2011 Madrid Masters

3 Win Weekend for FootJoy!

RussLawes — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:16:00 GMT

FootJoy showed again why it’s the #1 Shoe in Golf by sweeping wins across 3 of the Major Tours. Nicolas Colsaerts (FJ ICON & StaSof) at the Volvo World Matchplay Championship. Jason Dufner (XPS-1 & FJ Performance Golf Apparel) dramtically taking the HP Byron Nelson and Azahara Munoz (Womens FJ Sport) securing her maiden win at the Sybase Match Play Championship.

Nicolas Colsaerts (FJ ICON & StaSof) beat his fellow competitor on the final green to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship.

In blustery conditions at Finca Cortesin, the Belgian bomber continued his remarkable record in Volvo-sponsored events. Since winning his maiden European Tour title at the Volvo China Open in 2011 he has finished third at last year’s Volvo World Match Play, fourth at the Volvo Golf Champions and second at the 2012 Volvo China Open.

His seventh win as a professional.takes him into the Official World Golf Ranking's top 50 for the first time and lifts him into an automatic qualifying place for The Ryder Cup.
The 29 year old from Brussels, whose 316 yard average off the tee is longer than that of America's number one bomber Bubba Watson, Moves to €1,130,111 in The Race to Dubai. This is the second consecutive season and second time in his career he has won more than €1 million in a single season. It is also his highest single-season earnings, beating the €1,091,504 he amassed in 2011.

A month ago, Jason Dufner (XPS-1 & FJ Performance Golf Apparel) was a single man still in search of his first PGA TOUR victory.
Life has certainly changed for the 35-year-old Dufner who last summer at the PGA Championship blew a four-stroke lead with four holes to play and lost in a playoff.
With a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the HP Byron Nelson Championship on Sunday, Dufner closed out a one-stroke victory over his nearest competitor to win for the second time in four weeks.
"You probably couldn't dream it any better than what's been going on here," Dufner said. "The wedding has been in the works for close to a year, so we know that's been coming around the corner. And there's been a lot of good golf since then, but to win two events and get married in the span of 22 days, pretty remarkable."

Dufner got his first victory April 29 in New Orleans, then got married the following week. Now he has already won again, this time making $1.17 million and taking over the top spot in the FedExCup standings.His closing birdie wrapped up a 3-under 67 round for an 11-under 269 and take the HP Byron Nelson Championship trophy.

Azahara Munoz (Women’s Sport) held off her competitor to win 2&1 in the final match of the 2012 Sybase Match Play Championship and become a Rolex First-Time Winner on the LPGA Tour. Munoz clinched her first LPGA victory after she halved the 17th hole. Despite playing with a heavy heart this week after the passing of her grandmother last Sunday, Munoz managed to win six matches to capture the title and the $375,000 first-place prize. It feels amazing," said Munoz of her victory. "You know, I've been close a few times, but I just never knew if I was good enough to win. Finally having got it, it feels really good."

2012 Madeira Islands Open

RussLawes — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:27:00 GMT

This week's Tour stop is at Santo da Serra Golf Club for the 2012 Madeira Islands Open.

Click on the below to view the image gallery to see some shots behind the ropes!!

[Gallery:12_Madeira_Islands_Open]

Red Hot Ricardo

RussLawes — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:29:00 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.

2012 Open de Espana

RussLawes — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:39:00 GMT

This week's Tour stop is at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla for the 2012 Open de Espana.

Click on the below to view the image gallery to see some shots behind the ropes!!

[Gallery:12_opendeespana]

Jason Dufner Claims First PGA Tour Victory in Louisiana

RussLawes — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 04:06:00 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.

2012 Ballantine's Championship

RussLawes — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:16:00 GMT

This week’s FJ Tour Diary comes from Blackstone Golf Club, home of the Ballantine’s Championship. With the weather playing a part in the tournament early on, it will be a difficult test for all involved straight from the outset. Wednesday's pro-am was a real test for FJ shoes and outerwear as it rained consistently the whole day.

Chris Wood who has worn custom-built shoes for the last 2-3 years to help ease his back issues but now wants to move back to a standard sole. He wears XN width so will soon be receiving two pairs of white MyJoy ICON (shield tip) for his spring/summer stretch back in Europe.

FJ Apparel wearers George Coetzee and Kenneth Ferrie will be looking to reap the benefits from tgeir Performance Apparel, whichever weather decides to turn up!

FJ loyalist Bernd Wiesberger currently has the halfway lead, lets see if he can carry the same form through to the weekend to claim his maiden Tour Victory.

[Gallery:12_ballentines_cship]

This week’s equipment counts further cements FJ position as the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf, with 61% of the field lacing up in FJ shoes. Fingers crossed that an FJ player will be lifting the trophy come Sunday afternoon!!

To keep up to date with all things FootJoy, and for a inside the ropes look at the European Tour, follow us @FootJoyEurope.

Wiesberger Wins Ballantine's Championship

RussLawes — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:10:00 GMT

FJ Ambassador Bernd Wiesberger won his first European Tour title in fine style at the Ballantine’s Championship as the Austrian cruised to a five shot victory in FJ ICON MyJoys and StaSof Glove.

Five shots clear overnight after consecutive course-record rounds of 65, the 26 year old was coolness personified as he compiled a closing round of 68. Twice a runner-up on The European Tour last season, there was never any danger of Wiesberger missing out this time as he played his final 59 holes without dropping a shot at Blackstone Golf Club.

Wiesberger, a runner-up in Scotland and South Africa last season, started with a pitch to six feet at the long fifth for a first gain of the day after opening with four consecutive pars.
Four further pars saw Wiesberger turn in 35 and still five clear, and he clocked up five further pars

He certainly finished off in style as he drained a 15 foot birdie putt at the last for good measure to finish with an 18 under par total.

“I just tried to enjoy it and I had the three best rounds of my life,” said Wiesberger. “I tried not to make bogeys and I did that pretty well, it was awesome.

“My game plan was to hit as many greens as possible and try to make putts, and they dropped in the end.

The victory earns him €367,500 which moves him to €438,464 in The Race to Dubai. It could also potentially move to around 95th in the Official World Golf Ranking from 170th.

Curtis Returns to the Winner's Circle in Texas

RussLawes — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:16:00 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.

This was part of a 3 win weekend for FJ. Lee Westwood (FJ Sport & SciFlex) successfully defended his Indonesian Masters tournament. It was his first title of the year and 38th in total for his career.

The World Number Three golfer completed a marathon of 32 holes as he returned on Sunday morning to finish the third round before closing with a final round 74 for a winning total of 16 under par at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

The trio of Wins was completed on the European Tour at the Volvo China Open.

2012 Volvo China Open

RussLawes — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:14:00 GMT

This week’s FJ Tour Diary comes from Binhai Lake Golf Club. With blustery winds and temperatures expected to be in single figures players will be looking to battle the elements and post a good score.
Defending champion and FJ ambassador Nicolas Colsaerts has already managed to propel himself into contention in an attempt to defend his title with a -9 after Thursday and Friday’s round.

[Gallery:12_china_open]

This week’s equipment counts further cements FJ position as the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf, with 59% of the field lacing up in FJ shoes. Fingers crossed that an FJ player will be lifting the trophy come Sunday afternoon!!
To keep up to date with all things FootJoy, and for a inside the ropes look at the European Tour, follow us @FootJoyEurope.

Oozthuizen Win's in Malaysia!

RussLawes — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:03:00 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.

The 2012 Malaysian Open

RussLawes — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:38:00 GMT

This week’s diary entry comes from the hot and humid Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. Players will be faced with stifling temperatures of up to 35 deg, along with severe humidity. On top of this, the daily thunder and lightning storms are also likely to disrupt play. This will be a very long week for the players, and they will be tested to the max both physically and mentally.

Louis Oosthuizen (DryJoys Tour) headlines the field after his runner-up finish at Augusta last week. He will be looking to go one spot better to make up for the disappointment. Louis is looking in fine form carrying on where he left on in Augusta firing a first round 66.

Matteo Manassero (FJ Sport) is the defending champion here in KL. Matteo will have to go low this weekend. He currently sits at -2, 6 shots off the current leader.

Former US Open champion, Michael Campbell will be looking to kick start his 2012 season. Michael has been an avid wearer of the new XPS-1 since it's launch to the tour at the back end of 2011.

Jbe Kruger is another player who will be looking for a good week. Jbe has played his golf predominantly in Asia for the last few seasons, so he will certainly be one to watch, and try and add another victory to his CV after claiming the Avantha Indian Masters a few weeks ago.

Exciting young Frenchman, Romain Wattell was hard at work on the practice days this week. He was looking a bit tired and warm when we caught up with him on Tuesday, but after a good night’s sleep he was back to his usual self on Wednesday. As you can imagine the time difference the European players face this week will have a big impact on their performance as they will be faced with a few restless night’s sleep trying to overcome the dreaded jet lag.

[Gallery:12_malasian_open]

FJ ambassador, Tjaart Van der Walt, gets a rare start on the European Tour. He gained his card at Q-School back in December, but getting starts is proving difficult for players in this category. Luckily for Tjaart, he has a good ranking from his Asian Tour status, and will be looking to capitalise.

Another European Tour player who has plenty of experience of playing in Asia, is young Welshman, Rhys Davies. Rhys started his professional careers in Asia after finishing college in the US.

FJ ambassador, George Coetzee is back in action in Kuala Lumpur. This will be his first event since making his debut at the Accenture World Match play. George has been enjoying some well earned rest back at home in South Africa.

To keep up to date with all things FootJoy, and for a inside the ropes look at the European Tour, follow us @FootJoyEurope.

This week’s equipment counts further cements FJ position as the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf, with 64% of the field lacing up in FJ shoes. Fingers crossed that an FJ player will be lifting the trophy come Sunday afternoon!!

Bubba Watson Wins The Masters

RussLawes — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:24:00 GMT

Bubba Watson Competition

We are giving you the chance to feel like a tour pro by giving you the opportunity to slip your feet into un-released FJ ICON's just like Bubba Watson wore en route to his Masters victory, as well as a SPIDR-2 glove.

To enter simply email ukcomfortzone@acushnetgolf.com with your answer to the below question, as well as providing your shoe size, glove size and address. The winning entry will be randomly picked after Sunday 15th April.
Which fellow FJ ambassador did Bubba defeat during the playoff, en route to his Masters victory?

Good Luck!

For additional rules and regulations click here.

Blog

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.

MyJoys May is Back!

RussLawes — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:15:00 GMT

It’s the time of the year when some of golf’s leading players give us a shoe design brief and we ask you to design their shoes ready for action at the BMW PGA Championship. MyJoys May gets more popular every season.

FJ launched MyJoys May two years ago when we invited you to vote on shoe designs to be worn by some of the top players at the BMW PGA Championship. This year, we’re going one step better as we ask you to design shoes for current World #1 Luke Donald, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Tano Goya. They’ll hand pick the winners and put them in play on the first day of the tournament on Thursday 24th May
Whether you use MyJoys to give you the best golf shoe fit you’ve ever experienced, to create shoes that match your best tournament Sunday outfit or just to carry your name and the colours of your favourite football team, there is something very special about having your own personalised golf shoes. The options are endless.
Simply log-on to myjoysmay.co.uk and start creating. Your very own MyJoys could be just three weeks away. Good luck and good designing!

Hunter Mahan Lock Up Second Win of 2012

RussLawes — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:18:00 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.

2012 Sicilian Open

RussLawes — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:13:00 GMT

The Sicilian Open is being held at the fabulous Verdura Golf and Spa resort, close to the town of Sciacca. The course is located right on the coastline, and offers some spectacular scenery.

Firstly a special mention to New Tour Rep, Henry Byrne. Henry was attending his first European Tour event as a member of the Leadership team. So welcome on board Henry.

Colourful Swede, Joel Sjoholm will be looking for a good week. He has been bringing some sparkle to the European Tour fairways this season in his new Plus Four's, with matching FootJoy ICON MyJoys.

FJ ambassador Matt Southgate was in a jovial mode on Wednesday after his beloved Chelsea Football Club had won in the Champions League the previous evening. Matt will be looking to make his first cut of the season so far. As it currently stands he is right on the cut line at -2. We will be all rooting for Matt Friday afternoon.

FJ loyalist, Andy Sullivan dropped by to see us in our office for the week. He wanted to give us a glimpse of his ICON MyJoy’s in White and lime green. He has a few more colour combinations back home in his wardrobe. Keep an eye out for those this season.

[Gallery:12_sicilian_open]

Another professional who is renowned for his colourful attire is Italian, Alessandro Tadini. He was wearing a lovely pair of white and purple FJ ICON MyJoys. Alessando will be looking for a strong finish this weekend to try and catapult himself up the Race to Dubai standings.

FJ ambassador Lloyd Saltman is making his first appearance for a couple of months in Sicily this week. He will be wearing the new FJ Apparel collection for 2012. Simon Thornton. Adri Otaegui, Matt Southgate, Phil Price, Ken Ferrie & Michael Jonzon, are also FJ apparel wearers playing in Sicily. With hot weather predicted over the 4 days, players will be seeking to reap the benefits of the performance fabrics.

FJ loyalist, Tom Lewis (FJ ICON) is back on European soil, after a swift adventure to the US a few weeks ago where he made his PGA Tour debut, and followed this up with a visit to the Tavistock Cup to represent Queenwood, in the 3 team event.

Matteo Manassero (FJ Sport) will be looking for an impressive display after coming very close to wins in the last two weeks. We caught Matteo having a chat with ex-Chelsea footballer, Gianfranco Zola, who was his partner in the Pro Am on Wednesday.
To keep up to date with all things FootJoy, and for a inside the ropes look at the European Tour, follow us @FootJoyEurope
This week’s equipment counts further cements FJ position as the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf, with 63% of the field lacing up in FJ shoes. Fingers crossed that an FJ player will be lifting the trophy come Sunday afternoon!!