TORONTO (April 6, 2009)-On the eve of the Masters, Nike Golf's Paul Casey won the Shell Houston Open for his first PGA Tour victory, and his second global win in 2009 with 14 Nike Golf clubs.
Casey, 31, of England, won the event on the first hole of a playoff against J.B. Holmes after shooting 72 in the final round. Casey is the first European player to win the Houston Open.
Casey's victory marks the second straight Nike Golf win in consecutive weeks. The week before Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a dramatic birdie putt on the 72nd hole.
With Casey's and Woods' consecutive victories in the final two weeks before the season's first major, Nike Golf has 10 athletes heading into the Masters with a lot of momentum.
Casey has been very strong early in 2009 with two victories and a runner-up. In January, he captured the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on the European Tour for a second time, this time with Nike Golf's new Victory Red irons and the new ONE Tour ball. About a month later, Casey finished second in the Accenture Match Play Championship.
Casey wins with mixed VR setAs he did in January, Casey won in Houston with a mixed set of Nike irons, putting into play a Pro Combo 3-iron, 4- and 5-iron from the VR Forged Split Cavity line and 6-PW from the VR Forged TW Blade line to finish T22 in greens in regulation or 75 per cent.
Casey also shone on the greens with a Nike Tour prototype putter, finishing T2 in putting with 1.662 putts per green, which also propelled him to T2 in birdies with 21.
Since switching to the VR irons in September 2008, Casey has seen great results. "They go about two to three yards farther than my old set," he said. The VR Forged TW Blades feature a more traditional muscle back design that includes a conspicuous and recognizable "TW" mark.
Made of 1025 Forged Carbon Steel with a CNC milled face, the Victory Red Forged TW Blades differentiate from Nike's original Blades with a more modified backpad and a slightly thicker toe.
Nike's Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons feature a split back design that positions the centre of gravity behind the sweet spot for ball control while providing forgiveness.
In the last three years, Nike Golf has led the PGA Tour in iron wins as well as having the winningest driver/ball combination. With Nike's new SQ DYMO drivers,Victory Red irons, and Nike ONE Tour and Nike ONE Tour D balls, 2009 could be another year of Swoosh domination on the PGA Tour.
__________________________________________________
Casey's Shell Houston Open Highlights
- This is Casey's 10th career victory.
- Casey shot rounds of 66-70-69-72 for a 277 total, 11-under par.
- With his Nike SQ Tour driver and the new Nike ONE Tour ball, Casey was T9 in driving distance, averaging of 309 yards.
- Casey won with 14 Nike Golf clubs and wore performance Nike Golf footwear and Nike Golf apparel.
- Casey's win was the sixth global tour win with Nike Golf's Victory Red irons.
Casey's Nike Golf Arsenal
- Driver: Nike SQ Tour
- Fairway Woods: Nike SQ II 3 and 5 wood
- Irons: Nike Pro Combo 3-iron, Nike Victory Red (VR) Split Cavity (4-5), Victory Red (VR) Forged TW Blades (6-PW)
- Wedges: Nike Victory Red (VR) 54 and 60-degree
- Putter: Nike Tour prototype putter
- Ball: Nike ONE Tour
- Footwear: Nike Air Zoom Elite II
- Apparel: Nike Golf's Tour Collection
__________________________________________________
Nike Golf's 2009 International Victories
- Paul Casey - Abu Dhabi Golf Championship (European Tour)
- Tiger Woods - Arnold Palmer Invitational (PGA Tour)
- Paul Casey - Shell Houston Open (PGA Tour)
|
