V1x).
Titleist golf ball players occupied nine of the top 10 positions on the final leader board.
• CHAMPIONS TOUR: Kenny Perry cruised to his second-career Champions Tour title at the ACE Group Classic.
Perry rolled his Pro V1x golf ball in for birdie on the 18th hole of TwinEagles GC's Talon Course Sunday to close with a 2-under 70 for a five-shot victory.
"I really wanted that (final) putt…" said Perry. "Ecstatic. It's a great win for me."
After setting the tour's 36-hole scoring record (64-62), Perry finished at 20-under 196.
Fifty-five players trusted Titleist golf balls for their success, more than four times the nearest competitor with 12 and more than all competitors combined. Titleist was also first iron sets (21).
• NATIONWIDE TOUR: Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship with 99 players, more than five times the nearest competitor with 17 and more than all other golf balls combined. Titleist was also No. 1 in iron sets (45); sand, lob and approach wedges (15); and putters (49).