The momentum for players trusting Titleist rolled on this week across the worldwide professional golf tours, as Celine Boutier of France and David Law of Scotland each relied on a Pro V1x golf ball to capture their respective women's and men's division honors at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, a unique, mixed gender tournament sponsored jointly by the European Tour, the LPGA, the PGA of Australia and Australian Ladies Professional Golf.
Thus far in the young 2019 season, players trusting their games to a Titleist golf ball have now collected 16 wins across the worldwide professional tours, more than three times more wins than the nearest competing brand with 5 and more than all competing brands combined.
Let’s take a closer look at this past week’s Titleist tour highlights…
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David Law | Pro V1x - ISPS Handa Vic Open
David Law captured his maiden European Tour title in dramatic fashion on Sunday, recording an eagle 3 on the final hole at the ISPS Handa Vic Open to win by one shot over Titleist Brand Ambassadors Wade Ormsby (TS3 driver and fairway metal, 818H2 hybrid, 718 T-MB/MB irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport putter) and Brad Kennedy (New Pro V1x, TS2 driver, VG irons, Vokey Design SM7 wedges, Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Notchback putter).
Law, who closed with a 6-under-par 66 en route to an 18-under 270 victory total, was playing in just his fifth event as a rookie on the European Tour after recording one win in five years on the Challenge Tour.
“To be a winner on tour in my first year is unbelievable,” said Law. “It'll take a long, long time for this to settle in. I'm going to enjoy every minute."
What makes the win even more impressive was that Law called a penalty on himself on the ninth hole when he accidentally moved his ball in light rough beside the fairway, leaving himself five shots behind the leader at the turn.
“My ball was in the semi-rough, sitting right up,” Law explained. “I went in to ground my club and as I put my club in, touched the grass behind the ball, and the ball's just rolled maybe an inch to the side. Which is frustrating, obviously. We had to reset and there was nothing we could do. Luckily I kept my head and kept cool which was quite hard to do."
Law topped a leaderboard that included 9 of the 11 players who finished in the top 10 and ties trusting Titleist golf balls for their success.
James Nitties | New 2019 Pro V1x - ISPS Handa Vic Open
James Nitties, playing the New 2019 Pro V1x golf ball for the first time in competition, fired an opening round 8-under-par 64, which tied the 13th Beach Golf Club course record. The way he did it made history, however, by becoming the first player ever on the European Tour to officially make nine consecutive birdies in one round. The birdie streak was a bounce-back response by Nitties following a double bogey on the 5th hole. Pro V1 loyalist Mark Calcavecchia holds the record for most consecutive birdies on the PGA Tour (also with 9), which he recorded at the 2009 RBC Canadian Open.
Of the 156 players competing in Victoria, Australia 81% (126 players) trusted a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball for their success, nearly 10 times the nearest competitor with 8% (13 players).
Titleist was also the top choice in the driver (69) and irons categories. Vokey Design Wedges also topped the approach, sand and lob wedge category with 348 Vokey models in play.
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Celine Boutier | Pro V1x - ISPS Handa Vic Open
In the Women’s ISPS Handa Vic Open, Celine Boutier (Pro V1x), playing in just her second season on the LPGA Tour, won the historic event by two shots over Sarah Kemp (Pro V1x), Su Oh (New 2019 Pro V1x) and Charlotte Thomas (Pro V1), who put pressure on the leaders by posting an early best-of-the-day 65 to race up the leaderboard.
Boutier, a member of the Duke University team that lifted the 2014 NCAA crown, made clutch 10-foot putts to save par on the 16th and 17th holes to keep her pursuers at bay. She closed with an even-par 72 and finished with an 8-under-par 281 total for her first career crown.
“I’m so excited,” said Boutier after the win. “I’ve been working really hard for the past two years, and I’m just so happy that I was able to get my first win. I’m happy, too, with the way I handled myself today. I was struggling a little bit in the beginning, but I just held on and kept fighting until the end.”
With the victory Boutier becomes just the second Duke graduate (joining Brittany Lang) and the fourth golfer from France to win on the LPGA Tour.
It was an innovative week in the world of professional golf, as the tournament was played on the same courses and for the same prize money as the men on the European Tour.
The 25-year-old Boutier topped a leaderboard which saw every one of the top 10 finishers trust a Titleist golf ball for their success.
Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 81% of the 156-woman field (126 players) trusting a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball for their success, 14 times the nearest competitor with 6% (9 players).
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Congratulations to all of #TeamTitleist!
Click here for a listing of all Titleist golf ball wins this season.