FootJoy Blog

FJ Shoe Testing Opportunity!

Devin_Gmitter — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:34:00 GMT

At FootJoy we are always looking to improve our products to better suit the golfer's needs and what better way to do that then have our consumers test product for us! We would like to extend an invitation to our FJ Community members to come visit our Brockton, MA testing facility. Our lab is equipped with many tools that help us in testing footwear, including the use of a golf simulator, force platforms, and a 3D harness system. We generally test current production FJ’s, as well as prototype products with our main objective to learn how our golf shoes perform. At every test, you will receive a sleeve of Pro V-1’s as a thank you for your participation.

Criteria for our current test are male, right handed, and shoe size between 9-13. If you fit these criteria and would like to participate please email FJonlinecomments@acushnetgolf.com with a contact number and the best available time you would be able to participate.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Red Hot Ricardo

Devin_Gmitter — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:38:00 GMT

FJ loyalist Ricardo Santos (XPS-1 & StaSof) fired a stunning nine under par 63 on home soil in the final round of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal to claim his maiden European Tour title.

The 29 year old delighted the home crowds as he overhauled the overnight leader and withstood the challenge of the rest of the field to finish four shots clear on 22 under par – a record low total for the event. Santos, a 2011 Challenge Tour graduate, produced a nerveless, flawless performance when it mattered most, however, sinking a monster putt on the 17th to all but guarantee victory and then adding gloss to the finish with another birdie at the last.

He is the first Portuguese player to win a European Tour event in his home country, and he said: “It is very emotional and I haven’t got the words to describe how I feel. To win my first European Tour event in my own country is very special. The putt on the 17th was unbelievable, and I knew then that victory was mine."

Santos was 105th in The Race to Dubai heading into this event, largely thanks to finishing tied tenth in the Avantha Masters in February, but rises to 50th with the €112,500 earned for this victory.

FJ Tour Insider : The Players Championship

Devin_Gmitter — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:31:00 GMT

In our latest installment of the FJ Tour Insider we are covering the Players Championship. The FJ Tour representatives have been rolling out some of the 2013 styles to our tour players in recent weeks, so you may see some never before seen products! In 2011, K.J. Choi captured the illustrious Players Championship in a playoff, can any of these FJ players win the richest tournament in golf?

Enjoy!

[Gallery: the_players_championship_2012]

FJ Tour Insider : The Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow

Devin_Gmitter — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:03:00 GMT

In our latest installment of the FJ Tour Insider we are covering the Wells Fargo Championship. In 2010, Rory McIlroy had his breakout PGA Tour win in this tourney by shooting a course record 62 on Sunday. Many FJ players are in the field this week and we chose a couple of our favorite shots for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy the Slideshow!

[Gallery: 2012_quail_hollow]

Jason Dufner Claims First PGA Tour Victory in Louisiana

Devin_Gmitter — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:32:00 GMT

Jason Dufner has been on the cusp of winning several tournaments in the past two years and today he fulfilled his potential by claiming the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Through the first three rounds of play, Dufner shot rounds of 67-65-67 to sit atop the leaderboard at 17-under par, two clear of his competition heading into Sunday's final round.

Dufner, wearing XPS-1 and FJ Apparel, started off the day with five straight pars before a bogey on the sixth hole that dropped him from the lead. He rebounded quickly with back-to-back birdies on seven and eight to retake the top spot. Dufner added another birdie at 10 to retain his lead. Then after several gutsy back nine par saves, Dufner's drive on the par four 16th found a hazard. With an alligator lurking nearby, Dufner wisely took a drop and hit his ball to the right side of the green. Now looking at 40-plus feet for par to stay tied for the lead, Dufner calmly rolled in the improbable putt to keep his momentum. After grinding out two more pars on 17 and 18, Dufner was headed to a sudden death playoff.

Both players exchanged pars on the opening playoff hole and they headed back to the 18th tee for the third time today. This time Dufner seized the moment, hitting the par five 18th in two shots and making a routine two putts for birdie and the victory. This is Dufner's first PGA Tour win. Post round Dufner stated of his winning performance, "I am really, really excited and to get the monkey off my back is a great feeling".

Luke Donald (FJ ICON MyJoys) also put on an impressive performance, shooting a final round 67 to finish solo third and retaking the number one spot on the Official World Golf Rankings.

FJ WINS, YOU WIN: Click here to win XPS-1 and FJ Performance Apparel just like Jason Dunfer wore en route to victory.

This Sweepstakes will begin at 12:01AM ET on 04/30/2012 and end 05/3/2012 at 11:59PM ET.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Curtis Returns to the Winner's Circle in Texas

Devin_Gmitter — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:10:00 GMT

Former British Open Champion, Ben Curtis captured an emotional victory in San Antonio this week at the Valero Texas Open. Curtis in head to toe FJ performance apparel, opened the week with back to back 67's, racing up the leaderboard with the 10-under par total. Blustery winds made scoring difficult on Saturday as Curtis shot a one over par 73, despite the over par score Curtis retained the lead heading into the final round.

The tough scoring conditions from Saturday carried over to the final round, but Curtis (DryJoys Tour and StaSof) kept his head down and grinded out a front nine 35 to remain ahead of his challengers. Then Curtis made early bogey's on the back nine to drop into a tie for the lead. He fought back, making a string of pars before holing an unlikely 23-footer on the 17th hole to remain one ahead of his competition. On the final hole, Curtis's challengers failed to make birdie giving Curtis two putts for the win. He would finish the tournament out in style, holing the 12-footer for birdie and a two stroke victory.

This is Curtis's fourth PGA Tour win and first in the last six years adding post round, "It's been a tough couple of years just fighting through it." The win moves Curtis to the 28th spot on the FedEx Cup rankings.

FJ WINS, YOU WIN : Click here for your chance to win DryJoys Tour and StaSof just like Ben Curtis wore en route to his Valero Texas Open victory.

This Sweepstakes will begin at 12:01AM ET on 04/23/2012 and end 04/26/2012 at 11:59PM ET.

FJ Tour Insider : The Valero Texas Open

Devin_Gmitter — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:11:00 GMT

In our latest installment of the FJ Tour Insider we are covering the Valero Texas Open. Brendan Steele hung tough to win here last year, parring the last eleven holes on his way to his lone PGA Tour victory. Many FJ players are in the field this week and we chose a couple of our favorite shots for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy the Slideshow!

[Gallery: valero_texas_open_2012]

Oosthuizen Wins in Malaysia

Devin_Gmitter — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:18:00 GMT

Second at last week’s Masters Tournament. Third in Houston two weeks ago. But after two near misses and over 10,000 miles travelled, FJ ambassador Louis Oosthuizen (DryJoys Tour & SciFlex) finally clinched the victory his recent form richly deserved at the Maybank Malaysian Open.

The 29 year old South African defied the psychological fatigue of being pipped to a second Major Championship by fellow FJ loyalist Bubba Watson (FJ ICON) at Augusta National last Sunday and the physical tiredness of a 30-hour journey to win by three shots at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

And all of that before you factor in the jet-lag of travelling across 12 time zones, made harder by the storm disruptions on Friday and Saturday which left the 2010 Open Champion with 26 holes to play on the final day. Truly this was a remarkable performance as Oosthuizen carded a closing 68 for a 17 under par total, with all four of his rounds sub-70.

One clear overnight, Oosthuizen ground down his nearest challenger, who remained in contention right until the closing stretch but struggled to make birdies in a bogey-free round of 70.

Oosthuizen began the day by playing the last eight holes of his third round in level par, and was briefly caught when his nearest competitor birdied the 15th and 16th.

He turned in a two under par 34, with his nearest challenger staying in touch with birdies at the fifth and tenth - both par fives - but crucially Oosthuizen was able to raise his game on the back nine and sink a ten foot birdie putt at the 13th.

A fifth European Tour title was all but secured after a slice of good fortune on the 16th - Oosthuizen’s drive almost went in the water, but having got lucky he took full advantage with a pitch to two feet and birdied.

“I thought I was going to be a lot more tired,” said Oosthuizen, after recording the fifth victory by a South African on the 2012 Race to Dubai. “It was a long journey to get here and I have to be honest and say that I didn't expect to play this well because of the tiredness.

Follwing his fantastic win Oozthuizen moves to €1,293,705 in The Race to Dubai, and 12th in the World Golf Rankings.

Elsewhere for FJ Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello continued his good form with a closing 71 for a 12 under total sixth on 11 under and defending champion Matteo Manassero also recorded top-ten finishes after rounds of 71 and 69 respectively.

Bubba Takes Manhattan

Chris Garrett — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:03:00 GMT

One of the many perks of winning a major championship is the opportunity to hit the media circuit in New York City. Soon after the winning putt drops, a representative from the PGA Tour asks the champion if they would be open to spending 1-2 days in Manhattan. Once the player agrees, a whirlwind of phone calls and emails begins to assemble a full schedule of events. When the storyline is as compelling as Bubba's and transcends golf, it becomes somewhat easier as the national media are eager to learn more about this special athlete.

What you don't see on TV is all the activity that surrounds the player with every step they take and door that opens in the "big city." In a city with so much activity, no matter where you go, people are eager to see who steps out of the limo that just pulled up. Every time the door opens, there's a crowd with camera waiting. Every studio you enter is full of people who want a picture or just to see the green jacket. I remember escorting Todd Hamilton around NYC after his British Open win. Very early in the day, we stepped out of the car at CNN where two men were waiting. They immediately recognized him from TV and asked to see the Claret Jug. He not only showed them, he handed it over! To two strangers. In New York City. And the Claret Jug lived to tell about it. The day is filled with many of these unexpected moments.

Bubba's day began with an unannounced visit to the set of Golf Channel's Morning Drive before jetting north to New York. While the hosts were clearly stunned, they quickly began digging into the key moments of the final round and all the emotion surrounding the victory.

Once he landed in Manhattan, Bubba found himself across from some of the biggest news and entertainment personalities in the world, including David Letterman and Piers Morgan. The interview with Morgan is especially entertaining as Bubba has a very friendly and comical exchange with the host, who seems to thrive on the banter. Bubba also had some fun with Letterman, describing his style of play as "awesome."

Bubba also met with Darren Rovell, the sports business reporter for CNBC to learn more about the long-hitting lefty and what his Masters victory might mean from a business perspective. The highlight here had to be Bubba wandering around the set on live television, having some fun with the news anchors at the desk!

Follow Bubba today as he completes his media tour by checking out the PGA Tour's Tour Report which features live updates. Here's the update of day two.

Bubba Watson Wins The Masters

Devin_Gmitter — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:53:00 GMT

The big hitting lefty from Bagdad, Florida, Bubba Watson is now a Masters Champion. Bubba wearing a new FJ ICON pattern and SPIDR2 glove, shot under par in each of the first three rounds of the tournament to sit at six under par after the first three days of competition. For the final round Bubba was paired with fellow FJ Staffer Louis Oosthuizen. Louis was one stroke in front of Bubba as they stepped onto the first tee of the final day.

Oosthuizen (DryJoys Tour and SciFlex) struck first, on the downhill par five second hole Louis blistered a four iron from over 250 yards at the open-center of the green. The shot landed just short and took a hard break right towards the hole on the back of the green, the ball continued to roll and roll until hitting the flag and dropping into the cup for a double eagle. This was only the forth double eagle in Masters history and first double eagle on the 2nd hole. The albatross moved Louis to the top of the leaderboard - four strokes in front of Bubba Watson.

Bubba fought back with a birdie on the 5th hole to draw a shot closer to the leader Oosthuizen.

Watson kept the pressure on Oosthuizen converting a two putt birdie on the par five 13th hole. He then added birdies on 14, 15, and 16 to draw even with the former British Open Champion. Both players parred the final two holes, setting up a sudden death playoff.

Teeing off the eighteenth hole for the fifth time this week, both players hit drives straight up the narrow fairway. They then exchanged brilliant approach shots, setting up potential birdies. They both narrowly missed their birdie putts, halved pars, and headed to the steeply downhill tenth hole.

Bubba's tee shot missed the fairway well right of his intended target, landing behind the galleries lining the fairway. With Bubba seemingly in some trouble, Oosthuizen laid back with a fairway metal only to miss the green short on his approach. Now Bubba sized up his shot from the pine straw right of the fairway, it called for a 30+ yard hook from a dodgy lie with a short iron to hit the green. The lefty pulled the shot off perfectly giving him a birdie look for the win. With Oostuizen failing to get up and down, Bubba would need two putts for the win. Watson calmly lagged the putt to the hole and tapped in to claim the green jacket.

FJ WINS, YOU WIN : Click here for your chance to win FJ ICON and SPIDR2 just like Bubba Watson wore en route to the Masters victory.

This Sweepstakes will begin at 12:01AM ET on 04/9/2012 and end 04/12/2012 at 11:59PM ET.

Hunter Mahan Locks Up Second Win of 2012

Devin_Gmitter — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 22:17:00 GMT

Hunter Mahan shot a 1-under 71 this Sunday to win the Shell Houston Open. Hunter entered the final round one stroke off of the 54 hole lead thanks to a seven under par third round that shot sprung him up the crowded leaderboard.

Mahan's final round started with eight straight pars before sticking his approach on the 237 yard par-3 ninth hole. He converted the five foot birdie putt to take a one shot lead into the back nine. Mahan added another birdie at the tenth hole to increase his lead. The lead was one as Mahan stood on the tee of the treacherous 18th hole. His drive split the fairway setting up a 200 yard approach to the large undulating green. After a well struck iron shot, Mahan two putted for the one shot victory. With the win Mahan becomes the first two time winner on the 2012 PGA Tour.

Mahan in FJ ICON and StaSof, led the field in greens in regulation hitting nearly 90 percent during the tournament. The win also moves Mahan to number four on the Official World golf rankings, making him the highest ranked American player heading into the Masters Tournament.

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN FJ ICON AND STASOF : FJ WINS, YOU WIN - Shell Houston Open

This Sweepstakes will begin at 12:01AM ET on 04/2/2012 and end 04/5/2012 at 11:59PM ET.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Limited Edition Augusta Green MyJoys

Devin_Gmitter — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:53:00 GMT

In celebration of the season's first major championship, FJ, the #1 shoe in golf, announces the availability of a limited edition green sting ray printed leather through the custom MyJoys program.

Just 200 pairs can be made featuring this exclusive leather, so act quickly as they could disappear! A limited quantity of green patent-leather will also be available for the accents on a FJ ICON shield tip, the favorite of Luke Donald.

Shoes will be ready to be customized Monday, April 2, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. ET.

Available styles include : FJ ICON, DryJoys Tour, and Women's DryJoys/LoPro Collections.

FootJoy Introduces Merino Tour : Ultimate Golf Comfort

Devin_Gmitter — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:48:00 GMT

FootJoy, the #1 sock in golf, announces the introduction of Merino Tour for ultimate golf comfort.

Developed using fine, natural merino yarns, Merino Tour delivers unbeatable moisture management and temperature regulation, keeping your feet dry and comfortable for the optimal playing experience.

Features/Benefits

• Fine Merino Wool naturally regulates temperature and manages moisture keeping your feet dry and comfortable.
• Breathable Mesh Inserts in key stress areas boost ventilation.
• Comfort Seam Toe Enclosure for a comfortable, smooth fit.
• Double-Layer Reinforced Heel for added durability.
• Anatomically Shaped Left & Right Foot-Beds provide enhanced cushioning in high impact areas and a contoured fit.
• Targeted Cushioning in both the ball and heel for added comfort.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE MERINO TOUR SWEEPSTAKES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. This Sweepstakes will begin at 12:01a.m. ET on March 26, 2012 and end on April 22, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Void where prohibited. Open to US residents 18 years or older.

Hoey Captures Trophee Hassan Title

Devin_Gmitter — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:17:00 GMT

FJ Loyalist Michael Hoey shot a final-round 65 to win the Hassan Trophy in Morocco by three shots.

Hoey (FJ ICON #52005) began the final round two behind the leader, but three birdies inside the last five holes ensured Hoey took home the title.
Hoey’s three shot victory lifts him inside the top 15 on The Race to Dubai and puts him back in the hunt for a Ryder Cup debut later this year.

The winner of last year's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, had begun with an opening-round 74 but a 67, followed by successive 65s, gave the 33-year-old his fourth European Tour victory.

"It's amazing," said Hoey. "It's a great golf course, and the weather has been great the last two days.
"I knew it was going be tough and I thought it would be tighter at the end, but I was happy to see my last approach land on the 18th green.
On his chances of qualifying for the European Ryder Cup team, he added: "I haven't really been thinking about it but I'm in contention now.

Elsewhere Fellow FJ wearer Jamie Donaldson carded a course record 61 - 11 under par - to finish in a tie for third, a further shot back.
He was joined on 13 under by fellow FJ ambassador Phillip Price. FJ Sport and StaSof wearer Matteo Manassero, who needed to win in order to qualify for the Masters in April, was in contention at the beginning of the final round, but had to settle for a tie for sixth

Hoey is now second in The Ryder Cup qualifying campaign, and his €250,000 first prize moves him to €316,798 in The Race to Dubai.

FJ Tour Insider : The Arnold Palmer Invitational

Devin_Gmitter — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:03:00 GMT

In our latest installment of the FJ Tour Insider we are covering the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Many FJ players are in the field this week and we chose a couple of our favorite shots for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy the Slideshow!

[Gallery: 2012_Arnold_Palmer_Invitational]