2009 European Tour – End of season report

November 27th, 2009

Following last week’s European Tour season finale at the Dubai World Championship it’s time to look back at a season of achievement for Titleist on the European Tour. The iconic Titleist Pro V1 has once again proved itself as the ball of choice on the European Tour with 65% of players choosing a Titleist ball across the 2009 season. The Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x also entered the winners circle no fewer than 25 times throughout the course of the season, a figure which equates to 56% of all tournament victories on the European Tour.

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Included in these 25 tournament victories were maiden wins for a number of young, up-and-coming European Tour talents. Titleist Ambassador Rory McIlroy (Pro V1x) set the trend back in February at the Dubai Desert Classic when a stunning up-and-down from sand on the 18th hole of the Emirates Course delivered his maiden Tour success. Victory for Rory seemed to open the floodgates and bring about a raft of maiden victories for Titleist ball loyalists. American Anthony Kang (Pro V1x) was next to taste success as as a birdie at the 72nd hole gave him a one stroke victory at the Malaysian Open. Argentinean Tano Goya (Pro V1x) and Northern Irishman Michael Hoey (Pro V1x) followed soon after as the Titleist Ambassadors claimed their maiden titles at the Madeira Islands Open and Estoril Open de Portugal respectively. Next up was one of the stories of the season as Irishman Shane Lowry (Pro V1x), playing as an amateur, captured his own national title at the Irish Open, a win which catapulted him into the professional ranks. Celtic Manor was the next venue to see a maiden victory for a Titleist ball loyalist as Dane Jeppe Huldahl (Pro V1x) took the Wales Open then, at the Austrian Golf Open, a final round 60 (-11) delivered Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello his first European Tour win. The most recent player to breakthrough with Titleist in his corner was Ross McGowan (Pro V1x) who claimed a three stroke victory at the Madrid Masters. Winning on the European Tour is no mean feat but claiming a maiden victory is undoubtedly the hardest task of all. We’d like to congratulate all of the Titleist ball loyalists that overcame this most difficult of hurdles in 2009. With each of these players currently under the age of thirty it is clear that the next generation of Tour stars are placing their trust in a Titleist golf ball. 

Alongside the plethora of maiden victors on the European Tour there were also wins for more some established names. The most notable success of the season for the Titleist Pro V1 came at Augusta National Golf Club where Angel Cabrera claimed his second major title and his first green jacket with a Pro V1x. The big-hitting Argentinean overcame a strong challenge from both Kenny Perry (Pro V1x) and Chad Campbell (Pro V1x) to deliver yet another major success for a Titleist golf ball. Alongside major championship success came two World Golf Championship triumphs as Geoff Ogilvy (Pro V1) and Ross Fisher (Pro V1x) took the Accenture Match Play and Volvo World Match Play titles respectively. In addition, European Tour victories in 2009 for the likes of Ian Poulter (Pro V1x), Gregory Bourdy (Pro V1), Scott Strange (Pro V1), Soren Kjeldsen (Pro V1) and Thomas Levet (Pro V1) also put a mark in the Titleist golf ball win column.

When casting our eye over the final standings for the inaugural Race to Dubai there are three names that stand out as being worthy of special mention. The first of those is young Englishman Chris Wood whose debut season on the European Tour has seen him place 44th in the Race to Dubai and claim the coveted Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. Chris burst onto the golfing scene back in 2008 at the Open Championship where he finished in fifth place whilst still an amateur. Now a professional, Chris’ first season on the European Tour saw him record seven top-20 finishes including another stunning Open Championship performance where he narrowly missed out on a place in the playoff to tie for third. Wood’s performances in 2009 have seen him rise to 71st position in the Official World Golf Rankings and, with his playing privileges firmly secured for 2010, he will undoubtedly be looking to make a move towards the world’s top 50. As was the case with the 2008 Rookie of the Year, Titleist Ambassador Pablo Larrazabal, Chris also placed his trust in the Titleist Pro V1x to capture the Sir Henry Cotton award.

The next name to mention has to be Rory McIlroy (Pro V1x). In a season of tremendous consistency the Titleist Ambassador has recorded a remarkable 12 top-5 finishes which included the aforementioned victory at the Dubai Desert Classic. This level of performance has seen McIlroy move into tenth place in the Official World Golf Rankings and earn a staggering €3.6 million in prize money across the 2009 season. Rory is being widely touted as a future major winner and is fast becoming one of the most popular players in world golf due to his supreme talent and likeable demeanour. It is easy to forget that this was only McIlroy’s second full season on Tour and that he has achieved this feat at just 20 years of age!!! The golfing world will undoubtedly have its eyes firmly fixed on Rory as he takes his game to the PGA Tour in 2010.

Final word for this season recap can only go to one man; Lee Westwood. Anyone that saw Westwood’s dominant display at the Dubai World Championship last weekend will have been left in no doubt that he is Europe’s #1 golfer. Victory at the Earth Course last week brought Westwood the honour of the inaugural Race to Dubai and the prestigious Harry Vardon trophy which is presented to the #1 player on the European Tour. Like Rory McIlroy, Westwood’s season was one of great consistency and was punctuated by two late season victories as the Portugal Masters and of course more recently at the Dubai World Championship. Westwood has been a long-time loyalist to the Titleist golf ball and has trusted the Titleist Pro V1x for every stroke of his finest season to date. Now fourth in the Official World Golf Rankings Westwood will surely have major titles on his mind in 2010? Congratulations to Lee on a magnificent performance this year, we wish him continued success in 2010.

With the inaugural Race to Dubai now confined to the history books attention is already turning to the start of the 2010 season which will begin at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa on December 10th. As has been the case at every European Tour event this season, Titleist will be on hand to work with our players and ensure that they are fully equipped for another season of intense European Tour competition.

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