PGA TOUR:  Titleist Brand Ambassador Steve Stricker fired four consecutive rounds in the 60’s to secure his 12th career win, this time by a three-shot margin at the season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions.  Stricker birdied the final hole en route to a closing 4-under 69 and 23-under 269 victory total.  It marked his 8th PGA TOUR title in his last 50 opportunities, advancing him to No. 5 in the world ranking.

Stricker, who won twice last season (The Memorial, John Deere Classic), topped a leaderboard that included a Titleist golf ball loyalist at each of the top eight positions and 10 of the top 11.  Stricker was followed by Martin Laird (2nd/Pro V1x, Vokey Design sand and lob wedges), Brand Ambassador Webb Simpson (T3rd/Pro V1x, 909D3 driver, 910F fairway metals, 910H hybrid, 680 irons, Vokey Design sand and lob wedges) and defending champion Jonathan Byrd (T3rd/Pro V1x, Scotty Cameron Studio Select Newport putter).

WHAT’S IN STEVE STRICKER’S TITLEIST BAG?:  Pro V1x, 909D3 driver (8.5), 906F2 fairway metal (13.5), 909H hybrid (19), AP2 irons (3-P), Vokey Design sand (254.10/bent to 53) and lob (260.12/bent to 59) wedges.

Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 23 of the 27 players trusting the #1 ball in golf in the winners-only field.  The nearest competitor had 2.  In fact, Titleist was the top choice across every major equipment category, including drivers (13), fairway metals (12), hybrids (9), irons (14), sand, lob and approach wedges (38) and putters (14).

EUROPEAN: Pro V1x loyalist Louis Oosthuizen kicked off the 2012 season in style as he successfully defended his Africa Open title.  The former British Open champion won on home soil for the second consecutive year with a closing round of 6-under 67, good for a 27-under 265 total and a two-shot victory over fellow countryman Tjaart Van der Walt (Pro V1).   Van der Walt, who shared the overnight lead with Oosthuizen, shot a final round 4-under 69.

– Titleist was the golf ball of choice at the event with 156 players, more than five times the nearest competitor with 21.

AUSTRALIAN:  It was a 1-2-3 finish for Pro V1 players at the Victorian Open, where Scott Arnold (Pro V1 ) closed with a 3-under 68 to claim his first professional victory.  Arnold converted an improbable up-and-down from a plugged lie in the greenside bunker at the final hole to seal the win.  His 12-under 272 total put him one stroke clear of Kurt Barnes (Pro V1), who fired a 5-under 66 in the final round.   Pro V1x loyalist Mike Hendry rounded out the top-3, finishing another four shots back.

Among the top-10 finishers at the Victorian Open, seven relied on a Titleist golf ball for their success.  Titleist was the golf ball of choice at the event with 110 players, more than five times the nearest competitor with 20.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
TITLEIST TOUR BLOG:  http://titleistblog.com/
FOLLOW TITLEIST ON TWITTER:  http://www.twitter.com/titleist
JOIN TITLEIST ON FACEBOOK:  http://www.facebook.com/titleist