Posted By: Chris Garrett ·
FootJoy ended 2009 just how it began...as the #1 Shoe and Glove at retail and on professional Tours around the world. Our Tour success featured memorable performances from some of the Tour's biggest stars. We recently caught up with a few FJ players to talk about the year that was and look ahead to 2010.
What was your favorite golf memory this year, either from the professional Tours or in your own game? Click on COMMENTS to share your thoughts.
Steve Stricker (SYNR-G, PureTouch Limited) made a run at Player of the Year honors on the heels of three strong wins throughout the year. After beginning the year with five top 10 finishes, Stricker captured his first win of the year in a playoff at Colonial when he stuck his approach to 3 feet on the second hole of sudden death. He was back for more at the John Deere Classic and set the course record with a 61 in round two before closing with a final round 64 to notch his second win in four starts. Strick then notched arguably the biggest victory of his career when he birdied the final two holes to win the Deutsche Bank Championship during the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Lee Westwood (FJ ICON, PureTouch Limited) finishes the year as the highest placed European in the Official World Golf Rankings having won the inaugural Race to Dubai on the European Tour. He last won the Harry Vardon trophy in 2000, reaching Number Four in the World in the process, and equaled that feat in a momentous 2009 campaign. His superb season, capped by victories in the Portugal Masters and the Dubai World Championship, was one of the many highlights of an outstanding year.
Padraig Harrington (SYNR-G, PureTouch Limited) continued to work on some major swing changes and saw the fruits of his labor towards the end of the season. Beginning with the WGC-Bridgestone Invitaitonal, Harrington reeled off an incredible string of six consecutive top ten finishes, including all four FedEx Cup Playoff events which feature some of the strongest fields of the year.
Zach Johnson (SYNR-G, StaSof) got the year started off right by defeating fellow FJ
players Adam Scott and David Toms in the first full field event of the
year at the Sony Open in Hawaii then successfully defended his title at
the Valero Texas Open.
Posted By: Chris Garrett ·
With just one event remaining in the FedEx Cup Playoffs, three FootJoy players, all of whom wear SYNR-G shoes, control their own destiny. With a win in two weeks at East Lake GC in Atlanta, Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson and Heath Slocum can win the coveted FedEx Cup and the $10 million top prize. Stricker and Slocum earned their spot in the top five via dramatic playoff victories. Slocum, who was the second last player to qualify for the playoffs, made a clutch par putt on the 72nd hole at The Barclays to capture the first playoff event and Stricker followed suit the next week, getting up and down for a clinching birdie at the 72nd hole to win by one at the Deutsche Bank Championship. For Zach, it's been consistency throughout the season that has put him in this position. Victories at the Sony Open and Valero Texas Open, as well as 12 other top 25 finishes, including his fifth place at the BMW Championship, assured this major champion a shot at the season's cumulative championship.
Stricker, now the #2 ranked palyer in the world will be making his sixth appearance at the TOUR Championship, while it will be the second for Slocum and fourth for Johnson who, most recently, tied for second back in 2007. With more than half of the 30 players at East Lake wearing FootJoy shoes, we like the odds of an FJ player bringing home the hardware from the TOUR Championship. If it's Stricker, Slocum or Johnson, there will be an additional 10 million reasons to celebrate!
Posted By: Chris Garrett ·
Tags: Tour, FJ ICON, Ian Poulter, Shoes, 2009 Open Championship, Zach Johnson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Pablo Larrazabal, David Toms, Charley Hoffman