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Defending champion Lucas Glover and three-time champion Tiger Woods among 13 Nike Golf athletes at the U.S. Open |
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TORONTO (June 15, 2010)--Defending champion Lucas Glover and three-time winner Tiger Woods lead 13 Nike Golf athletes into the U.S. Open for this year's second major championship at legendary Pebble Beach Golf Links. The course may be short for a major championship--at just over 7,000 yards--but it features some of the smallest and scariest greens on tour, and the winds will make it difficult to hit Pebble's narrow ribbons of fairway. Glover heads to Pebble Beach as the defending U.S. Open champion. His victory last year at Bethpage Black was his first PGA Tour victory, during which he putted brilliantly with the new Nike METHOD putter. Glover was also the first to win a major championship with a square-headed driver; he is still smashing drives with his SQ SUMO² Tour. His best finish this year is a third at The Player's Championship. Woods is seeking his 15th major championship this week at Pebble Beach, site of his incredible 15-stroke victory in the 2000 U.S. Open, one of the greatest feats in sports history. The victory was also the opening salvo in his historic Tiger Slam of four straight major championship wins. His other two U.S. Open wins included his dramatic victory at Torrey Pines in 2008 and at Bethpage Black in 2002. The 13-man Nike Golf contingent at Pebble Beach this week also includes Trevor Immelman, Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard, David Duval, Paul Casey, Canadian Stephen Ames, and European Tour stars Charl Schwartzel, Francesco Molinari, Simon Dyson, Pablo Martin, and James Morrison. Nike Golf athletes are buoyed by five victories globally in 2010: Schwartzel won twice early on the European Tour, Martin captured the Alfred Dunhill Championship on the European Tour, Morrison notched a victory at the Madiera Islands Open BPI, and Anthony Kim won the PGA Tour's Houston Open. (Kim is sidelined this week by his continuing thumb injury.) Schwartzel heads to the U.S. Open as one of the hottest golfers, finishing T3 in Houston and second in the PGA Tour's WGC-CA Championship. Earlier this season, the South African won back-to-back events on the European Tour where he sits No. 2 on the Order of Merit with £1.33 million in earnings. His strong play in 2010 has boosted him to 24th in the world rankings. Casey also had a great start in 2010, enjoying four top 10s in four events. He was second in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, T4 at the Honda, T6 at the WGC-CA Championship, and T10 at SBS Championship. Casey won three times in 2009 and is currently ninth in the world rankings. His best U.S. Open finish is a T10 in 2007. Cink, winner of the 2009 Open Championship, heads into the year's second major with three top 10s this season. With 14 Nike Golf Clubs in his bag, Cink continues to rely on the Nike METHOD putter that helped him win his first major championship last season, his fourth PGA Tour title overall. Immelman is continuing his comeback from a wrist injury. The 2008 Masters champion's best finish this season is a T14 at Augusta. Immelman plays the VR STR8-FIT Tour driver; he was the first player to win a major championship with an adjustable driver in 2008. Leonard is always a threat at the majors, especially with the increase in distance and playability he's enjoying with his SQ MACHSPEED STR8-FIT driver. Leonard has won 12 PGA Tour events, including the 1997 Open Championship and the 1998 PLAYERS Championship. Italy's Molinari, currently No. 25 on the European Tour Order of Merit, made the cut in the three majors he played in 2009 (the U.S. Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship, where he finished 10th). He teamed with his brother Edoardo to win the 2009 World Cup and finished 43rd in the world rankings to qualify for the U.S. Open. Calgary's Ames comes to Pebble Beach with a T15 at last week's St. Jude Classic, closing the tournament with two rounds in the 60s. Renowned for his shot-making abilities, Ames is always excited about playing on tough major championship venues, especially with his VR Forged TW Blades. Earlier this season, the three-time PGA Tour winner was T6 at the Transitions Championship. At last year's U.S. Open, Ames finished T10. Dyson of England is playing in his third U.S. Open. He had a pair of victories on the European Tour in 2009 and his best finish in 2010 is a T10 at the Madrid Masters. Martin of Spain is playing in his second U.S. Open. In 2007, the 24 year old became the first amateur in the history of the European Tour to win when he claimed the Estoril Open de Portugal. In 2010, he claimed his first European Tour victory as a pro by winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Morrison of England got off to a quick start this season in winning the Madiera Islands Open BPI. The 25 year old finished 18th in the 2009 Challenge Tour rankings to earn his spot on the European Tour's 2010 Race to Dubai. |
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Located in Beaverton, Oregon, Nike Golf designs and markets golf equipment, apparel, balls, footwear, bags and accessories worldwide. Nike Golf is passionately dedicated to honouring and respecting the traditions and heritage of the game, and to providing committed golfers with the absolute best equipment in the game For more information on Nike Golf, visit our Web site at www.nikegolf.ca. Editors and journalists seeking editorial information and downloadable images, visit www.nikegolf.com/presscenter. For information on Nike Golf Canada, please contact: Vitalis Gomes Tim O'Connor |
