FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (July 6, 2011) -- Nick Watney Trusts Pro V1x, New Prototype Titleist Irons to AT&T National Victory
Titleist Brand Ambassador Nick Watney celebrated Fourth of July weekend with his fourth-career PGA Tour victory, relying on a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball and a bag full of Titleist equipment, including a set of new Prototype Titleist AP2 (712 Series) irons that he touched for the first time Tuesday morning at Aronimink Golf Club.
Watney, also a winner earlier this year at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral, closed the tournament with an unblemished and unbelievable 27-hole stretch featuring a back-nine 8-under 27 and course-record 62 in Round 3.
Over his final 27 holes, Watney made 10 birdies, one eagle and zero bogeys, posting a final-round 4-under 66 for a 13-under 267 total and two-shot victory.
Eighty-five players have now trusted Titleist golf balls to worldwide victories in 2011, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 11 and more than all competitors combined, including Titleist Brand Ambassador Thomas Levet's one-shot victory Sunday at the European Tour's Alstom Open de France.
Watney also led a 1-2-3-4-5 finish for Titleist golf ball players at Aronimink, one of the PGA Tour's statistically-toughest courses, including Pro V1 loyalist K.J. Choi, who shot four rounds in the 60s and finished runner-up at 11-under 269.Titleist Brand Ambassador Adam Scott, Pro V1 loyalist Charles Howell III and Pro V1x loyalist Jeff Overton tied for third at 9-under 271.
"Well, you know, with 27 holes to go in the tournament, I was really just trying to play my way back in, and then for some reason the hole just got bigger for me," said Watney, who became the PGA Tour's third second-time winner of the season, joining Pro V1 loyalists Bubba Watson and Mark Wilson.
A total of 80 players in the field at AT&T National played Titleist golf balls, more than six times the nearest competitor with 13 and more than all other golf balls combined.
Titleist also was first in iron sets (40), including 19 sets of new Prototype Titleist (712 Series) irons; sand, lob and approach wedges (113); and putters (52).
"I was very, very proud of the way I was able to finish," said Watney.
It all started on Tuesday on the range Aronimink, where the seeding and tour validation process for the new Prototype Titleist AP1, AP2, CB and MB (712 series) irons had just begun.
Watney set up shop on the right end of the range, where he was delivered a set of new Prototype AP2 (712 series) irons, custom built to his specifications: True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts; standard length, 1º upright; 2º weak in 3-5 and P; 1º weak in 6-9.
About 24 hours later, Watney dropped by the Titleist Tour Van after his Wednesday Pro-Am to tell Titleist Tour Rep Brett Fleming that his previous set of irons could be shipped home."The news ones are in the bag," he said.Also added to Watney's bag this week: A new Scotty Cameron Newport Fastback putter, which helped him finish third in putts per green in regulation (1.667).
Stay tuned to the Titleist Tour Blog later this week for more on Watney's victory, his new Titleist equipment and the continuation of the seeding and testing process for Titleist's new prototype irons.
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Thomas Levet earned a hard-fought victory on home soil at the Alstom Open de France trusting a Pro V1 golf ball and a bag full of Titleist equipment.
Levet closed with a 1-under 70 for a 7-under 277 total, rolling his Pro V1 golf ball in for par on 18 to finish one shot ahead of Pro V1 loyalist Mark Foster at the treacherous Le Golf National. He celebrated his sixth European Tour title by jumping into the pond surrounding the 18th green.
Levet is just the second French winner of the tournament since the European Tour began in 1972.
“All of my friends were here in the crowd. It's always nice to win in front of your home crowd. The way it went today was just like in a dream," Levet told EuropeanTour.com.
For the week, Levet finished third in greens in regulation at 73.6 percent.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball choice of the field with 95 players, more than four times the nearest competitor with 23 and more than all competitors combined. Titleist was also the top choice in iron sets (40) and sand, lob and approach wedges (165).
• CHAMPIONS TOUR: Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Montreal Championship with 57 players, more than seven times the nearest competitor with eight and more than all competitors combined.
Pro V1 loyalist Rod Spittle shot a course-record 10-under 62 during the final round at Club de Golf Fontainebleau in Montreal.
Titleist also was first in iron sets (22).
