Nike Golf athletes took charge this weekend around the world as Michelle Wie captured her first LPGA win in Mexico, Tiger Woods won for the first time in Australia and Stephen Ames won on the PGA Tour in the United States. The common theme with each of these wins was the Nike SQ DYMO family of drivers and the Nike ONE Tour golf ball which all three players used for their respective victories.
These wins extended what has been a very successful 2009 season for Nike Golf and its athletes. Nike Golf success has consisted of 20 victories around the world; 11 wins on the PGA Tour including two major championships; five victories on the international Professional Tours; and two wins on the LPGA and Champions Tours, respectively.
Michelle Wie – Lorena Ochoa Invitational, LPGA Tour
Nike Golf athlete Michelle Wie displayed her amazing talent by capturing her first professional victory on the LPGA Tour at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico. With her victory came a heavy sigh of relief, a gigantic smile and joyful tweets on her Twitter account in which she wrote: “wowwwww......never thought this would feel THIS great!!!!” “wow this is just sooo delicious.”
Crushing her drives all week, Wie averaged 281 yard drives with her SQ DYMO STR8-FIT 8.5 degree driver and Nike ONE Tour golf ball combination. Wie ranks fifth in driving distance for the 2009 season with an average of 269 yards. The SQ Driver and ONE ball combination has proven its success on all Tours this year with 20 official wins across the globe.
Completing Wie’s bag of Nike products were her SQ DYMO 15 degree 3 wood and 19 degree 5 wood, VR Blades, VR 52, 56 and 60 degree wedges and the Nike Method putter, which already has won ten times around the globe with two of those wins being Major victories. These wins have come before the Nike Method putter is available to the public but consumers will get a chance to purchase this putter at retail on February 1, 2010. Wie, who switched to the Nike Method earlier this year, finished the 2009 season ranked tied for fifth in putts per greens in regulation. In the final round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, Wie was wearing the Nike Tech Skort and the Nike Mesh stripe polo from the Nike Golf Women’s Collection. For her footwear, she wore the Nike Golf Air Brassie II.
Tiger Woods – JBWere Masters – Australasian Tour
At the JBWere Masters in Melbourne, Australia, Nike Golf athlete Tiger Woods started the final round tied for the lead, took sole possession of the lead after the fifth hole and never looked back. With this victory, Woods has now won a tournament in every continent that golf is being played competitively, bringing his total career official wins to 82 around the world.
Using his Nike SQ DYMO driver, his Nike SQ II fairway woods and the Nike ONE Tour ball, the number one player in the world hit every fairway in his final round. Woods, who recently put the Nike VR 56 and 60 degree wedges with V-grooves in his bag, referenced a shot he made with his VR 56-degree wedge on the sixth hole on Sunday. “It came off perfect.”
Rounding out Woods’ arsenal for his victory down under were his Nike Blade irons. His apparel is from the Nike Golf Tiger Woods Collection and his footwear is the Air Zoom TW 2009.
Stephen Ames – Children’s Miracle Network Classic – PGA Tour
Nike Golf athlete Stephen Ames was hoping to shoot a 64 in the final round to give him a chance to win his second Children’s Miracle Network Classic title. He did just that and won his first PGA Tour title of the season and fourth of his PGA Tour career. On the final hole of regulation play, Ames made a critical putt for birdie with his Nike prototype METHOD putter, which put him into a sudden-death playoff with three other players, including fellow Nike Golf athlete Justin Leonard.
Ames produced a solid week of putting with his Nike METHOD putter having finished fourth in putts per greens in regulation and tied for sixth in putts per round. “I changed my routine a little bit just to quicken up the pace in my routine itself, and all of a sudden the putter just got hot, and it's been hot for the last three days, which is great for me,” said Ames on his post round interview Sunday. “Actually I was almost 18-under par for those last three rounds.” Ames has been using a prototype Method putter since early 2009 and has improved his putts per greens in regulation ranking from 50th in 2008 to 12th in 2009.
Rounding out Ames’ bag were his Nike SQ DYMO 9.5 degree driver, SQ II 13 degree 3 wood and 19 degree 5 wood, Nike VR Blade irons and Nike VR 54 and 60 degree wedges. Ames’ Nike VR irons and wedges feature the new conforming V grooves which will be required on the PGA Tour by the USGA starting in January, 2010. Ames was also playing the Nike ONE Tour ball, a four-piece ball that further reduces driver spin and optimizes flight trajectory for improved overall distance performance.
Ames clinched his fourth career victory wearing Nike Golf Tour Collection apparel and the Nike Tour Premium footwear.