FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (Feb. 10, 2014) -- Winning is quickly becoming a habit for Titleist Brand Ambassador Jimmy Walker. Trusting his Pro V1 golf ball and a full bag of Titleist golf clubs, Walker captured his third win of the season over the weekend at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Adding to his Frys.com and Sony Open in Hawaii titles, Walker's win highlighted a sweep for Titleist golf ball players this week on the worldwide professional golf tours.
With this past weekend's success, Titleist golf ball players have now earned 16 victories across the Worldwide Professional Tours in 2014, four times the nearest competitor with 4 and more than all other golf balls combined.
In total, 2,123 players have teed up Titleist golf balls in competition on the 2014 worldwide professional tours, more than five times the nearest competitor with 357 and more than all competitors combined.Joining Walker in the winner’s circle, Titleist Brand Ambassador George Coetzee fired four consecutive rounds in the 60s to earn his first career European Tour title at the Joburg Open.
On the Champions Tour, Michael Allen birdied the second hole in an all-Pro V1x playoff to prevail at the Allianz Championship.
And at the Victorian PGA Championship, an event co-sponsored by the Asian and Australian PGA Tours, Titleist Brand Ambassador Gareth Paddison trusted his Pro V1x golf ball and a full bag of Titleist golf clubs to birdie the final hole and secure a one-shot victory.
Let's take a trip around the golfing world and review all the action with the Team Titleist Tour Recap.
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PGA TOUR: More than four times as many players relied upon Titleist (93) golf balls at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am than the nearest competitor (21).
Titleist was also the field favorite in the wedge (145) and putters (60) categories.
Jimmy Walker secured his spot atop the leaderboard at Pebble Beach after converting a five-foot putt for par on the final hole. Asked to comment on the pressure of the last putt, Walker joked,"Just drama, man. It’s good TV..(but) it’s too much for me.” He added that his clinching putt was "the best stroke of the back nine."
Walker finished at 11-under 277 en route to extending his FedExCup lead to more than 250 points.Walker is only the fourth player in the last 20 years to win three times in his first eight starts to a PGA Tour season.
Eight of the 12 players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success, including Titleist Brand Ambassadors Jordan Spieth and Kevin Na, who tied for 4th, three shots back. Titleist Pro V1x golf ball loyalist Hunter Mahan finished solo 6th.
Walker played a Pro V1 golf ball and a full complement of Titleist golf clubs for his tee-through-green success. Walker inserted a Titleist 913Fd (15º) fairway metal into his bag at the Farmers Insurance Open, the only difference in his set composition from his most recent victory at the SONY Open in Hawaii.
What's in Jimmy Walker's Bag?
Golf Ball: Pro V1
Driver: 913D2 (8.5º) driver with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue 72 X shaft
Fairways: 913F.d (15º) fairway metal with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue 72 X shaft and 913F.d (18º) fairway metal with Fujikura Motore VC8.2 TS X shaft
Irons: MB (714) irons (3-9) with Dynamic Gold X100 shafts
Wedges: Vokey Design SM4 pitching (48º), sand (54º) and lob (60º) wedges with Dynamic Gold X100 shafts
Putter: Scotty Cameron Tour Rat 2 prototype
TITLEIST LEADERBOARD: Titleist full product line brand ambassadors have won 6 of the first 12 events on the PGA TOUR, including: Jimmy Walker (Frys.com Open, SONY Open in Hawaii, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am), Webb Simpson (Shriners Hospitals for Children Open), Zach Johnson (Hyundai Tournament of Champions) and Scott Stallings (Farmers Insurance Open).
In addition, a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball was played by the winners at the CIMB Classic, McGladrey Classic and OHL Classic at Mayakoba, as Titleist golf ball loyalist have accumulated 9 victories through the first 12 events this season - compared to one for the nearest competitors.
Titleist players have more wins across every major equipment category on the PGA TOUR than any other brand: Golf Balls (9 vs.1); Drivers (6 vs. 3); Irons (6 vs. 2); Wedges (6 vs. 4); Putters (5 vs. 3).
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PGA EUROPEAN TOUR: The Joburg Open field of 210 included 145 Titleist golf ball loyalists, more than six times the nearest competitor with 23.
Titleist Brand Ambassador George Coetzee closed with a 6-under par 66 to finish with a 19-under par 268 victory total at the Joburg Open, three shots clear of three players, including Titleist Brand Ambassador Jin Jeong (Pro V1, 913D3 driver, 913Fd and 913F fairway metals, 913H hybrid, AP2 irons, Vokey Design SM5 wedges) and Pro V1x loyalists Tyrell Hatton and Justin Walters. Each of the top four finishers and seven of the top eight all relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
What's in George Coetzee's Bag?
Golf Ball: Pro V1x
Driver: 913D2 (8.5º) driver
Irons: CB (714) irons (3-7) and MB (714) irons (8-PW)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM5 gap (52º), sand (56º) and lob (60º) wedges
After the victory, Coetzee expressed the relief he felt after his breakthrough victory.
"I don't know what I'm feeling," the first-time winner said. "I'm lost for words. I've been waiting a while and I started doubting so I'm very happy. I got to share this with my family and my friends. It was my mum's birthday yesterday and I wanted to do it for her as I forgot to buy her a present."
Coetzee, Jeong and Walters each earned a spot in the 2014 Open Championship as part of the qualifying process at this event.
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CHAMPIONS TOUR: Michael Allen topped a leaderboard that included 57 Titleist golf ball players in the field of 81, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 8.
In addition, each of the top nine finishers relied upon a Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball for their success.
Allen closed with a final round 3-under 69 to match fellow Pro V1x loyalist Duffy Waldorf at 18-under 198. On the second hole of sudden death, Allen reached the par-5 18th hole in two and two-putted for birdie to secure his 6th career Champions Tour victory.
Allen fired a 12-under par 60 in the first round, tying the Champions Tour record for lowest single round score, a mark that had been achieved eight times previously.
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ASIAN / AUSTRALIAN PGA TOUR: Titleist golf ball loyalists accounted for 96 players in the 120-player field, more than five times the nearest competitor with 19.
In addition, 8 of the 11 players who finished among the top 10 and ties, including each of the top 5, relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Gareth Paddison (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 913F fairway metal, 910H hybrid, 712U utility iron, CB 714 irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter) posted a 16-under-par 272 total to win the Victorian PGA Championship by one shot over fellow Pro V1x loyalist Michael Hendry.
Titleist Brand Ambassador Jamie Arnold (Pro V1x, 913D2 driver, 913F fairway metal, 712U utility iron, CB/MB 714 irons, Vokey Design wedges) finished a further shot back in solo 3rd place.
"Golf is a real mental battle," Paddison said in a post-round interview, referring to the 4-foot birdie putt he converted on the 72nd hole to secure the victory. "To birdie the last when you have to, that is what all the practice is about."
The win marks the second time Paddison has won this event. The native of New Zealand has now collected five wins on the Australian PGA Tour.