FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (July 25, 2011) -- Russ Cochran trusted a Pro V1 golf ball and a precise short-game to his first major title at the Senior Open Championship, one of four wins for Titleist golf ball players last weekend around the world.
Cochran, making just his second start since recovering from a wrist injury he suffered in late April, shot consecutive 5-under 67s on the weekend at Walton Heath to finish at 12-under 276, two shots ahead of Pro V1x loyalist Mark Calcavecchia.
"The more I'm finding out about winning, you know, it has more to do with getting that ball up-and-down," said Cochran, 52. "It has to do with putting the ball in the fairway, and then you know, just rolling the heck out of it."
He pulled away in the final round with six birdies over his first 10 holes, keeping the early momentum going with up-and-downs at Nos. 3 and 5.
"The key to the round is I had a great sand save on No. 3, I just barely missed (the green) left and it rolled down in the bunker," said Cochran. He pitched his Pro V1 golf ball out the deep trap to 2 feet and tapped in for par.
On No. 5, Cochran found another greenside bunker, this time pitching to 7 feet and rolling in his Pro V1 golf ball for par.
"So that allowed me to kind of jump right back in, ended up birdieing No. 6, and got on a stretch again from there," said Cochran.
He topped a leaderboard that featured seven Titleist golf ball players in the top 10, including Pro V1 loyalists Tom Watson and Corey Pavin, who tied for third.
A total of 105 players trusted Titleist golf balls for their success at Walton Heath, more than five times the nearest competitor with 20. Titleist also was first in iron sets (33); and sand, lob and approach wedges (90).
So far in 2011, Titleist golf ball players have recorded 96 total victories across the worldwide professional tours, more than five times the nearest competitor with 13 and more than all competitors combined:
• JAPAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Kyung-Tae Kim continued his climb in the world rankings with a four-shot victory in the Shigeo Invitational SEGA Sammy Cup.
The 24-year-old, trusting a Pro V1x golf ball and bag full of Titleist equipment, closed with a bogey-free 4-under 68 at The North Country Golf Club to finish at 15-under 273 and earn his fourth-career Japan Tour victory.
With the win, Kim moved to No. 23 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Kim was one of 69 players in the event that relied on Titleist golf balls for their success, more than twice the nearest competitor with 31.
Seven of the 12 players who finished among the top 10 played Titleist golf balls, including four of the top five: Pro V1x loyalists Steven Conran (3rd) and Kodai Ichihara (T-4) and Titleist Brand Ambassador Dong-Hwan Lee (T-4, Pro V1).Titleist also was first in hybrids (42); and sand, lob and approach wedges (119).
• ASIAN TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist Joonas Granberg became the first Finnish player to win on the Asian Tour, capturing the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters at the Kota Permai Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Asian Tour rookie fired a final round 6-under 66 to finish with a 15-under 273 total, one shot ahead of Pro V1 loyalist Panuphol Pittayarat.
"I didn’t think my first win would come so soon," said Granberg, 24. "There are so many good players on the Asian Tour and I didn’t play very well in my first four events in Asia. I thought I had a chance for a top-10 or top-5 but now, I’m a winner."
Nine of the 11 players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 104 players, more than four times the nearest competitor with 24 and more than all competitors combined. Titleist irons and Vokey Design Spin Milled wedges were also the choice of more players than any other brand.
• NATIONWIDE TOUR: The amateur winner of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational trusted a Pro V1x golf ball in his one-shot victory Sunday at The Ohio State University's Scarlet Course.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 103 players, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 13 and more than all competitors combined.
Of the Nationwide Tour's 13 events played so far in 2011, 10 of them have been won by Titleist golf ball players.
Titleist also was first in iron sets (44), including 12 sets of new 712 prototype irons (4 AP2, 2 MB, and 6 CB sets in play); sand, lob and approach wedges (145); and putters (62).
• PGA TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Kris Blanks was one of 100 players at the RBC Canadian Open that teed up Titleist golf balls, more than six times the nearest competitor with 16 and more than all competitors combined.
Blanks, who finished runner-up, played a Pro V1x golf ball and a bag full of Titleist equipment, including new Prototype Titleist CB (712 Series) irons.
Titleist also was first in iron sets (45), including 16 sets of new 712 prototype irons; sand, lob and approach wedges (143); and putters (58).
The winner of the event relied upon a new Scotty Cameron by Titleist California Fastback prototype putter that he picked up after working with the Titleist Tour Leadership team at the Open Championship last week.
• LPGA: Pro V1x loyalist Stacy Lewis was one of 68 players that played a Titleist golf ball at the Evian Masters, more than five times the nearest competitor with 13 and more than all competitors combined. Lewis finished at 13-under 275, two shots back of the winner.
Pro V1 loyalists Angela Stanford and I.K. Kim were among three players who tied for third place, a shot behind Lewis.
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Niklas Lemke was one of 101 players that teed up Titleist golf balls at the Nordea Masters, more than five times the nearest competitor with 18 and more than all competitors combined.
Lemkr finished third at 5-under 283 in just the the fourth start of his pro career.
