Cleveland® Golf/Srixon® congratulates Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño who six months ago had serious doubts as to whether he would play golf again.

Three productive weeks on home soil which included a second in the Castelló Masters and a tied 12th in the Andalucía Masters had revived his year as he and Pagunsan of the Philippines returned to Sentosa Golf Club to complete extra holes – both men finishing 14 under par after 54 holes. Despite having to go back down the 18^th for a second time a birdie on the 18th was good enough to land him his fifth European Tour title in the Barclays Singapore Open.

“It has been a great relief, especially the way I played yesterday.” said Fernandez-Castaño. “It has been a tough year and I got a monkey off my back. It has been three years without a victory and it means a lot to me.”

With his success over the Serapong layout, Fernandez-Castaño is now up to 58th in the Official World Golf Ranking, having been 188th three months ago and up to 15^th in the Race to Dubai which goes a long way to securing his spot in the all important Dubai World Championships, the final event of the year.

“This is a great way to end the year for Cleveland Golf/Srixon,” said Leslie Hepsworth, President of Srixon Sports Europe.  “A win in an event of this size by one of our players is testament to hard work that goes in to getting our products to perform at the very highest level. Gonzalo was one of the first players to put the NEW CG 588 wedges in his back and it looks to have paid dividends.”   

Fernandez-Castaño plays Cleveland® Monster driver (9.5°- Miyazaki™ Kusala Black 77X), a Cleveland® FL3 fairway wood (14°- Miyazaki™ Kusala Black 77X), Cleveland® CG1T™ Tour irons (4-PW), CG 588 forged wedges (47°/ 53° / 58°) and a Srixon® Z-STAR™ ball, while wearing a Cleveland® Golf hat, carrying a Cleveland® Golf bag and wearing a Srixon glove.

Cleveland® Golf, Srixon®, Never Compromise® and Cleveland Classics™ apparel are brands owned by SRI Sports Limited. With corporate headquarters based in Kobe, Japan, SRI Sports is the fourth largest golf company in the world, as well as one of the world’s leading patent holders in golf ball technology. 

EX BARE-KNUCKLE BOXER ‘GYPSY JOE’ WINS THE BIGGEST FIGHT OF HIS LIFE TO TAKE THE EUROPEAN FATHER AND SON TITLE

Former bare-knuckle boxer turned professional golfer Joe Smith and his son Rymer from Wyke Green Golf Club in Middlesex have won the Scratch European Father and Son Golf Championship at El Rompido in Southern Spain in a thrilling final day’s action.

Playing a scratch Stapleford two-ball Betterball format they shot 37-36-44 for a 54 hole points total of 117 (9 under par) to steal the trophy from two behind the joi
The Smiths got off to a storming start carding a four under par front nine to catch the leaders. A pivotal moment came on hole 15 where Joe sunk a 12 foot putt to save par. His 17-year-old son Rymer playing off a handicap of two then took control by finishing with an inspired three birdie flourish from the 16^th including rolling in a nerveless 12 foot birdie putt at the last with the crowd watching. Dad ‘Gypsy Joe’ celebrated with a hilarious shadow boxing jig and a ‘high five’ slap with playing partner David Mills which nearly took his arm off.nt final days leaders, the defending champions the Pickfords from Luxembourg and the Carpenters from the USA who both started the day on three under par.

 “This is one of the greatest moments of my life,” said ‘Gypsy Joe’, collecting the European Father and Son Golf Championship trophy with his son Rymer. “Coming from a gypsy community and from a former career as a bare-knuckle boxer I’ve had to fight all my life to get acceptance and respect in the elitist golfing world. Well today I’ve won the biggest fight of my life and this trophy makes the 28 years of hard work all worthwhile.”

In the Handicap Championship the Smiths were close to making history by becoming the first team to win both the Scratch and Handicap titles. They posted a leading handicap score of 122 points (14 under par) but were tied by the Carpenters from Maryland, USA. Gary Jr. and Gary Snr. had won their place in the European Championship courtesy of their victory in the USA Father & Son Golf Championship. Now they were faced with a sudden-death play-off at the 18^th for the title.

In the end it was 60-year old Gary Carpenter who held his nerve to roll in a five-foot putt for a net birdie and win the Handicap Championship title. “It’s such an honor to win this tournament and playing with your Dad is a real privilege,” said Gary Carpenter Jr. “We’ve had a brilliant week over in Europe and getting to take the Father & Son Golf Championship trophy home with us is just a dream come true.”

The European Father and Son Golf Championship is the largest Father and Son Golf event staged in Europe. National champions, qualifiers and entrants come from all over

the world to compete in the three day 54-hole two ball Betterball format. The tournament is unique as it is open to both professional and amateur golfers with no age restrictions. Golf professionals play off scratch and there is a maximum handicap allowance of 24 for amateur competitors who must hold an official Congu handicap.

Thanks to the growing reputation of the Father and Son Golf Championship around the world, the European Championship also has reciprocal agreements with the USA, Australia and South Africa, which means the European winners get a free invitation to these global championships and vice versa

Further information about the European Father and Son Golf Championship can be found on the website www.fatherandsongolf.co.uk

This is a screening more comprehensive than the Titleist Performance Institute screening http://www.mytpi.com/. It is designed to assess your muscle length, flexibility/mobility, balance/stability and any compensation strategies you are currently using to get around any limitations.

Stage 2:  FLEXIBILITY & STABILITY

Fundamentally, can you make the postural shapes required? The consequence of not being able to is restriction in your swing speed, accuracy and follow-through resulting in an inconsistent drive. From our first session we will begin build a foundation of flexibility and stability.

Stage 3: FITNESS & STRENGTH

How does your game hold up in the back 9? Does fatigue and lack of concentration set in as you struggle to maintain your starting level?

After establishing a solid foundation we will start to build strength and fitness.

Stage 4: POWER!

On this new base we can get into the really fun stuff – developing maximal power! Your workouts will constantly progress, be fun, challenging and most importantly having a beneficial effect on your golfing game!

So, you can increase muscle mass, decrease body fat, improve flexibility, look and feel better and get extra distance off the tee! What have you got to lose?

Do you have 8 weeks to improve your X-factor?

Scientific research – including my own – has emphasised that many of these physical characteristics are modifiable through golf specific conditioning programmes.

I have scientifically tested a programme that improved participants X-factor by over 20% and their X-Factor velocity by over 12% in 8 weeks* – without bulking up!  Increased X-factor has been scientifically proven to contribute to increased ball distance – only a 5% increase results in 10 – 15 meters additional carry distance off the tee.

* Dynamic Functional Programme Improves Torso-Pelvic Segmental Separation and Velocity Resulting in Improved Driving Performance in Recreational Golfers. By Martin P Watkins MSc. 2009.

Srixon were delighted to once again win the prestigious ‘Golf ball of the Year’ award.

The award was presented by Andy Martin (Director at Foremost Golf) to Leslie Hepsworth (President of Srixon Sports Europe) at the Foremost gala dinner ahead of the PGA Show in Harrogate on Monday October 24th.

Hepsworth went on to say, “This is wonderful recognition by green grass professionals and the group, which comes on the back of record sales across all categories of golf balls in 2011. Amazingly this award has been won without the additional impact of the 5th generation AD333 which is being launched at the show and continues to be the UK’s number One selling 2 piece golf ball.”

The company would like to take this opportunity to thank all of its loyal customers for their support during the year, we would also like to thank them for their vote of confidence in giving us this award.

Thanks to Callaway’s most exciting promotion to date,

Finnish golfer Jari Puolakka was today confirmed as the winner of a Lamborghini Gallardo that can be his to drive throughout 2012, insurance and servicing included.

After a five-month competition that celebrated the ground-breaking partnership between Callaway and Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A, eight finalists were flown to Lamborghini’s state-of-the-art headquarters at Sant’Agata near Bologna in Italy, with 37-year-old Jari finally being unveiled as the overall winner.

“I’ve always used Callaway drivers and hoped it might lead to better driving,” said an amazed Jari. “But I never dreamed it could mean on the roads as well as the fairways! I was researching the new Diablo Octane driver I wanted to buy when I came across the Lamborghini promotion, but never thought for a moment that I would win.”

Thousands of golfers across Europe had tested their skill and judgment in a spot-the-ball competition aptly named the Ultimate Test Drive, with 100 runners-up winning supercar track days and the eight closest reaching the grand final in Italy.

This lucky group was treated to a full tour of the Lamborghini museum and factory where iconic supercars such as the Countach, Diablo, Murcielago and, more recently, the new Aventador, have been hand-built since the company was founded in the early sixties.

The victorious eight, hailing from France, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Northern Ireland, was also granted unique access to the new CFK facility which specializes in carbon-fibre production and development.  They then experienced first-hand the awesome driving power of both the Gallardo LP-570-4 Superleggera and the Gallardo LP-570-4 Spyder Performante with Lamborghini’s senior R & D test drivers.

The success of the competition echoes the dynamic partnership between Callaway and Lamborghini – two companies drawn together by a shared passion for innovation, power and performance.

The first fruit of this collaboration, Forged Composite, was announced a year ago at the Paris Motor Show. Feather-light yet formidably strong, it has allowed Callaway to take driver power and forgiveness to levels beyond the reach of titanium through ultra-precise weight distribution.

Forged Composite was employed in the crown of the Diablo Octane Driver and the crown and sole of the RAZR Hawk Driver used so successfully by recent European Tour back-to-back winner Thomas Bjorn. The Driver is also favoured by the Tour’s longest hitter, Alvaro Quiros, while 2011 South African Open winner, Ernie Els, employs the Tour version.

This ground-breaking material has also been used by Lamborghini to achieve unprecedented power-to-weight ratios in the new Sesto Elemento technology demonstrator, so named because carbon is the sixth element of the periodic table.

“We have been delighted by the response to a promotion that has reached millions of golfers across Europe,” said Neil Howie, president of Callaway, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “The incredible number of entrants is a testament both to the performance benefits of our Forged Composite Drivers and the lure of owning one of the world’s most iconic supercars.”

For more information on Callaway’s Forged Composite Drivers, visit www.callawaygolf.com

Picture caption: the Eight Finalists (left to right): Alastair Gracey (Northern Ireland); Dominique Hertig (France); Nicolas Toulouse (France); Niclas Olofsson (Sweden); Jari Puolakka (Finland); Henrik Moller (Denmark); Esa Lipponen (Finland); Michel Zancan (France);

Having been granted a sponsors invite 20 year-old Englishman Tom Lewis soars to victory at The Oceânico Victoria Golf Course

October 24^th 2011 – In its 5th Anniversary year, The Portugal Masters once again proved to be a resounding success as it became the scene of one of the most memorable European Tour events in recent years. Regarded as the hottest young prospect in the game, Tom Lewis ensured that the attention of the golfing media was firmly focused on the stunning Oceânico Victoria Golf Course, as he put on a fabulous display of golf beyond his years to capture his maiden title in just his third start as a professional. Having been granted an invite into the event by tournament hosts, Oceânico the 20 year-old made the most of the opportunity as he wowed the galleries, shooting a final round of 65 to claim the €416,660 winner’s cheque and in one foul swoop secure his future on the European Tour with a two-year exemption.

The Oceânico Victoria Golf Course has fast built a reputation for being one of the most popular stops on the European Tour and this year was no exception, as record galleries of over 40,000 flooded through the gates to watch the strongest field in the Portugal Masters history compete over the testing Arnold Palmer layout.

Clearly overjoyed with yet another successful staging of the Portugal Masters, Gerry Fagan, CEO of the Oceânico Group commented, “We could not be happier with Tom’s win, to put on such a spectacular performance after being granted an invite is testament to both him as a person and his outstanding talent. With record galleries once again in attendance, 122 media accreditations issued on site and television coverage broadcast around the globe, the tournament continues to go from strength-to-strength and is a crucial driver of tourism in Portugal. I would also like to praise the hard work and co-ordination from Turismo de Portugal, The European Tour and the entire Oceânico team whose combined efforts have been crucial in staging a magnificent event as well as continuing the growth of the game in Portugal.”

Lewis himself was understandably overjoyed with his victory and took time to praise the galleries and host venue, “From start to finish I had lots of people walking round giving me great support, the crowds on the Sunday generated a great atmosphere. The Oceânico Victoria course was in superb condition and the hospitality I was shown was second to none.”

Adrian Mitchell of IMG, who manages Lewis, was certainly appreciative of the support he received from the Oceânico Group in securing an invite for the talented young Englishman, “There is often a story behind a young player’s first win and this was no exception. We had pushed hard for Tom to be included in the Portugal Masters line-up and enlisted as many of our partners and contacts as we could, including the Oceânico Group and Tullow Oil, to campaign for an invitation for Tom from The European Tour, which they kindly granted. The result is now written in the history books and we’re delighted that everyone’s efforts have paid off.”

This year’s Portugal Masters also marked the continued emergence of home-grown talent, with newly appointed Oceânico Brand Ambassador, Ricardo Santos taking his place in the field having recently secured his 2012 European Tour playing privileges following a stunning season on Challenge Tour. Following in his footsteps, young amateur Pedro Figueiredo also made a name for himself putting in a truly impressive performance to make the cut and finish in 23^rd position.

FOOTJOY BRAND AMBASSADOR & WORLD #1 LUKE DONALD PUTS IN A MAGICAL PERFORMANCE TO CLAIM PGA TOUR MONEY TITLE

Phenomenal final round 64 secures Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic win and PGA Tour Money Title for Luke Donald

FootJoy, the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf extended its amazing winning streak on The PGA Tour to five in a row, as FJ Brand Ambassador and World #1, Luke Donald put in the performance of the year to secure his second victory of the season at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic and at the same time capture the prestigious PGA Tour Money Title. On a day when nothing less than perfection would do, the popular Englishman produced the round of his life, rattling off 6 consecutive birdies on the back nine to shoot a phenomenal final round 8 under-par 64.

Relying on the superior comfort and ultimate performance of the FJ ICON, Donald only decided to play in the tournament at the last minute, knowing that only a top-three finish in the final event of the season would give him a realistic chance of overtaking fellow FJ Brand Ambassador, Webb Simpson at the top of the PGA Tour Money list. Beginning the final round five strokes off the pace and playing in the same group as Simpson, Donald seemingly looked down and out after nine-holes, the World #1 produced the performance of his career to surge past the field to claim a two-shot victory and more importantly keep alive his quest to become the first player to win the money title on both the PGA and European Tours in the same season.

Donald currently leads the European Tour’s Race to Dubai by more than €1.3 million from fellow FJ loyalist, Rory McIlroy and if he continues his current form it seems certain that the 33-year-old will cap a truly amazing season at the Dubai World Championship in early December.

Whether it is the all-round excellence of the FJ ICON™, the reliability and consistent performance of the DryJoys Tour™, or the comfort of the FJ Sport, FootJoy remains the overwhelming favourite for golfers of all abilities around the world.

World #1 Luke Donald trusts the #1 Ball in Golf to secure the PGA Tour Money List and his fourth worldwide victory of 2011 at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic

It was a fairy-tale ending to the 2011 PGA Tour season for Pro V1x loyalist and World #1 Luke Donald, as the Englishman reeled off six straight birdies to begin the back-nine at Disney’s Magnolia Course to storm to victory at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in Florida. With a closing 64, Donald overturned a five-shot deficit entering Sunday’s final-round, and recorded a two-shot victory. The win propelled the 2011 WGC-Accenture Match Play Champion to his second PGA Tour title of the year and the season-ending PGA Tour Money List ahead of fellow Pro V1x loyalist and Titleist Brand Ambassador Webb Simpson. Donald trusted the legendary feel and control of the Pro V1x for his 17-under par total, which secured a fifth straight victory on the PGA Tour for the #1 Ball in Golf.

With victory, Donald kept alive his bid to become the first player to win the money title on both PGA and European Tours in the same season. His success was made even more impressive given that he went head-to-head for all four rounds with Simpson, who led the money list heading into the event. Simpson finished in a tie for sixth place, trusting a full bag of Titleist equipment as he wrapped up a remarkable season in which he claimed his first two PGA Tour victories, twelve top-tens, and moved almost 200 spots up the Official World Golf Rankings. Donald and Simpson joined a host of other Pro V1 loyalists in the top-ten, including Titleist Brand Ambassador Tom Pernice Jr. (Pro V1x) and Sung-Hoon Kang (Pro V1x) who tied for 3rd; as well as Billy Mayfair (Pro V1x) and Nick O’Hern (Pro V1) who tied for 6th. Titleist was the overwhelming ball of choice at the event with 91 players, seven times that of the nearest competitor with 13. Titleist also topped the counts for iron sets, wedges and putters.

On the LPGA Tour, World #1 Yani Tseng (Pro V1x) solidified her place at the top of the women’s rankings with her seventh victory of the season after capturing the Sunrise LPGA Taiwan Championship on 16-under par. The win is Tseng’s 10th worldwide victory of the year. The 22-year-old Taiwanese star closed with a six under par round of 66 for a five-shot victory over fellow Pro V1 loyalists, Spain’s Azahara Munoz (Pro V1) and South Korea’s Amy Yang (Pro V1). Titleist dominated the ball count at the event with 61 players, more than seven times the nearest competitor with 8.

Elsewhere on the Nationwide Tour, Gavin Coles (Pro V1x) held off Jonas Blixt (Pro V1x) with two birdies over the closing three holes to win the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open to mark the fifth Nationwide Tour victory of his career. On the South African Tour, Titleist Pro V1x loyalist Darren Fichardt (Pro V1x) won the Sunshine Tour’s Suncoast Classic by a six-shot margin. Fichardt fired a final round four-under par 68 en route to a 13-under, 203 victory total. Each of the top five finishers at the event all relied upon the Titleist Pro V1x golf ball for their success. On the Asian/Korean Tour, Titleist Pro V1 golf ball loyalist K.J. Choi won his very own tournament, the inaugural CJ Invitational Hosted by KJ Choi at Haesley Nine Bridges GC in Seoul, South Korea. Titleist Brand Ambassador Seung-yul Noh (Pro V1x) of South Korea closed with consecutive rounds of six-under par 66 to finish runner-up. Meanwhile on the Japan Tour, Toru Taniguchi (Pro V1x) closed with a six-under 65 to win the Bridgestone Open by five shots. Finally, on the Australasian Tour, Pro V1x loyalist Mark Wright completed a seven-win week for Titleist as he birdied the final hole to claim the Western Australia PGA Championship by a single stroke from Pro V1 loyalist Terry Pilkadaris. These victories take Titleist’s 2011 worldwide golf ball win count to 153, compared to just 23 for the nearest competitor and more than all other brands combined.

A second 2011 PGA Tour victory for Titleist golf ball loyalist and World #1 Luke Donald, a seventh 2011 LPGA Tour victory for Women’s World #1 Yani Tseng, as well as four further victories across worldwide professional tours for Titleist golf ball players, continues to prove that the world’s best opt for the matchless performance of Titleist for their success.