November 26, 2012
With a flair for the dramatic that has become a hallmark for the the No. 1 player in the world, Titleist Brand Ambassador Rory McIlroy put an exclamation point on an historic season on Sunday, closing with five consecutive birdies to capture the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship. At the same time, momentum continued to swell for Titleist’s seeding and tour validation process for the new Pro V1 and Pro V1x prototype golf balls, as Luke Donald and Louis Oosthuizen each posted top-5 finishes in Dubai playing the new Pro V1x prototype golf ball.
McIlroy fired a final round 6-under 66 in Dubai, good for a 23-under 265 total and a 2-shot margin of victory. The performance also gave him the solo spotlight at the closing award ceremony, where McIlroy hoisted two trophies – one for the DP World Championship victory and one to commemorate his triumph in the season-long Race to Dubai, a title he wrapped up two weeks ago.
“I said I wanted to win both trophies this week and that is exactly what I’ve managed to do,” McIlroy said after the win. “I knew I needed to do something special over the closing few holes. I really couldn’t have wished for a better ending.”
McIlroy’s fireworks in the desert highlighted three wins on the week for Titleist players across the worldwide professional tours, including a victory by Pro V1x loyalist Jake Roos, who won the inaugural Cape Town Open on the South African Sunshine Tour.
Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x players have now won 183 times in 2012, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 24 and more than all competitors combined.
• • •
EUROPEAN: McIlroy entered the final round tied for the lead with World No. 2 Luke Donald, who won the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan last week playing the new Titleist Pro V1x prototype golf ball for the first time in competition. Donald tied for third place after closing with a one under 71, posting his second consecutive top three finish with the new golf ball. Louis Oosthuizen, playing the new Titleist Pro V1x prototype golf ball this week for the first time, finished solo fifth, another shot back.
The victory was the fifth of the year for McIlroy and the 10th of his professional career. Among his victories this season was his second major in as many years – the PGA Championship – which he won by eight shots. He also became just the second player to capture the money title on both the U.S. PGA and European Tours, a feat first achieved by Luke Donald last year. McIlroy is the first player since Pro V1x loyalist Lee Westwood in 2009 to win The Race to Dubai and the DP World Tour Championship in the same year.
“I could not have wished for any better,” said McIlroy. “To back up 2011 with another major and to be part of an unbelievable story at the Ryder Cup has made it an incredible year.”
What’s In Rory McIlroy’s Titleist Bag?:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Titleist 913D3 8.5º (Mitsubishi Diamana Prototype 70X), C•2 SureFit Tour setting
Fairway Metals: Titleist 913 Fd 13.5º (Fujikura ZCom Pro 95) and 18.0º (Fujikura Rombax Pro 95)
Irons: Titleist MB 3-9 (True Temper Project X 7.0)
Wedge: Vokey Design SM4 46º, 54º, 60º (True Temper Project X 6.5)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport GSS prototype
McIlroy’s win marked the 23rd on the 2012 European Tour by a player trusting a Titleist golf ball for his success, nearly three times the nearest competitor with eight. A total of 3,334 players teed up a Titleist on the European Tour this year, nearly five times the nearest competitor with 696.
At the DP World Tour Championship, Titleist was the most played golf ball with 30 players in the field of 56, more than three times the nearest competitor with nine.
• • •
SOUTH AFRICAN TOUR: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball loyalist Jake Roos captured the inaugural Cape Town Open with a birdie on the second hole of a four man sudden death playoff that included Titleist Brand Ambassador Tyrone van Aswegen. All four players completed regulation play with a 9-under par, 279 total.
The victory is the fifth of Roos’ career, all of which he has won in playoff fashion. Titleist Brand Ambassador Colin Nel (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 913F fairway metal, CB irons, Vokey Design wedges) and golf ball loyalist Keenan Davidse (Pro V1x) tied for fifth place, two shots out of the playoff.
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 114 players in the field of 156, more than three times the nearest competitor with 36.
• • •
AUSTRALASIAN TOUR: For the first time since 1956, an amateur captured the New Zealand Open in Christchurch. The winner, a Golf Australia national team member, trusted a Pro V1x golf ball to post a 7-under par total to finish one shot clear of Titleist Brand Ambassadors Peter Wilson (Pro V1, 913D3 driver, 913F fairway metal, 913H hybrid, AP2 irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron putter) and Jason Norris (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 913H hybrid, MB irons, Vokey Design wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter).
Titleist was the most played ball at the New Zealand Open with 105 players (74%) in the field of 141, more than four times the nearest competitor with 25. The top three finishers and 12 of the 15 players that placed among the top 10 and ties relied upon a Titleist golf ball for their success.
• • •
JAPAN TOUR: Titleist Brand Ambassador Kyung-Tae Kim and Pro V1x loyalist Kenichi Kuboya shared third place at the Casio World Open. Kuboya posted a final-round 3-under 69 while Kim shot 2-under 70 to finish with matching 14-under 274 totals.
Titleist was the most played golf ball at the Casio World Open with 48 players, twice the nearest competitor with 24.
• • •
