Record Breaking Santos Secures Victory in Madeira with Titleist

Titleist Press Release

Titleist Brand Ambassador Ricardo Santos produced a scintillating performance this weekend, firing a stunning final round 63 to win his maiden European Tour title at the Madeira Islands Open - Portugal. Following opening rounds of 68, 67, 68, Santos saved his best for last. Trusting the precision of Titleist, Santos fired nine birdies in his final round 63, securing victory by three shots with a tournament record 22-under par. Titleist enjoyed a 1-2-3 finish in Portugal, with runner-up Magnus Carlsson (Pro V1x) and third place finisher Andreas Hartø (Pro V1x) also trusting the feel and control of the legendary Pro V1 franchise for their success.

Titleist Brand Ambassador Ricardo Santos trusted a host of Titleist equipment on his way to becoming the first home winner of the Madeira Islands Open - Portugal, including the Pro V1x golf ball, 910D3 driver, 910H hybrid, AP2 and MB irons, and Vokey Design SM4 gap, sand and lob wedges. Having graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2011, Santos has quickly made his mark on European Golf’s biggest stage, and adds his name to the ever increasing list of Titleist Brand Ambassadors who have tasted victory on the European Tour in 2012. His maiden European Tour victory also secures his place in the field for next weeks’ BMW PGA Championship alongside Titleist Brand Ambassador Rory McIlroy and Pro V1x loyalist Luke Donald, who will reconvene their battle for the coveted World #1 ranking at Wentworth.

As well as being the choice of each of the top three finishers in Madeira, Titleist golf balls were also the overwhelming performance choice amongst the field with 118 players choosing the Pro V1 or Pro V1x, compared to 16 for the nearest competitor. The control and playability of Titleist hardware also saw the majority of players choose Titleist irons and wedges ahead of their competitors.

Elsewhere, on the Japan Tour, Toru Taniguchi (Pro V1x) completed a wire-to-wire victory at the JPGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodles Cup. Taniguchi posted a 4-under par total to capture his 18th career JGTO career win by one shot. Completing a triple win weekend for the #1 ball in golf was Pro V1x loyalist Ryan Cairns who closed with a course-record-tying 10-under par 62 before chipping in for eagle at the first extra hole to win the Vodacom Origins of Golf. Cairns edged fellow Titleist golf ball loyalist Vaughn Groenewald (Pro V1), who was followed by Titleist Brand Ambassador Louis de Jager (Pro V1x) and Jake Redman (Pro V1) completing an all-Titleist golf ball top four. These victories bring Titleist’s 2012 worldwide golf ball win count to 57, compared to 7 for the nearest competitor.

A maiden European Tour victory with a record-breaking performance story for Titleist Brand Ambassador Ricardo Santos, coupled with further victories for Titleist golf ball loyalists around the world, continues to prove that the world’s best players opt for the performance excellence of Titleist for their success.