Tag: Nationwide Tour

  • Yani Tseng, Pablo Larrazabal, Erik Compton Lead Titleist to Six-Win Week

    The following is a Press release issued by Acushnet Golf:

    Yani Tseng wins the LPGA Championship by an astounding ten strokes
    Kevin Rivoli/AP

    MAJOR SUCCESS.  INSPIRING PERFORMANCE.
    Yani Tseng, Pablo Larrazabal, Erik Compton Lead Titleist to Six-Win Week.

    Fairhaven, MA (June 27, 2011) – History was made by Titleist golf ball loyalists this week, as 22-year old Yani Tseng convincingly captured the Wegmans LPGA Championship to become the youngest player to ever win four major championships.  The No. 1 player in women’s golf relied upon the Pro V1x to finish 10 shots clear of the world-class field.

    On the European Tour, Titleist Brand Ambassador Pablo Larrazabal displayed consistency and perseverance en route to capturing the BMW International Open.  Relying upon the Pro V1x golf ball and a bag full of Titleist equipment, Larrazabal fired four consecutive rounds in the 60’s and won with a birdie on the fifth sudden death playoff hole.

    In one of the most emotional victories in any sport, Brand Ambassador Erik Compton also relied upon Titleist equipment from tee-to-green to win the Nationwide Tour’s Mexico Open. It marked the first career victory for Compton, whose inspiring performance came three years after his second heart transplant.

    Titleist golf ball loyalists also posted victories on the Canadian, Korean and Japan tours to advance Titleist’s year-to-date victory count across the worldwide professional tours to 83, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 11.

    TITLEIST HIGHLIGHTS FOR WEEK ENDING JUNE 26, 2011

    LPGA TOUR: Tseng, who relies upon the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, closed with a 6-under par 66 en route to a 19-under 269 victory total to secure her 10-shot win at the Wegmans LPGA Championship.  The win marks the eighth of Tseng’s career, including her three previous majors:  2010 Kraft Nabisco, 2010 Ricoh Women’s British Open, 2008 LPGA Championship.  The win is the third this season for Tseng, who also triumphed at the Honda LPGA Thailand and the LPGA State Farm Classic.  She had a runner-up finish at the first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco.

    • Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Wegmans LPGA Championship with 109 players, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 12.

    EUROPEAN TOUR: In addition to the victory at the BMW International, Larrazabal, who posted a 16-under 266 to reach the playoff, qualified for the British Open next month with his winning performance.

    • What’s in Titleist Brand Ambassador Pablo Larrazabal’s Bag?: Pro V1x golf ball, 910D2 (9.5) driver, 910F (15, 19) fairway metals, MB (3-9) irons, Vokey Design pitching (48), sand (54) and lob (58) wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Squareback putter.

    • Five players tied for 3rd at 14-under 274, including Titleist Brand Ambassador George Coetzee (Pro V1x, 910D2 driver, 910F.d fairway metal, 909H hybrid, CB irons, Vokey Design approach, sand and lob wedges), Mark Foster (Pro V1, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Detour putter) and Joost Luiten (Pro V1).

    • Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 117 players, more than six times the nearest competitor with 18.  Titleist also was first in iron sets (49); and sand, lob and approach wedges (194), and second in drivers (39), including 37 910D2 or 910D3 drivers; hybrids (28); and putters (30).

    NATIONWIDE TOUR: Compton closed with a 7-under par 65 in his come-from-behind victory at the Mexico Open.  It marked the first career Nationwide Tour title for Compton, who started the final round tied for 6th place.  He finished at 17-under par 271, two shots clear of fellow Pro V1x loyalist Richard H. Lee (Pro V1x).

    – What’s in Titleist Brand Ambassador Erik Compton’s Bag?: Pro V1x golf ball, 910D3 (8.5) driver, 910F (13.5) fairway metal, 910H (19, 21) hybrids, CB (4-5)/MB (6-P) irons, Vokey Design sand (52) and lob (58) wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 303 GSS putter).

    • In nine Nationwide Tour starts this year, Compton has made eight cuts, including seven top 25 finishes.  He vaults to second on the 2011 Nationwide Tour money list.  Compton has also made the cut in all four PGA TOUR events he has played this season.

    • The 31-year-old was diagnosed at age 9 with cardiomyopathy, an enlarging of the heart that hinders its ability to pump blood. Three years later, in 1992, he received a new heart. That one failed in 2008, and the former University of Georgia star had another transplant.

    • Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Mexico Open with 107 players, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 15.  Titleist also was first in iron sets (51); sand, lob and approach wedges (155); and putters (64).  Titleist was second in drivers (40); and fairway metals (48).

    KOREAN TOUR: Kang, KyungNam (Pro V1, 910F fairway metal, 910H hybrid, Vokey Design sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport Circle-T putter) won the DongBu Insurance Open by five shots over Titleist Brand Ambassador Lee, DongMin (Pro V1, 910D2 driver, 910F fairway metal, 910H hybrid, CB irons, Vokey Design sand and lob wedges, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport Circle-T Putter).  Kang, who began the final day one shot clear of Lee, finished the week at 8-under 276 for the sixth victory of his career.

    • Titleist was the most played golf ball at the event with 110 players (71%), five times more than the nearest competitor with 23.  All 11 players who finished among the top 10 and ties relied upon Titleist golf balls for their success, including six of whom trusted Titleist equipment throughout the bag.

    JAPAN TOUR: Korea’s Jung-Gon Hwang (Pro V1x) captured the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open by one shot over fellow countryman and Titleist Brand Ambassador Kyung-Tae Kim (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 909H hybrid, CB/MB irons, Vokey Design pitching, sand and lob wedges).  It was the first JGTO title for the 19-year old Hwang, who guaranteed himself a start at the Open Championship with the top finish.  Hwang came from three shots off the 54-hole pace with a final round of 66 to claim the title.

    • Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 67 players.  Titleist also was first in hybrids (42); and sand, lob and approach wedges (114).  Titleist was second in putters (18).

    CANADIAN TOUR: Danny Sahl (Pro V1) captured the inaugural Syncrude Boreal Open, shooting a 2-under-par 70 en route to a 16-under 272 total, good for a five-shot margin of victory and his first career win.

    PGA TOUR: Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Travelers Championship with 106 players, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 15.  Titleist also was first in iron sets (45); sand, lob and approach wedges (142); and putters (61).  Titleist was second in drivers (44); and hybrids (37).

    CHAMPIONS TOUR: Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open with 55 players, five times the nearest competitor with 11.  Titleist also was first in iron sets (24); and putters (22).

    • Mark Wiebe (Pro V1), who was coming off a victory at the Greater Hickory Classic at Rockbarn two weeks ago, finished alone in 3rd place.

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  • Course Review – Kinderlou Forrest in Valdosta Georgia

    240 miles south of Atlanta, near the Florida state line and along the I-75 corridor lies the city of Valdosta, Georgia. About 45000 people live in Valdosta, and the town was named ESPN’s Titletown, USA in 2008. It may not be known as a golfer’s mecca, but this town has certainly augmented it’s reputation with the addition of Kinderlou Forest Golf Club to it’s golf course resume.

    Kinderlou_sign

    Founded in 2004, Kinderlou Forest Golf Club sits on 160 acre site who’s history dates back to 1863. It is named after Louisa McRee, The original land owner George McRee’s sister “Kinder” is German for children and “Lou” is a reference to Louisa McRee. Kinderlou is not known as a golf destination, but it probably should be. It is within 3.5 hours of Atlanta, Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Orlando. My recent trip package, booked through the Comfort Inn Conference Center in Valdosta, included two nights accommodations and unlimited golf at Kinderlou Forest for only $180. For more info on their golf packages, check out the Kinderlou Website for more info.

    Davis Love III was tapped to design Kinderlou, and he did a fantastic job. The course is a classic type of layout with no tricky holes or strange design elements. He used the natural lay of the land and didn't force the design upon it, which gives you the impression that the course has been here all along, he just had to cut some holes. The front nine makes its way through some uncharacteristically hilly terrain for Southern Georgia, and runs through a hardwood forest of Oak, Hickory and Dogwoods. Several holes find their way through an open meadow, giving it a bit of a linksy feel before returning to the clubhouse. The back nine winds through a planted pine forest, giving it a totally different feel compared to the front nine. Kinderlou has been host to several Hooters Tour and Nationwide Tour events over the years, and also hosts the First Stage of the PGA Tour School this October. The course is always in excellent shape, with tees and fairways planted with TifSport Bermuda and TifEagle on the greens. Both times I have played the course the greens were running between 10 and 12 on the stimpmeter. The first time I visited the course was a few days before last year's Nationwide Tournament, and it was an interesting experience coming up 18 with the bleachers and tents everywhere. Unfortunately for me, nobody was watching and cheering me on.

    hole1

    This course has something for everyone. The back tees, if you are man enough (or dumb enough) stretch all the way back to 7781 yards. It's a good test of golf for sure, but in my opinion it doesn't quite play to it's marked distance. The fairways are generous and the greens large, averaging almost 7000 square feet in size. In dry conditions the course will most likely play 300 or 400 yards shorter in my estimation. Check out the official scorecard for last years, South Georgia Classic on the Nationwide Tour. Just for reference, the winning score at this years tournament was 13 under. My friends and I played the next set of tees, measuring 7200 yards or so. The next set is at about 6700 yards, and there are a few more sets of tees making the course friendly for all ages and abilities. The practice area is large, with a double-ended range and large putting green. The balls are provided free or charge when you play, and the range is well kept and targets are plentiful. There is also a staging area near the putting green, which sits at the halfway point between the first and tenth tees. It also serves to reduce cart clutter around the clubhouse. The staff was always friendly and helpful, and the pro shop was well stocked with everything you might need. The restaurant is polished and comfortable, and the food was very good. I especially recommend the sweet potato fries!

    kinderlou_clubhouse

    The two things that impressed me the most about this facility is the care taken to keep the course in prime condition, and the decision to set the home sites far back from the golf course. Although the course was in fantastic shape when we last played it, they had received several inches of rain that week. There was no standing water or casual water on the course, and mud balls were minimal, but the superintendent restricted the players to the cart paths only. Many people would complain at the inconvenience, but this kind of attention ensures that the course stays in tip top shape. The development company also made a decision at some point to set the home sites far back from the golf course, giving the homeowners more privacy (and land) and giving the golfers a more intimate golf experience without the distractions of cars, kids and radios. Kinderlou Forest Golf Club is a first-class golf facility and should not be missed if you live in Central or Northern Florida and Southern Georgia. The Course is fair, fun, has great variety and is in great shape. The facilities are clean and welcoming and the staff is friendly and helpful. Valdosta has plenty to offer in terms of dining and accommodation, and is located right off the interstate, making access quick and easy. Overall this is a must-play golf course, and with packages this cheap it's also a great value.

    Hole #6

    If you've never been to Kinderlou, I suggest you plan a weekend away and try it. If you have played it before, let me know how you liked it!