FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (July 9, 2012) -- Na Yeon Choi trusted a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball to a dreamlike week at the U.S. Women's Open in Wisconsin, where in the end she raised her first major championship trophy.
"My dreams come true. It's an amazing day today," said Choi, 24, of South Korea.
She finished with a 7-under 281 for a four-shot victory to highlight a four-win week for Titleist players around the world, including a breakthrough victory by Pro V1x loyalist Ted Potter Jr. at the PGA Tour's Greenbrier Classic.
Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have combined for 92 victories to so far this season across the worldwide professional tours, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 12 and more than all other golf balls combined.
A total of 11,210 players have teed up Titleist golf balls in those same events, as compared to 1,814 for the nearest competitor.
Choi's historic week included a course-record 65 in Round 3 that was nearly 12 strokes better than the field average and helped her take control of the tournament.
The winning formula was a mix of consistency and precision, with Choi hitting over 82 percent (46/56) of fairways and 79 percent (59/72) of greens in regulation. The result was 19 birdies over the four rounds, including two over her final four holes Sunday to put things out of reach.
"I haven't talked with my parents yet, but I don't know, maybe my mom was crying or my dad was crying. I don't know, but I'm pretty sure they really happy right now," Choi said. "And I'm going to Korea tomorrow... But I'm pretty sure they were watching on TV and they couldn't sleep last night, and they supported me a lot."
Fellow Pro V1x loyalist Amy Yang, also from South Korea, closed with a 1-under 71 to finish runner-up. Choi and Yang were the only players to finish the tournament under par.
In total, 108 players in the field relied on Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls for their success, nine times the nearest competitor with 12 and more than all competitors combined. Titleist was also the top choice in wedges with 89.
• PGA TOUR: Rookie Ted Potter Jr. made a 4-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff to top Troy Kelly in an all-Titleist Pro V1x playoff at the Greenbrier Classic.
Potter, who posted a pair of weekend 6-under 64s, overcame a four-shot deficit with four holes to play Sunday at Greenbrier's Old White TPC to match Kelly at 16-under 264.
Potter rolled his Pro V1x in from 49 feet for birdie on the par-3 15th. Two holes later, he dropped in a 27-footer for eagle on the par-5 17th. He closed out his final round with a 5-footer for birdie on the par-3 18th.
"I knew I had to make some birdies coming in, but at the same time I didn't want to play too aggressive where I'm making bogeys and dropping down spots because, I mean, a third-place finish or fourth-place finish (would) mean a lot to my year," Potter said.
Potter turned it into a first-place finish with a birdie on the third playoff hole. Playing the par-3 18th for the third time Sunday, he sent his Pro V1x to about 15 feet in from the hole. It bounced twice, checked up and rolled to 4 feet in front the hole.
With the win, Potter earned a two-year PGA Tour exemption along with an invitation to the Masters next April. He'll also now be on his way to the Open Championship in a couple weeks.
"It was just a big relief… Knowing that now I've got a couple years to try to improve on my game and win some more tournaments," he said.
Potter topped a leader board that featured five Titleist golf ball players in the top six positions and nine in the top 11, including third-place finisher Charlie Wi (Pro V1).
Titleist was the top choice of more players in the Greenbrier Classic field of 156 in the golf ball category with 101, nearly six times the nearest competitor with 17 and more than all competitors combined. Titleist also tied for the lead in iron sets (38), and topped the wedge (132) and putter (64) categories.
• EUROPEAN TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist Marcel Siem claimed his second-career European Tour title Sunday at the Alstom Open de France.
Siem closed with a 4-under 67 at Le Golf National for an 8-under 276 total and one-shot victory. His final round featured five birdies, including consecutive birdies at Nos. 14 and 15. Siem's only bogey came on the par-4 18th with a two-shot lead.
"I'm so happy. This means a lot to me," said Siem, who earned a spot in next week's Open Championship with the win. “I love this golf course. I always loved it and I love it even more or even better now. I'm super happy.”
Siem was one of 95 players in the field that relied on Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls for their success, more than four times the nearest competitor with 21 and more than all other golf balls combined.
Pro V1x loyalists Ian Poulter and David Howell were among three players who tied for fourth place, three shots behind the champion.
• JAPAN TOUR: Rookie Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Pro V1x) closed in 7-under 65 to earn his first tour victory at the Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup 2012.
Lee rolled his Pro V1x in for birdies on the final two holes to win by two strokes at 19-under 269. He led the field in birdies with 24.
Titleist golf ball loyalists accounted for 61 players in the field. Titleist was also the top choice in wedges with 121.
• CHAMPIONS TOUR: Titleist golf ball loyalists accounted for 54 of the 81 player field at the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, nearly five times the nearest competitor with 11 and more than all competitors combined. Titleist was also the choice of more players in the iron (20) and wedge (52) categories.
