The PGA Tour took the weekend off after last week's exciting conclusion to the 2013 FedExCup race, but around the globe there was still a lot of great golf action to be found, headlined by the season-ending Web.com Tour Championship. After the dust had settled at the Web.com's new Tour Finals series Titleist Brand Ambassador Chesson Hadley hoisted the Tour Championship trophy and thirty players who relied on Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls had earned their way onto the 2014 PGA Tour.
Meanwhile on the European Tour, Pro V1x loyalist David Howell claimed his first European Tour title in seven years by topping Titleist Brand Ambassador Peter Uihlein with a birdie on the second hole of an all-Pro V1x sudden-death playoff at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
On the Champions Tour, Pro V1x loyalist Kirk Triplett closed with a 4-under-par 68 at Pebble Beach Golf Links to successfully defend his title at the Nature Valley First Tee Open.
In Japan, Titleist Brand Ambassador Masahiro Kawamura overcame a two shot deficitit to capture his first career victory at the Asia Pacific Panasonic Championship, an event co-sanctioned by the Japan and Asian Tours.
And in China, American Ronald Jacob Ellison trusted his Pro V1x golf ball to capture the China PGA Champions Tour Quingdao event.
Titleist golf ball players have now earned 124 victories across the Worldwide Professional Tours in 2013, more than three times the nearest competitor with 33 and more than all golf balls combined.In total, 18,373 players have teed up Titleist golf balls in competition on the 2013 worldwide professional tours, more than six times the nearest competitor with 2,733 and more than all competitors combined.It's time to take a trip around the golfing world with the Team Titleist Tour Recap.
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WEB.COM TOUR: Web.com Tour Championship
Hadley closed with a 1-under 69 and won the season-ending Web.com Tour Championship by two strokes over four players. Hadley posted a 10-under 270 total to collect his second win of the year (his first came at the Rex Hospital Open).
In the new final event series format on the Web.com Tour, Hadley had finished No. 3 on the Regular Season money list and moved up from No. 14 to No. 3 on the Finals Priority Ranking with his win. The ranking determined a pecking order for the 2013-14 PGA TOUR season, which begins in two weeks with the Frys.com Open.
“This is something that we’ve been dreaming of since we were kids out there beating balls on the range with our parents,” said Hadley. “To see that come to fruition with a bunch of hard work and a bunch of people supporting us along the way, it’s pretty special.”
Brendon Todd’s 5-under 65 was the low round of the day and it gave him a share of second place with fellow Pro V1x loyalist Scott Gardiner and Titleist Brand Ambassadors Brad Fritsch and John Peterson. Peterson capped off a furious late-season surge that saw him finish in the top-5 in all four of the Finals events and earned the No. 1 spot on the Finals money list. The top spot gave Peterson full-exempt status in 2013-14 as well as a berth in THE PLAYERS Championship next May.
In addition to relying upon the Pro V1x golf ball, Hadley also trusted a full complement of Titleist golf clubs for his success, including the 913D3 driver (9.5º), 910F fairway metal (13.5º), 712U 3-iron, MB irons (4-PW) and Vokey Design SM4 TVD gap (52º), sand (56º) and lob (60º) wedges.
John Peterson also relied on a full bag of Titleist golf clubs for his success, including the 913D3 driver (8.5º), 913F fairway metal (13.5º), 712U 3-iron, CB 4-iron, MB irons (5-PW) and Vokey Design SM4 gap (52º) and sand (56º) wedges and TVD K-grind lob (60º) wedge.
Of the 125-player field, 88 relied upon Titleist golf balls, six times the nearest competitor with 13.
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EUROPEAN TOUR: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
David Howell carded a final round of 67 to set the clubhouse mark of 23-under par 265 at the Old Course at St Andrews. Uihlein, the overnight leader and playing in the final pairing, closed with a 3-under 69 to match Howell's total and force a playoff. Both players narrowly missed long birdie attempts on the first extra hole but Howell, who had come up short in all four of his previous playoff opportunities, converted an eight foot putt for birdie on the famed 18th hole to secure the emotional victory.
"It's been a long, long road back from the depths of despair," said Howell after the win. "I have had a lot of support from people around me and this is as much for them as it is for me."
Uihlein, who threatened to become the first player to shoot a 59 on the European Tour on Friday (before settling for a 60 when his eagle attempt on the final hole missed by inches), vaulted into the all-important Top 10 in the Race to Dubai standing with his performance.
Of the 168-player field, 110 relied upon Titleist golf balls, nearly five times the nearest competitor with 23.
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CHAMPIONS TOUR: Nature Valley First Tee Open
Triplett, who entered the final round three shots off the lead, posted an 11-under 205 total, good for a two shot margin of victory over fellow Titleist Pro V1x golf ball loyalists Dan Forsman and Doug Garwood.
Triplett overcame a four-shot deficit to win this event last year.
Garwood, a Monday qualifier who was making his fourth career Champions Tour start, and Forsman both shot 69 in the final round.
Titleist was the most played ball in the field of 81 with 59 players, more than five times the nearest competitor with 10.
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JAPAN/ASIAN TOUR: Asia Pacific Panasonic Championship
20-year-old Masahiro Kawamura fired a final round 4-under par 67, en route to a 9-under par 275 victory total at the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open. It marked Kawamura’s first career victory since turning professional two years ago.
Fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador and overnight leader S.J. Park of Korea finished solo 2nd, one shot behind Kawamura, as five of the six players who finished among the top 5 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
In addition to relying upon the Pro V1 golf ball, Kawamura also trusted Titleist golf clubs through the bag, including the 913D2 driver (7.5º), 913F fairway metal (13.5º), 913Hd hybrids (18.0º, 20.0º), CB irons (4-5), MB irons (6-PW), Vokey Design Spin Milled sand wedge (54º) and SM4 lob (60º) wedge and a Scotty Cameron Newport putter .
Of the 132-player field, 62 players relied upon Titleist golf balls, nearly three times the nearest competitor with 27.
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CHINA PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR: Quingdao Event
Ellison, who entered the final round with a four shot lead, closed with a 1-over par 73 en route to a 14-under par 274 victory total . He was two shots clear of his nearest competitor.
Six of the top 10 finishers relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
At the 129-player event, 92 relied upon Titleist golf balls, over four times the nearest competitor with 21.