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Stricker Strikes Again

For the fifth consecutive week, a FootJoy player claimed victory on the PGA TOUR as Steve Stricker (SYNR-G, PureTouch glove) closed with a 1-under 70 Sunday for a two-shot victory over fellow FJ player Luke Donald (FJ ICON MyJoys) at the Northern Trust Open.

Stricker finished with a 16-under 268 total and won for the eighth time in his career and the fourth time in his last 15 starts. He also moved up to No. 2 in the world golf rankings for the second time in his career.

Stricker didn’t make it easy on himself, having to grind for pars as Donald kept pouring in birdies. But after Donald missed two short birdie attempts, Stricker fired off two straight birdies to restore a comfortable margin.

“It was hard today,” Stricker said. “I aged a lot out there. It was a grind from the get-go.”

Stricker seemed to struggle all day, missing several greens to the left but he had five consecutive one-putt greens and continued to get himself out of minor jams.

Half of Stricker’s eight career victories have come in the last eight months dating to his playoff win at Colonial. He turns 43 later this month, and shows no sign of letting up.

Tour Update - 2010 Dubai Desert Classic

The Omega Dubai Desert Classic marks the third and final event of the Desert Swing, with the players competing over the Majelis Course at The Emirates Golf Club.

FootJoy ICON wearer, Rory McIlroy was in great form last year and managed to claim his maiden title on the European Tour. He will be looking for the same result this time around and he has already made a fast start and looks like he means business.

Hot on his heels will be fellow FootJoy ambassador Robert Karlsson, who claimed last week's title at the Qatar Masters, and fellow FootJoy ICON wearer Lee Westwood, who faltered on the final 9 holes in Qatar as he looked to chase Robert down the stretch.

Argentinian, Ariel Canete, collected his first pair of custom MyJoy ICON shoes from us this week, in the colours of his home nations flag. Ariel has so far made a solid start to the 2010 season, after missing most of last year with a shoulder injury which required him to go under the knife.

Desert specialist, Henrik Stenson collected some new ICON shoes this week, (styles 52203 & 52013) along with the FootJoy Pure Touch glove. This is the first week Henrik has worn the glove and loved it from the moment he tried it on. He joins fellow Europeans Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington, who have been wearing Pure Touch since it initial launch towards the end of 2009.

FJ collar wearer, Peter Lawrie received a pair of FJ ICON (style 52070) along with young Englishman, David Horsey, who picked up a pair of all black  FJ ICON, style 52054.

King Karlsson Conquers Qatar

FootJoy ambassador Robert Karlsson (FJ ICON 52054 & StaSof glove) showed the golfing world that he is back to his best after a career threatening eye injury, by winning his 10th career title at the Qatar Masters. The former European No 1 started the day two shots behind, but produced the round of the week to win with a stylish bogey-free final round seven-under par. Karlsson’s toughest competition came from his playing partner, the current European No 1, Lee Westwood (FJ ICON & Pure Touch glove), who with four holes to play only trailed Karlsson by one shot. However, it was the tall Swede who finished the strongest with back-to-back birdies on seventeen and eighteen to claim an impressive three shot victory and the first place prize of €294,584.

FJ continues to be the No 1 choice for players on the European Tour with 57% of the field at the Qatar Masters choosing to put the faith in FootJoy shoes.

Tour Update - 2010 Qatar Masters

The wind is pumping and the rough is up for the second leg of the Desert swing at the Qatar Masters in Doha. All the ingredients for some high scoring, and on early evidence of the scores. this is proving correct.

Ian Poulter and Camilo Villegas (Both pictured right) are both back in action this week, and Poulter will be looking to go one better after last weeks second place finish in Abu Dhabi. He was in a buoyant mood on the range, with his Mp3 player plugged in for a serious practice session. As always he was looking dapper, and the stylish pair of ICON MyJoys rounded off his outfit.

Henrik Stenson is a man fond of the Doha golf course, and will be looking to add to the crown he won here in 2006. As always Stenson was working hard on all aspects of his game and his coach Pete Cowen was never too far from his side.

FootJoy Sport is beginning to catch the eye of players, with Pablo Larrazabal, Danny Willet and Paul Waring all placing orders for the new style. Larrazabal commented that FootJoy Sport "were the most comfortable FootJoy shoes I have ever worn" This is great testament to the shoe from the 2008 French Open winner.

An invite in the field this week is FootJoy ambassador Erik Compton (pictured bottom right), who has made the long journey over from the US. After 4 flights and two days of no luggage or golf clubs, this week is sure to test him to his limits. However Erik has overcome greater obstacles in his life than this, and at the age of 30, is on to his third heart after having two heart replacement operations. We wish him well this week.

Players are still placing shoe orders for the rest of the 2010 season. These are coming in thick and fast, and the FootJoy loyalists are making the most out of the MyJoy options available to them

This week in Doha, FootJoy is the number choice, with 57% of the players choosing to put their trust, and their feet in FootJoy.

2010 Tour Update_Abu Dhabi

The Desert Swing is under way, with the first stop in sunny Abu Dhabi.

5 of the Worlds Top 10 players are in action this week in a stellar field, including FootJoy loyalists Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood (pictured right), SBS Championship winner Geoff Ogilvy and the colourful Swede, Henrik Stenson who has just agreed a multi-year deal to wear FootJoy shoes again. All 4 players will be gracing the fairways in the new FJ ICON shoe.

Camillo Villegas and Ian Poulter have also flown over from the US, as they look to grab some early points in the 2010 Race to Dubai.

The new FJ Sport  is also catching a few players eyes. Pablo Larrazabal and Peter Lawrie (pictured right) were both wearing the shoe in practice this week. With it's colourful and athletic styling, it is sure to be a hit with the players on Tour.

We welcome a new line-up for 2010 to our FJ collar programme, some of the latest additions include last season Rookie-of-the year, Chris Wood, Robert Rock and Irishman Peter Lawrie. Steve Webster and Ricardo Gonzalez continue with the FJ collar for another season.

Players are placing shoe orders at a rapid pace with the FootJoy tour reps, and there are certainly going to be some funky looking shoes gracing the Tournaments across Europe this season thanks to the fantastic MyJoys offering from FootJoy.

NEW FJ SPORT - Designed for the Athletic Golfer

We at FootJoy are proud to introduce to you our latest shoe - FJ SPORT. This shoe combines a feature laden outsole and unashamedly youthful upper pattern. A forefoot FlexZone and substantial in-shoe cushioning provide outstanding comfort levels. FJ SPORT will help the golfing fashionistas look good on any dance floor with its array of colour combinations. FJ SPORT is becoming the talk of the Tour with many players showing an interest in this athletic looking shoe. Pablo Larrazabal and Martin Erlandson are a select few players who have been lucky enough to get their hands on a pair, with Erlandson preferring style no 53119 (pictured right) to compliment his orange DryJoys Sport Rain Shirt. Keep your eyes open for this exciting new shoe in your local FootJoy stockist as well as on the feet of golf's elite.

FJ #1 Shoe in Golf

It's Paradise For Palmer at the Sony Open

Ryan Palmer (FJ ICON style #52005, SciFlex glove) nearly chipped in for eagle on the 72nd hole but left himself just a tap-in for birdie and the win at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Palmer was tied for the lead on the 18th and after both competitor's left their tee shots in the right rough it was a battle to see who would get up-and-down, or better, for the win. Palmer's challenger chipped to about 9 feet from behind the green and then watched as Palmer's chip raced towards the hole, hit the flag stick and backed up just a few inches.

“Lucky bounce,” Palmer said. “It was probably going to go by 7 or 8 feet. I still hit a good chip. You need things like that to win.”

For Palmer, who finished with a 15-under 265 total, it was his third career victory and first since the 2008 Ginn sur Mer Classic. It gives the 33-year-old Texan exemption on the PGA Tour through 2012 and a trip back to the Masters for the first time in five years.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf

Sensational Start for Ogilvy

First event of 2010, first event since joining team FJ, and first win of the season for Geoff Ogilvy at the SBS Championship. Geoff fired a near flawless final round 6-under 67 on Sunday that featured just one missed green to come from two shots back with 10 holes to play and win at Kapalua for the second consecutive year. Geoff has now fired eight consecutive rounds in the 60's on the Plantation Course, including the four this week (69-66-68-67). He finished the week with a 22-under 270 total for a one shot victory, the seventh of his career on the PGA TOUR.

It was announced this week that Geoff had joined team FJ and he has been wearing a StaSof glove and FJ ICON golf shoes all week en route to his title defense.

World #14 Ranked Player to Wear FJ Shoes and Glove in 2010

FootJoy, the #1 Shoe in Golf and #1 Shoe on every Tour Worldwide, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Geoff Ogilvy. A former US Open Champion and six-time winner on the PGA Tour, Geoff has topped some of the best fields in golf throughout his career. Following on from a successful 2009 where he won the Mercedes-Benz Championship and claimed the second of his two Match Play Championship titles, Geoff starts the 2010 season supported by the superior comfort and performance of FootJoy’s market leading shoes and gloves. A true global player Ogilvy will once again play a number of events on the European Tour as well as the PGA Tour.

"Like many Tour players, I grew up wearing FootJoy golf shoes and gloves so putting them on again is a bit of a home-coming for me” said Ogilvy.  “I’ve been using the new products and they’re fantastic. I'm really excited to start the season in FootJoy product."

Geoff joins the industry leader at a time when the brand has significant momentum with tremendous new product.  The ultra-stable SYNR-G® shoe category continues to be the shoes of choice for many of the game's best players such as Padraig Harrington, Steve Stricker and Zach Johnson.  In addition, the new flagship shoe category, FJ ICON, delivers the perfect blend of performance and stylish elegance.  FJ ICON has quickly attracted a loyal following from elite players like Ian Poulter, Camilo Villegas, Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and hundreds more.  As the worldwide leader in golf gloves, Ogilvy will rely on the incredible feel and performance of the legendary StaSof® glove.

“We are delighted to welcome Geoff to Team FJ. He will no doubt be a great ambassador for FootJoy,” said Richard Fryer, European Marketing Manager - FootJoy.  “Geoff is a fantastic addition to our staff as he embodies many of the qualities that define the FootJoy brand. He is a global icon who plays the game with passion, integrity and has a proven record of success.”

FootJoy®.  The #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Tour Update - 2009 South African Open

Pearl Valley, on the out-skirts of Cape Town, plays host to the 2009 South Africa Open. Situated in the town of Paarl, the Pearl Valley venue is truly fantastic, and a real treat for the players this week.

FootJoy once gain leads the shoe count, with 75% of the field choosing to put the faith in FJ, and FJ ICON being the preferred choice.

Michael Hoey collected his first pair of FJ ICON's this week. He has been an avid wearer of SYNR-G shoes until now. Michael has recently been fitted with a pair of orthotics to aid back pain and also posture. After adding these to his new FJ ICON shoes, he was very happy and looking forward to placing orders for several new pairs once he has given his new style, 52054, a good road test this week.

His fellow countryman, Shane Lowry, is also in the field this week and he will join Hoey on the fairways in his FJ ICON's. Shane's current favourite style is 52005, the classic all white shoe. You can't go wrong with a pair of those!

With the players ordering shoes thick and fast for next season, plenty are taking the opportunity to create their own styles using MyJoys. David Drysdale (pictured right) has already got to grips with MyJoys and he was wearing a patriotic pair of DryJoys in Scottish colours, with his countries flag embroidered on the heel. Kenneth Ferrie, Paul Waring, Ross McGowan and Mikael Lundberg have also got MyJoys ordered ready for 2010. We will certainly be seeing some extra colour on the courses throughout this season.

After this week the European Tour takes a break for Christmas. Everyone on the FootJoy European Tour Team would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and we will be back in Africa after the Christmas break.

Tour Update - 2009 Alfred Dunhill Championship

As one season comes to a close, another season starts. The Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek marks the start of the  2010 Race to Dubai, and what a spectacular setting to launch the new season.

Leopard Creek is situated to the north east of Johannesburg and boarders the Kruger National Park which is full of magnificent wildlife including the "Big 5". Some of these creatures have managed to find their way onto the Leopard Creek estate and it is not uncommon to lay your eyes on the odd giraffe, monkey, crocodile and even Harry The Hippo (below right) who's home can be found in one of the ponds on the course.

FootJoy shoe wearers are well represented as always, with over 70% of the field wearing our shoes. The FJ ICON shoe is well and truly the shoe of choice, and plenty of orders have been taken from players this week in preparation for the new season. Some have chosen the standard styles, whilst some have begun to dabble in the world of MyJoys.

Players will probably order in the region of 8 pairs of shoes to see them through their season. This time of year is a busy period for the FootJoy reps on tour as they take the players orders. This week was no exception with plenty of players graduating from last weeks Q-School in Spain, making the trip to South Africa, and needing to renew their shoes as the look forward to an exciting year on the European Tour. Watch this space in the coming weeks to see who we will be adding to the FootJoy stable for 2010.

With the heat and humidity at Leopard Creek, players hands have begun to swell, so an increase in glove size has been common. Sweaty hands have also been an issue, and players, including Rafa Cabrera-Bello (below centre), have adopted the FootJoy RainGrip as their glove of choice to gain extra grip and glove durability. This glove is not only good in the wet but also a great addition in the sweaty conditions!

FootJoy ambassador and Hong Kong Open winner, Gregory Bourdy (below left) was in town this week. He will be looking to get his season off to a fast start after a great end to the 2009 season. He has also been joined in the field by fellow FootJoy ambassador Martin Erlandsson and Callum Macaulay (below right), who unfortunately failed to gain his full playing rights on the European Tour after a visit to Q-School last week. I'm sure we will still be seeing plenty of the exciting young Scot this season.

Great Scott!

FootJoy ambassador Adam Scott has won his first tournament on home soil, claiming the Australian Open by five shots after a tense final round at the New South Wales Golf Club. The win ends what has proved to be a tough year for the 29-year-old FJ shoe & glove wearer. Despite this, the charismatic Aussie held his nerve to take the title, closing out his round with a stylish birdie at the closing hole to get to even par, finishing the Championship at 15-under 273.

“This is very, very special to me to win here,” said Scott. “This is going to be very sweet and something I will treasure for the rest of my career.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf.

Chris Wood becomes a True Icon!

England’s Chris Wood has capped a remarkable debut season on The European Tour by being named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for 2009. Wood, who stands at 6-foot-5 stands alongside fellow FJ ICON wearer Robert Karlsson as the tallest golfer on the Tour, finished 44th on the money list with earnings of 679,559 euros, securing him the title ahead of fellow debutants and FJ ambassadors Danny Willet, Oskar Henningsson and David Horsey. It was the 22-year-old Englishman’s fine display at this year’s Open which effectively sealed the rookie prize, narrowly missing out on the playoff by one stroke. Wood’s next big goal is set on entering the top 50 in the world.

This becomes the second consecutive year that an FJ player has won the prestigious award, with Wood taking over the mantle from fellow FJ player Pablo Larrazabal.

2009 has proved to be a successful for year for the FJ players on the European Tour, with Wood’s triumph adding to Lee Westwood’s Race to Dubai victory, cementing FJ’s dominance on Tour.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf

Win, Win for Westwood in Dubai

Lee Westwood (FJ ICON, PureTouch) fired a course record 8-under 64 Sunday to run away from the field with a six shot victory at the Dubai World Championship. The 36-year-old shot four rounds in the 60's to finish the week with a 23-under total and lead the way for FJ players who swept the top four positions on the leaderboard. Ross McGowan (FJ ICON style #52070, StaSof) carded a final round 68, including five straight birdies from the 12th, to secure second place at 17-under after a sustained charge from Rory McIlroy (FJ ICON MyJoys, PureTouch) who birdied five holes on the back nine to finish third at 15-under. Padraig Harrington (SYNR-G, PureTouch) finished in a tie for fourth.

Westwood also secured the season-long Race to Dubai and recognition as the European Number One for the second time in his career. He came to the final event trailing Rory McIlroy. Westwood's victory was the 32nd victory worldwide as a professional and his second victory on The European Tour this season. It also moves Westwood up to World Number Four in the Official World Golf Rankings, matching his highest career position.

“I’m delighted to be standing here and it’s got to be the best day of my golfing career. I think that's about as good as I've ever played under this pressure," said Westwood.

“Hopefully there will be more, maybe a Major in the future. Some of the young players coming through, like Rory McIlroy, put me under a lot of pressure so it will be tough. I’m going to enjoy the rest of 2009.”

Westwood's win highlights FJ's dominance as the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf, with this being the second year running that an FJ shoe and glove wearer has won the European money list. 

Tour Update- 2009 Race to Dubai

The race is well and truly on and there are only four players in with a chance to win the inaugural Race to Dubai, three of which are FootJoy loyalists. Rory McIlroy charged to the top of the rankings after another strong finish in Hong Kong last week, but fellow FootJoy loyalist and Pure Touch glove wearer, Lee Westwood is hot on his heels and won't give up the title to be Europe's number one player without a fight.

Both McIlroy and Westwood were in good spirits this week at the Jumeirah Estates where the Dubai World Championship is being played over the Earth Course. The course is set-up perfectly for both of these players and fellow FJ ICON wearer Ross Fisher. With players needing to be long off the tee and also a lack of rough, the course should play favourably into their hands a provide an exciting climax to the 2009 season.

Camilo Villegas (pictured right) has ventured to Dubai whilst the US PGA Tour takes it's winter break, and he has also been joined by fellow USPGA Tour regulars and FootJoy shoe wearers Adam Scott, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington. It's great to see these players in Dubai and proves what a draw the Race to Dubai has been this year in attracting the World's best players to sample life on this tour.

Bourdy Wins in Hong Kong

FootJoy player Gregory Bourdy won the UBS Hong Kong Open this weekend to claim his third European Tour Title.  The Frenchman had to dig deep to defend his lead from the inform Rory McIlroy who had to be content with second place for the second consecutive year. The 27-year-old Bourdy never relinquished his lead throughout the final round, and proved unflappable as the young Northern Irishman increased his pressure. Bourdy played consistenly in his final round, with birdies at the 5th & 6th moving him closer to the title. Meanwhile, McIlroy was showing his brilliance to get back into to contention after starting the day five shots off the pace, but his final round 64 could only secure him second place. Bourdy, who won his last title in 2008, collected the first place prize of €279,288 as well as guaranteeing himself a place in the Dubai World Championship next week. McIlroy had some consolation in his defeat, knowing that his second place finish was enough to move him to the summit of the Order of Merit ahead of his fellow FJ ICON and PureTouch wearer Lee Westwood.

Tour Update - 2009 Hong Kong Open

The Hong Kong Open returns to Fanling Golf Club for the second time in the European tour Race To Dubai season, with plenty of high profile players making the trip as they jostle for position to become the European #1 for the season.

After finishing with a new course record, -9 (63) in China last week, Rory McIlroy has fellow FootJoy wearer, Lee Westwood (pictured right)firmly in his sights, but both players will need to look over their shoulders as Ian Poulter, hot off his win in Singapore, looks to overtake both of them at the top of the Order of Merit.

Poulter (pictured right) was looking colourful as always during the Pro-Am. He could be seen sporting a white and red pair of FJ ICON MyJoys to match his red, white and blue outfit. Players have started to see some different coloured FJ ICON's out on the fairways and have begun placing orders for their own shoe designs for the 2010 season.

Westwood and McIlroy were both wearing their ICON's this week in practice, and Rory collected 3 new pairs (styles 52070 in all white, 52062 & 52088) in time for next weeks Dubai World Championship.

Tour Update - 2009 HSBC Champions Tournament

It's back to Sheshan Golf Club just outside Shanghai this week for the HSBC Champions tournament, which as a WGC event for the first time has drawn some of the biggest names from the world of golf.

Alongside the two top-ranked players in the world, are some rare visitors to the European Tour including FJ ambassadors from the PGA Tour Nick Watney, Jason Dufner and Camilo Villegas.

Here's Camilo (pictured right) practicing his touch on and around the greens in a pair of black FJ ICON’s.

Dufner took some time out of his practice schedule to give some instruction to some local stars of the future.

Lee Westwood's in pole position to carry off this year's Race to Dubai title. He warmed up in a pair of FJ ICON MyJoys shoes and a Pure Touch glove (pictured right).

His closest challengers for the title are also in action this week, none more so than Rory McIlroy (below right), here wearing a pair of FJ Icon...

It was a long trip from Spain for Ross Fisher (below centre) and his caddie, Adam, after a marathon week at the Volvo World Matchplay. The new world champion was in excellent spirits for Wednesday's pro-am.

Another challenger for honours in the Race to Dubai may well be fast finishing Ian Poulter (below left)who lifted last week's Singapore Open crown. He had a classy looking pair of all-black FJ Icons on for Wednesday's pro-am.

Global Glory for Poulter, Fisher

Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher will represent England at the World Cup in a few weeks and the duo will arrive with lots of confidence following their matching victories this past weekend. While both wore the new FJ ICON golf shoes en route to the winner's circle, their paths to victory were very different.

Ian Poulter, who regularly wears custom FJ ICON golf shoes from the MyJoys programme and SciFlex gloves to match, carded a final round 1-over 72 to complete a wire-to-wire victory at the Barclays Singapore Open. Poulter's eighth career European Tour title, and first since 2006, tested all of his skill and nerves with players from around the world trying to wrestle the tournament from his grasp but the Englishman would not yield and, following a stellar sand save on 17, he converted a clutch par at the 18th for the win.

Ian opted for a stylish pair of brown/orchid (pink) FJ ICON golf shoes in the asymmetrical pattern to perfectly coordinate with his new line of clothing. He also wore a custom SciFlex glove.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, fellow Englishman Ross Fisher also wore FJ ICON shoes to complete a memorable marathon effort in winning the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain.

The 28 year old, who will join Poulter in the World Cup and could also team with him at the Ryder Cup in Wales next October, won the final 4&3 after playing an amazing 126 holes in four days. With the win, Fisher moves up to a career-best 17th in the World Rankings and also takes him to fourth in the European Tour's Race to Dubai with just a few events remaining.

Fisher needed three sudden death holes to defeat fellow FootJoy player, and current Masters champion, Angel Cabrera in the semi-finals but was in control of the finals from the moment he birdied the first hole.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic," he said. "It's been a long, gruelling week, but obviously very worthwhile.

Fisher and Poulter will represent England when they team up at the World Cup in China, November 26-29.

Tour Update - The 2009 Barclays Singapore Open

The PGA European Tour heads to a hot and steamy Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore this week where a stellar field is assembled for the Barclay's Singapore Open, probably the strongest field ever for an Asian/European co-sanctioned event.

FJ stars Ian Poulter, Adam Scott and Robert Karlsson are all in the field striving for a strong end to their seasons. They will face a fierce challenge from some in-form stars from the Asian continent, such as full-staff ambassador from India, Gaganjeet Bhullar, (pictured right) in a pair of FJ ICON.

The European Tour players are all still seeking a place in the season-ending Dubai World Championship. All spent the early part of the week trying to acclimatise to the oppressive heat. Jose Manuel Lara, sporting a full beard this week, opted for a pair of DryJoys for extra comfort anticipating his feet swelling in the heat and humidity.

Fellow Spaniard, Pablo Larrazabal (pictured right), looked exhausted after his practice round on Tuesday. He came to change the spikes in his FJ ICON shoes after his round and relaxed with the Acushnet team, even lent a helping hand while he was recovering!!

Another one struggling in the heat was Irish Open champion, Shane Lowry, making his first ever trip to the Far East. He headed to the driving range early in the morning hoping to find some cooler temperatures but there's no breeze before about 9am so it just feels even warmer!! His feet stayed cool in his new FJ ICON shoes though!!

Ian Poulter (pictured right) looked particularly dapper as he turned out for the Barclay's pro-am in a pair of FJ ICON MyJoys shoes!!

Adam Scott was back in action at a course where he has won twice, wearing a pair of white Classics for the pro-am.

In-form Finn Mikko Ilonen needed a break after a tough morning's practice and kicked back on the terrace at Sentosa discussing strategy with his caddie.

That's all from Singapore, more to follow from HSBC next week!!

Matteson Emerges from Playoff to Win Frys.com for Second Time

Troy Matteson (DryJoys Tech, StaSof glove) birdied the second playoff hole to win the Frys.com Open on Sunday at Grayhawk Golf Club. After bogeying the final two holes in regulation to fall into the three-man playoff, Matteson had a second chance at the 17th and 18th and would not let the opportunity pass him by. Relying on past experience of winning this tournament as a rookie in 2006, Matteson denied two rookies this year who were trying to capture their first career PGA Tour victories and playing privileges for next year and beyond.

Matteson rolled into Sunday with a three-stroke lead, thanks to back-to-back 61s on Friday and Saturday – a PGA Tour record for lowest score in consecutive rounds. However, he stumbled at the end of the final round and found himself battling two young guns.

After all three players parred the first playoff hole, Matteson hit his approach within 3 feet on the 464-yard par-4 17th hole. With shadows stretching onto the green, he rolled in the putt for his second PGA Tour win.

The victory capped a strong final two months for Matteson as he made the cut in his final eight events and finished in the top 20 three times. The 29-year-old’s first Tour victory came as a rookie in 2006, when he won the Frys.com Open in Las Vegas.

Tour Update - 2009 Castello Masters

Club de Campo del Mediterraneo plays host to the Castello Masters in Castellon, Spain this week.

Masters champion, Angel Cabrera has flown straight in from the PGA Grand Slam of golf which was held in Bermuda, before heading to Spain next week to compete in the Volvo World Matchplay.

Robert Karlsson continues his return from injury and will be looking for a strong tournament. He is joined in the field by fellow FootJoy ambassadors Chris Wood (pictured right), Danny Willett and Jose Maria Olazabal. Martin Erlandsson would be included in this list, however he had to fly home suddenly as his wife went into labour on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Martin missed the birth of his son, however we wish the Erlandsson's our best wishes on their new arrival.

Chris Wood, who is looking to cement his place in the season ending Dubai World Championship (DWC), strode out in his new FJ ICON shoes this week. He will be seen in styles 52138, 52203 and the stylish 52187. Danny Willett and Branden Grace(Branden pictured right)stopped by the TTSV so he could choose a new pair of FJ ICON shoes for when he plays in the DWC. Both players should look very stylish at the Earth Course in November!

Next week sees a hectic week with the European Tour heading to Singapore whilst at the same time the Volvo World Matchplay takes place in Spain. 9 of the 16 players involved will put their trust in FootJoy, including Jeev Milkha Singh, Ross Fisher, Rory McIlroy and the current Race to Dubai leader, Lee Westwood, who reached top spot last week after his victory at the Portugal Masters.

Return to Glory for Westwood.

Lee Westwood ended more than two years without a title by capturing the Portugal Masters by two shots. Wearing the new FJ ICON golf shoe and Pure Touch glove from FootJoy, Westwood closed with a 6-under 66 on Sunday and finished with a 23-under 265 total for his 30th career win.

Westwood came out hot, converting birdies on his first four holes but it was his final birdie at the 17th hole that sealed the victory.  Westwood went long and left at the 589 yard 17th and although he was able to take a free drop he still faced a tricky shot.

"All I could see was trees (right in front of him) and water (over the green) - and I had a really tight lie," he added.

However, from around 30 yards he almost holed it, tapped in for birdie and had his two shot lead that he would take the clubhouse.

In addition to getting back to his winning ways, Westwood also takes over the lead in the European Tour's Race to Dubai, passing fellow FJ ICON fan Rory McIlroy, and climbs back into the top five of the world golf rankings, a goal of his since 2007.

Tour Update - 2009 Portugal Masters

The Oceanico Victoria Course in Vilamoura plays host to this weeks European Tour event, The Portugal Masters.

A star studded field has been assembled as the race to be the European #1 really hots up. Currently in pole position on the Race to Dubai is FootJoy ambassador, Rory McIlroy. He will be looking to extend his lead at the top, however in hot pursuit are fellow FootJoy ambassadors' Ross Fisher, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington. As well as being FootJoy shoe ambassadors, Westwood, Harrington and McIlroy are all avid fans of the FootJoy Pure Touch glove. These are the only three players in Europe who use the Pure Touch glove on an exclusive basis.

Last years #1, Robert Karlsson (pictured right), is continuing to find his feet after a long lay-off this season due to illness. Robert stopped by the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle this week to place an order for some FJ ICON MyJoy’s . The first pair on his shopping list were a pair of White with Red Croc saddle in the traditional style. This colour combination proved lucky for him last year when he claimed top spot in the European Tour Order of Merit. Fingers crossed the new FJ ICON's will have the same effect.

At the other end of the Race to Dubai, Paul Waring is looking to secure his card for 2010. Paul has also been out of action due to a wrist injury which came at a time when he was in a rich vein of form. He is a big fan of the FootJoy ReelFit shoe, so we will be introducing Paul to the FJ ICON with BOA technology in the near future as this is sure to be a winner for him.

The season is almost at a close and it is really heating up. We wish Rory all the best as he looks to cement his place at the top of the Race to Dubai, and we also wish all our FootJoy ambassadors the best of luck as they look to secure their playing rights on the European Tour in 2010.

Madrid Master

Ross McGowan saw off a spirited challenge from Mikko Ilonen to win the Madrid Masters and seal his first European Tour title by three shots. Ross' victory marks his the first victory for the new FJ ICON golf shoe from FootJoy, which has only recently been launched.

After a record-equalling third round of 12 under par 60, the Englishman claimed victory from a following group that included 8 FootJoy wearers in the top 9 places. FJ ICON was the choice for Ross in a stunning white/black shield tip pattern which was customised through the MyJoys programme. Just like many golfers, Ross' feet are slightly different sizes so made the most of the custom options available through MyJoys to find the perfect platform from which to claim victory.

"I came here this week in form and it's lovely to come away with the trophy," he said. "Once I saw where some of the pins were it was a lot trickier and my game-plan was to hit as many greens as I could.

Create your own FJ ICON MyJoys design by clicking here. With over 2.5 million options available, you can definitely find your perfect shoe!

Tour Update - Madrid Masters

The Centro Nacional de Golf plays host to the Madrid Masters on the European Tour this week.

It is now getting to the business end of the season with players looking to cement their places in the Race to Dubai whilst at the other end of the scale players are looking to secure their playing rights on the European Tour for 2010. With this being one of the last events for the guys at the wrong end of the Race to Dubai, this week is a real pressure cooker situation for them with every Euro counting.

FootJoy ambassador's Carlos Del Moral and Mikko Ilonen both find themselves in this position. We wish them both well this week. Good luck boys!

Peter O'Malley was breaking in a new pair of FJ ICON's in Madrid as he looks to chalk up some more Euro's before he fly's back home for the winter to Australia. Pablo Larrazabal and Ross McGowan (pictured right) were also out and about in their FJ ICON's this week as they look to squeeze into the season ending Dubai World Championship. Ross has been wearing a pair of Black and white wing-tip ICON's for the past few weeks and it has certainly inspired his golf after he finished in 6th position last week at the Dunhill Links. Ross was joined by another 7 FootJoy ICON wearers, including Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald in the Top 10 finishers of last weeks tournament.

The FJ ICON has been a revelation on the European Tour since it's arrival a couple of months ago. On a weekly basis, the FootJoy European staff are hearing how light the shoe feels, how comfortable the shoe is and also the stability the shoe provides. The FJ ICON is truly an all round brilliant golf shoe, and with FJ ICON MyJoys now available, the number of designs and styles available are endless. Just ask Steve Webster after he collected some truly individual styles in St Andrews.

Ochoa Back on Top with Win at Navistar

Lorena Ochoa successfully defended her Navistar LPGA Classic title, shooting a final round 2-under 70 on Sunday for a four-stroke victory.

Ochoa finished at 18-under 270 on The Senator course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Capitol Hill complex to snap an 11-start winless streak dating to the Corona Championship in late April. The top-ranked Mexican star has three victories this year and 27 overall on the LPGA Tour.

"There are places where you feel comfortable and you feel a good vibe and you like the course," Ochoa said. "This has been really good for me. I feel comfortable here. I have a lot of good memories."

Ochoa wiped out her three-stroke lead coming into the day with a bogey and double bogey in the first five holes. She erased any drama with a birdie on No. 17. Ochoa has been wearing women's DryJoys since September and has finished in the top 10 the last four weeks, including a runner-up last week. She was wearing an all-white pair of DryJoys both Saturday and Sunday.

Life on the range at the Dunhill Links Championship

With the launch of FJ ICON MyJoys just around the corner we paid a visit to the FJ Tour Team at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. A pro-am format, with the Tour pros playing with their amateur partner for 3 consecutive days on 3 world class courses – Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and The Old Course at St Andrews, before a cut is made and a final round on the Old Course is run. Despite the Indian summer that most of the British Isles are seeing, St Andrews seems to have missed it all. The course looks in superb condition, if a little on the green side for a ‘true’ links, but a great test all the same.

Staying in a flat above the world-famous Auchterlonie’s Golf Shop we got to the course just after 8am on Tuesday to see a couple of groups already out on the course. Soon after opening up the truck FJ ambassador Brett Rumford comes in to get out of the rain briefly before his practice round. He should be ok though, he’s got his FJ Sport Rainwear from head to toe and is sporting the new FJ ICON shoes.

There’s a pile of shoes ready for collection, for the likes of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy (pictured right), Luke Donald and many more, many of them customised through the MyJoys programme.

The players soon start appearing on the range. We roll out to see a DryJoys wearing Martin Erlandsson (pictured right) head to toe in FJ Sport Rainwear fizzing some mid-irons into the breeze.

Its great to see a few bays down from him Robert Karlsson (below right) who is back in competition after a long lay-off due to an eye injury. The break hasn’t hurt him in the slightest, he’s striping a new driver to the far reaches of the range.

Australian Peter O’Malley comes in for a chat and is very interested in the new FJ ICON shoes, especially when we show him how he can get them to include his favourite colour – royal blue.  Here’s his chosen design, going for the Sport saddle with Boa lacing system, you can also see him choosing a pair from the stock line.

Coach Mark Roe comes in at the same time and quickly designs a couple of pairs of shield tip FJ ICON MyJoys, one with blue lizard, one in green lizard which he kindly refers to as ‘cabbage’ green.

Star of the recent Vivendi Trophy Rory McIlroy pictured below left) comes in with his dad who is his amateur partner for the week. Rory is soon on the computer putting together a snazzy pair of  white and orange lizard FJ ICON MyJoys, and then puts in some further orders with Tour rep Guy Smith.

Rory and his dad are used to the tough conditions so avoid too much practice and are happy to hang around in the truck and chat the club technicians in the back.

Back out on the range there is plenty of RainGrip glove use. In fact there are so many requests that the truck runs out! Peter Lawrie is putting one through its paces with a pair of DryJoys on his feet, and soon beside him on the range is Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, in a sweet pair of all black FJ ICONS.

Soren Kjeldsen (pictured below right) is a late visitor to the truck to pick up a couple of pairs of FJ ICONS. A conservative dresser, Soren doesn’t like to be too outlandish with his shoes, but seems happy with his design of a white/red Sport saddle FJ ICONS

And last, but by no means least, is Englishman Steve Webster (pictured below centre), who is the proud collector of 5 pairs of FJ ICONs! By his own admission he got carried away recently in the US when playing in a recent tournament, but has created some crackers, 2 on the asymmetric pattern: a white/blue and black/camo, and 3 stunning shield tips, a white blue, a white red, and a white purple. I think he’s quite happy with his choices….

Oh, and its still raining outside….

Sweet 60 for Cabrera Bello

FootJoy wearer Rafael Cabrera Bello, shot an impressive final round 11- under par 60, to win the Austrian Open in Vienna. The win was the Spaniard’s maiden European Tour Title which moved him into the elite field of 13 players to ever shoot 60. Going into the final round, the 25-year-old sat eight shots off the lead but managed to make up the deficit with a sensational burst that saw him hole a hat trick of birdies from the third and then four in succession from the eighth. Further impressive iron shots at the 13th and 14th saw the birdie train continue, moving the SciFlex wearer into the outright lead for the first time. A fine approach at the last set up an eagle opportunity which would have made Cabrera Bello the first player on the European Tour to shoot 59, but unfortunately his putt came up short. The Spaniard managed to hole out for birdie, earning him the first place prize of £145,507 with a final score of 20- under par.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf.

Tour Update - 2009 Austrian Open

The European Tour crossed the border from Germany into Austria this week to head to the fabulous Fontana golf course near Vienna.

The Fontana course is by far one of the best courses the players visit on the European Tour and the players can't wait to get out onto the fairways and the majestic greens.

FootJoy ambassador, Soren Hansen will head the field this week and is looking to continue his fine form and make it into the winners circle for the first time this season.

Hot on his heels will be the Australian compatriots Brett Rumford and Scott Strange who are also playing well and will be battling it out for top-spot. Brett was on the TTSV this week in fine form and showing off his new FJ shoes. Ross McGowan also collected his first pair of the new shoes in a stunning black and white wing-tip style. This is fairly "funky" for the young English man, so a couple more pairs of a reserved styles have been ordered for him.

Michael Hoey was working hard on the range in one of the new styles of SYNR-G shoe which will be available in early 2010. Michael really enjoys the support and stability the shoe has aswell as the supreme comfort. The shoe really has been a revelation on the European Tour this season.

FootJoy ambassador Pablo Larrazabal has been joined by his brother in the field for the second time this season. Alex also played at the French Open, and received a late invite into the event in Austria this week. Pablo was still wearing his favourite pair of White and chestnut style shoes. We can't seem to get them off his feet!

Next week will be a break for the European Tour as the Vivendi Trophy will be played in France where Europe will take on a GB & I team.  FootJoy will be the #1 shoe at the event with 15 of the 20 players putting their trust and their feet in FootJoy. Amongst those FootJoy wearers in the team will be Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and the in-form Chris Wood and Soren Hansen. It's sure to be an action packed week with plenty of great golf being played.

Super King Size

South African James Kingston hit back from four successive missed cuts in brilliant style, winning the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne after a play-off with fellow FootJoy ambassador, Dane Anders Hansen.

The 43 year old, who had not made a penny since The Open Championship in July, became the oldest winner of The European Tour season thanks to a four foot par putt on the first hole of sudden death at Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof.

Trusting FootJoy both on his feet, and in the form of a SciFlex glove, Kingston remained cool in the pressure-cooker environment of a playoff, and took home the trophy.

A second Tour victory for Kingston - his first was the 2008 South African Open Championship - earned him €320,000 and moves him up into the top 50 on The Race to Dubai after starting the week 116th.

Tour Update - 2009 Mercedes-Benz Championship

Cologne is the destination for the European Tour this week, for the limited field, Mercedes-Benz Championship at Golf Club Gut Larchenhof.

Key FootJoy shoe wearers Henrik Stenson, Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood head the star-studded field in Germany and all are looking to continue their fine form of this season and strengthen their positions in the Race to Dubai.

FootJoy ambassador, Michael Hoey (bottom right) was hard at work on the range this week after qualifying for the tournament by winning the Estoril Open de Portugal. He collected a brand new pair of FootJoy SYNR-G shoes. He has been wearing the shoe since the start of the season and loves the all round performance the shoe brings to his game.

The new shoe for 2010 is still the buzz word around the FootJoy wearers on the European Tour. Steve Webster was the latest player to pick up a pair this week and put them straight on his feet and headed out onto the fairways. He has also added some of the new custom styles available to him to his shoe collection. He will be seen in these in the next few weeks.

Anders Hansen collected a pair of the new shoe aswell whilst Jeev Milkha Singh added some DryJoys Tech to his wardrobe. Scandinavian Masters winner, Ricardo Gonzalez and China Open winner, Scott Strange have also placed orders for new shoe this past week to add to the growing number of wearers.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf

Stricker Leads the Way.

Following a disappointing finish at The Barclays where he missed a putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff, Steve Stricker (SYNR-G, PureTouch) rebounded in a huge way on Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship. With fellow FootJoy players Jason Dufner (New 2010 FJ Shoe) and Scott Verplank (ReelFit) waiting on the tee for a possible playoff, Stricker drained a 15-footer for birdie on the 17th hole then slammed the door with a clutch up-and-down for birdie from just off the 18th green to win by one. The victory was Stricker's third of the season, moved him up to a career-high No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking and gave him sole possession of the lead in the FedExCup standings heading to Chicago for the third of four playoff events.

To hear Steve Stricker's post round interview click here.

Tour Update - 2009 Omega European Masters

The bandwagon for the new FJ shoe continued to roll at the Omega European Masters in the Swiss Alps (pictured right) this week!! Many players are falling for its lightweight stability and traditional yet fashionable appearance. Many players continue to place orders and are asking questions about the MyJoys options. Watch out for some exciting and visible styles to appear in the coming weeks.

One player who is contracted to wear other shoes approached us this week to order some of the new shoes. He is getting no stability from the shoes he is wearing and will be stepping out in FJ’s at the Austrian Open.

Rory McIlroy (pictured right) returned to action in Europe after successful forays to the US last month and wore a new pair of white shield-tips for the pro-am on Wednesday. He is looking to go one better at Crans-sur-Sierre after his disappointment of a year ago.

Rory's not the only teenage superstar in the field this week. Seung-Yul Noh (pictured bottom left) is making a rare appearance on this side of the world, given the opportunity by the Omega European Masters being co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour. Already a winner on the Asian Tour at just 17, SY is looking to make an impression in Europe.

A European teenager was proudly wearing the shoes he collected at Turnberry on his way to becoming the amateur medalist at The Open. It has been an impressive summer for this young Italian who has shown maturity beyond his years to lift the Amateur Championship and lead the way in scoring at the European Men's Team Championship as well as his success at Turnberry. He has also made a fast start to this week's event in Switzerland.

3rd place finisher at The Open, Chris Wood, commented this week that the new shoe is the most comfortable golf shoe he has ever worn!! Chris has a very narrow foot and the N width options have been perfect for him so far. He has ordered more pairs for the rest of the season.

2007 champion Brett Rumford (pictured bottom right) seemed confident on his return to Crans-sur-Sierre. He spent lots of time working on his short game, as always, on the practice days and certainly made a very fast start to this year's tournament leading the way after an opening 62.

Open de Portugal champion, Michael Hoey (pictured bottom centre), chooses SYNRG and wore a new white pair on Tuesday's practice day.

Looking ahead to the Dunhill Links Championship at the end of the month, we have placed more new shoe orders for a big European Tour launch and also a few MyJoys orders for some recognisable players including a star from Hollywood and from the world of sport. Watch out for those in Scotland in a few weeks.

Slcoum SYNR_Gized in win at The Barclays

One week after Heath Slocum (SYNR-G, StaSof glove) wondered if he would even make it to the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, he finished off a compelling afternoon at Liberty National by making a 20-foot par putt on the 18th hole to win The Barclays by one shot.

"That putt was magical," Slocum said. "I'll remember that the rest of my life."

Slocum was tied for the lead with fellow SYNR-G loyalist Steve Stricker (SYNR-G & PureTouch glove) going to the final hole. Both hit into fairway bunkers off the tee and neither could reach the green. With several of the world's top players waiting in the wings for a playoff should neither make par, Slocum raised both arms in the air when his par putt broke gently back to the left and disappeared into the cup.

Stricker had a 10-foot par putt to force a playoff with Slocum but cringed when it caught the left lip. He closed with a 69 and finished in a four-way tie for second.

Slocum qualified for these Playoffs with two points to spare -- he was No. 124 out of 125 players who advanced to this postseason bonanza. His victory assures him a spot in THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola and a shot at the $10 million prize.

"That's what it's all about," Slocum said. "I was sweating it out last week. I didn't even know if I'd be here. I came in here with the attitude that I had nothing to lose."

He turned into a huge winner.

Slocum, who came into The Barclays at No. 197 in the Official World Golf Ranking, finished at 9-under 275 and earned $1.35 million for his third career PGA TOUR victory, and first in four years. He vaults from 124th in the FedEx Cup rankings to number three

Tour Update - 2009 Johnnie Walker Championship

It's been a mixed bag of weather so far this week at Gleneagles for the practice days. The players were bathed in sunshine on Monday and Tuesday before the heavens opened on Wednesday and made the Centenary Course a very damp place to be. The first job for the Tour Team was to get the Tour Truck gleaming after the long drive up to Scotland. (pictured right). Things were also getting interesting in the work shop of the truck with Karl Arthur appearing to suffer slightly from the fumes in the truck! (pictured bottom left)

With the weather being so nice on Monday and Tuesday, most players tried to cram in their practice on these days, however some players dared to brave the weather on Wednesday in order to acclimatise to the weather they are likely to face for the tournament.

FootJoy ambassadors Brett Rumford, Martin Erlandsson (pictured right), Peter O'Malley and Pablo Larrazabal were all wearing the correct gear and kept themselves as dry as possible in their FootJoy Sport  and FootJoy Performance outerwear. Unfortunately they have had to use their raingear a little too often for their liking this season on the European Tour.

FootJoy ambassador, Tano Goya, became the most recent recipient of a sample pair of the new FJ shoes (pictured bottom centre). He joins John Morgan, Carlos Del Moral, Pablo Larrazabal and Martin Erlandsson, who all collected a pair of these last week and are loving the new shoe. There has been some buzz on the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle by other players wanting to get their hands on a pair. Unfortunately for them, they will need to wait until next year when they become readily available.

The new shoes for 2010 are still being widely received by players and plenty of new orders are being taken. Steve Webster has placed an order for three new custom pairs along with Miles Tunnicliff and FootJoy ambassador Chinnarat Phadungsil. These will be with the players in the next few weeks, and will add a bit of colour to the European Tour fairways.

Tour Update - 2009 KLM Dutch Open

The KLM Dutch Open at Zandvoort, Holland, is the venue for this weeks stop on the European Tour Race to Dubai.

It has been a really busy week for the FootJoy leadership team, as this is the first week the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle (TTSV) has been out on the road since The Open at Turnberry.

The Leadership team has been busy distributing the new FootJoy shoe to the European Tour players, and the response to these has been nothing short of fantastic. All the players have commented on how light and comfortable the shoe is with the memory foam in the heel and tongue of the shoe and also the reduced weight of the TPU outsole. Players have slipped there foot into the new shoe and gone straight out to play without any issues.

Chris Wood collected a pair on his way to a 3rd place finish at The Open, and has placed additional orders for pairs already. FootJoy ambassadors Branden Grace and Robert Dinwiddie have also placed orders for more pairs of the shoe too. Miles Tunnicliff has also expressed an interest in creating his own designs when the shoes become available in MyJoys. The opportunities will be endless and we are even sure he will be able to create a pair which matches these trousers (pictured right)!

Austrians, Markus Brier and Bernd Wiesberger, put their new shoes on and headed straight for the range. Both were extremely happy.

Also a select group of players have been chosen to try another new FJ shoe which will be available at the beginning of 2010. Players wearing the shoe this week are Titleist and FootJoy ambassadors Pablo Larrazabal (Right), Carlos Del Moral and Martin Erlandsson; they are also joined by FootJoy loyalist and European Tour joker, John E Morgan. All players loved the styling of the shoe and also how light and comfortable they were. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for this eye-catching shoe on the fairways at Kennemer Golf and Country Club this week.

Oskar Bravo!

Sweden’s Oskar Henningsson (pictured right) claimed his maiden European Tour victory at the Moravia Silesia Open held in the Czech Republic. The FootJoy shoe and StaSof glove wearer secured a two shot victory over the field which included FJ collar wearer Steve Webster (tied second and pictured bottom right) and DryJoys wearer Ignacio Garrido (tied fourth).  The 23 year old started the day three shots behind Webster but after birdies at the first and fourth he moved into a share of the lead when his approach at the eighth fell to four feet, seeing him pick up yet another shot. Two more birdies on the back nine, saw Henningsson finish with a brilliant final round 67, giving the Swede a two shot victory at 13 under par. Henningsson, who won last autumn’s qualifying school, had a previous best tour finish of tied fourth and, with a winner’s cheque of €333,330 for this tournament, quadrupled his season’s earnings. The win also secured the Swede a two year exemption on Tour as well as moving him to 42nd in the Race to Dubai.

The event was a huge success for many FootJoy players with seven of the top ten players all putting their faith in FJ.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf.

Tour Update

SAS Masters

There was lots of talk in Sweden about the new FJ shoe, which many players saw for the first time at Turnberry. Branden Grace and Antti Ahokas, who had tested the shoe at home during his week off, both billed the shoe as the most comfortable they had ever worn!!

More and more players are now asking about this speacial shoe and we are taking plenty of orders. The introduction of the shoe into the MyJoys programme is being eagerly anticipated and we will start to take more custom orders soon.

Speaking of customs, I had a chat with Ross McGowan about the shoe we are working on for him. Ross has had some back problems due to a leg-length discrepancy and we are working together with his specialist and our experts in the US to build something for him to try.

There were plenty of FJ collars on display at the event in Barseback, including Kenneth Ferrie, Steve Webster, David Horsey, Callum Macaulay and Ricardo Gonzalez.

Young Spanish staffer Pablo Larrazabal was out in Tuesday's practice round in a pair of black shield-tip Classics, hoping for a return to form after a disappointing Open Championship.

 Moravia Silesia Open

After yet another Titleist ball win by Ricardo Gonzalez (pictured right)) at the SAS Masters, this weeks leg of the European Tours Race to Dubai moves to the south east of the Czech Rebublic and Prosper Golf Club in Celadna. It is the first time the tour has returned to the Czech Republic since 1997. The course measures 7155 yards Par72 and is very undulating.The Miguel .A. Jimenez designed course has thick rough around the putting surfaces and many water hazards but the main feature of the course is the mult tiered greens making good club selection vital and putting very tricky..

Pablo showed a return to form for the first 3 rounds last week but unfortunatley got off to a bad start on Sunday and his chances of contending fell away, but he is in high spirits and feeling a lot more confident about his game and will hopefully be high on the leaderboard in the coming weeks.

I walked some holes with Rob Dinwiddie and Seve Benson this week and they both looked in good form, as was FJ collar wearer David Horsey (pictured right).

The early pace maker appears to be Tano Goya who shot an impressive sven under par 65. Keep an eye on the FJ blog to see if Tano can repeat his first win which he experienced this year at the Madeira Islands Open.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf.

FootJoy Golf Days Prove a Success

The FootJoy golf days have just come to an end for the 2009 season. Two days have been hosted, one in Ireland and one in the UK, both proving to be very enjoyable events.  The days involved some of the Tour’s leading players giving up their time to socialise and play a few holes with some of FootJoy’s valued customers.

Carton House, Ireland – Monday 18th May 2009

Carton House, Ireland was the first port of call for the FootJoy team and with the line up on show, the day was sure to be a huge success. Among the invitees were a certain Padraig Harrington (right), a young talented Rory McIlroy (below left), European Tour winner Michael Hoey (below right) and an up-and-coming Gareth Maybin (below middle). The word soon got around that two of Ireland’s hottest sports stars were in town, and the public emerged, trying to get a glimpse of their heroes.
The day started with a clinic on the range and was compered by BBC commentator Shane O’Donoghue, who asked some testing questions to the players. A master class of shots was given by all four players before a long drive competition was won, for the second consecutive year, by Rory McIlroy. Heading out onto the course, each of FootJoy’s valued customers had an opportunity to play with all four Tour players, a good opportunity for them to see how their nerve held in the presence some of the best players in the world. The round was a relaxed affair until the groups reached the par 3 17th. This hole was entitled ‘Beat the Open Champion’. All players played the hole with Padraig, and if they were fortunate enough to beat him they would receive a signed €5 from his own wallet. Being the competitive person that Padraig is, he informed the FootJoy team that he wasn’t expecting to lose any money!  In the end he only had to hand over 2 signed €5 notes to a couple of worthy winners. The hole was made even more special for the guests as the two time Open winner brought along his Claret Jug and USPGA Trophy for a once in a lifetime photo opportunity.
With the pressure and delight of playing against these special players, the guests were ready to get to the 19th for a refreshing pint of the famous Irish Guinness. After another photo opportunity and prize giving, the guests headed back home, ready to tell all about the day they played with four great Tour players and also took on the Open Champion.

Bearwood Lakes, UK – Monday 27th July 2009

The second and last stop for the 2009 FootJoy golf days was Bearwood Lakes. Similar to the day in Ireland, the line up was very exciting. The valued customers were going to have the opportunity to take on Ryder Cup Player Graeme McDowell, 2008 Order of Merit winner Robert Karlsson and the charismatic Peter O’Malley. The range session was hosted by McDowell and Karlsson who put on a master class of shots as well taking the guest’s questions. The tall Swede was unable to hit shots due to an eye injury, but still contributed with witty banter with both Graeme and guests. One of the highlights form the range session came when Karlsson was asked what was it the made him win the Order of Merit. Graeme dutifully answered for him, it because he is great! The light hearted approach by both players helped relax the guests as they headed to the course for what was to be a very enjoyable round of golf.
With the sun shinning, and the course in impeccable condition, some fantastic golf was played in the company of the three Tour Players. The par 3 14th was the hole when the pressure was upped. As the guests made their way to the 14th tee they were greeted by Peter O’Malley.  The humorous Australian informed the groups that he was going to play against them and if they beat him they would receive a signed and framed £5 note. The wind was blowing into the players faces making it a tough 4/5 iron. Showing a similar competitive edge to Harrington, O’Malley was beaten only four times, once to a birdie and then again by a fortunate group who took advantage of his only bogey of the day. After taking on Peter on the 14th the groups made their way to the club house for a well earned drink, still discussing with each other the highs and lows of their round.

With two fantastic days at Carton House and Bearwood Lakes, the FootJoy Team are going to have work hard on next year’s days to ensure they are as successful and enjoyable as the 2009 events.

FJ #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf.

FJ

Gonzalez win's in Sweden

Ricardo Gonzalez (DryJoys & StaSof) won the SAS Masters at the Barseback Golf Club in Malmo, Sweden. The impressive Argentine birdied five of his last six holes, on the longest course in European Tour history (7,665 yards), to win by two ahead of fellow FootJoy wearer Jamie Donaldson. Spectators would never have guessed that the 39-year-old had struggled for form before the event, never finishing in the top ten all season. Gonzalez produced moments of magic in his final round, which included a holed bunker shot on the 17th which saw him move clear of the field. Closing with a four-under 69, Gonzalez finished on 10-under-par to claim the first place prize of €166,660.

The Argentine’s fellow FootJoy wearers pushed him hard with all of the top five placed players putting their faith in the #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf.

Behind the Ropes at the 2009 Open Championship

The FootJoy Marketing Team (pictured right) were on hand at this year’s Open Championship to introduce to the players a new shoe by FJ. The shoe will be available in the European Market from January 2010.  Keep your eyes open to see if you can which players are sporting the stylish shoe by FJ. Here’s an update as to what the team witnessed:

Set on the West coast of Scotland with views of Ailsa Craig rock (2nd Picture on the right) from most of the course, the setting for this year's Open Championship could not be more spectacular.

The course itself more than lives up to the bill, with tightly mown fairways, deep bunkers, and wrist-breaking rough (shown below). The weather over the most few months in this part of the world has been warm and wet, and as a result the course is a lovely green, but the rough is definitely to be avoided. We got a little creative with these shots to try and show just how penal it is.

Walking the course on Monday we started (fairly obviously) at the 1st hole.

A meagre 354 yards gives the impression of a simple opener, but with deep pot bunkers to catch both drives and approaches a par 4 is the order of the day. As the next few holes meander through the sand dunes, we catch up with Ian Poulter on the tee of the par 3 6th working out if it’s a 5 or a 6 iron. A six-iron into the front right pot leads to a change of club and a note in the yardage book. Ian was once again sporting the new FJ shoe in black/black caiman, and definitely was getting positive comments from his playing partners.

As the clouds and drizzle draw in, we retire to the hotel, and a meal in Troon. Seafood the order of the day - mussels recommended!

An early kick off on Tuesday and we're at the course by 8:30 and we again catch up with Ian, this time he is playing the back nine and is approaching the 17th green. He then hits 3 drivers off the 18th (pictured right), each one within 5 yards of the others, and then grabs his blackberry to take a snap of the view from the 18th tee and immediately posts in on his Twitter page.

As we pass off the pack of the 18th green we head to the putting green to have a chat with the ever-cheerful Pablo Larrazabal, who is sporting the new FJ shoe in the white/brown asymmetric pattern. He's loving the comfort, and the snazzy style suits him perfectly. Accompanied by his delightful girlfriend Gala he heads for the course.

Back at the range the FJ cabin is a busy place!

The players are hearing about the new FJ shoe and have been coming in to pick up their pairs. Nothing but positive comments for the styling, comfort and lightweight feel. Rory McIlroy (white/white saddle) and Lee Westwood (white/black sport saddle) are thrashing balls to the bottom corner of the range, and asking Rory about his shoes, he says they are as comfortable as any pair of golf shoes he has worn.

James Kingston (Pictured right) was another sporting the new shoe, as well as a colour co-ordinated SciFlex glove.

JB Holmes (pictured right) was hitting some monster drives as usual. He was also testing out a new Cobra 2 iron which has gone in the bag to keep the ball in play on the tight links fairways. JB will be relying on the stability of his SYNR-G’s to help him remain grounded as there is sure to be some testing weather conditions. Steve Stricker (pictured below speaking with Ryuji Imada) and Henrik Stenson were also putting their trust in SYNR-G during their practice rounds.

Charley 'The Hoff' Hoffman was seen on the range fashioning a sweet pair of the all white new shoe.

Any colour sir? The Tour players always like to colour co-ordinate their shoes with their outfits. The FootJoy Tour Team always go the extra mile to help the players look and feel good whilst they are on the course. Here is a sneak peak (pictured right) inside a box of different coloured spikes which may be on view this week.

The spotlight this week is well and truely on Padraig Harrington, with him looking to become the first players since Peter Thompson to win the Open in three consecutive years. The SYNR-G shoe wearer will be looking to carry his form from last week's Irish PGA Championships into the tournament this.

The world's biggest SYNR-G advert? Proud of the success of this great shoe, the team was keen to spread the story of the benefits of wearing the most stable shoe in golf.

 FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf.

2009 John Deere Classic

Steve Stricker followed a sizzling 61 on Saturday with 36 solid holes on Sunday to win the John Deere Classic by three strokes. As he’s done most of the season, Stricker relied on the comfort and stability of SYNR-G golf shoes to carry him through a long day. He also trusted the FootJoy Pure Touch™  glove.

Stricker completed his third round in the morning with a 3-under 68, then fired a 7-under 64 in the fourth round to finish at 264 for the tournament. That earned him his second PGA Tour win this year and sixth in all.

His approach to the 13th green in the fourth round stopped 3 feet from the cup, setting up a birdie that put him at 19 under, but he just missed two birdie putts on the 15th and 16th holes. His 11-footer on No. 15 rolled around the rim, and his 12-footer on the par-3 16th stopped a few inches from the cup. Stricker finally went to 20 under on the par-5 17th, tapping in for birdie after his 50-footer hit the rim.

His best shot was when he holed out from the fairway for an eagle on the par-4 No. 6 in the fourth round, his 98-yard shot clearing a bunker and landing in the cup to put him at 17 under. That tied him for the lead with fellow FJ player Zach Johnson, who was off the course long before Stricker.

Johnson finished tied for second with fellow FJ wearer Brett Quigley who also qualified for this week’s British Open with his top five finish. To compliment the fine display by FJ players, Matt Jones secured fifth spot in similar to fashion to that of Stricker looking stylish in SYNR-G shoes and an FJ Collar to match.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf.

Harrington Hits Form in Ireland

Padraig Harrington (SYNR-G shoes and Pure Touch™ glove) appears to have found his form at exactly the right time by winning the Irish PGA Championship held at the European Club. The win will boost Harringtons confidence as he heads to Turnberry for this week’s Open Championship, where he will be looking to become the first player since Peter Thompson to win the Open in three consecutive years.

The Dubliner has used this event as his Open Championship warm up in each of the last three years, preferring to play a links course in keeping with the testing conditions posed by the Open Championship.

Will Padraig manage to repeat his impressive form which he showed at Carnoustie in 2007 and Royal Birkdale in 2008? If the pattern continues as it has in the last two years, the Irishman will be a big contender to lift the Claret Jug (pictured right) for third time in as many years.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf

Tour update - 2009 Scottish Open

The latest stop on the Race to Dubai is The Barclays Scottish Open on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. This week’s field is exceptional strong with many visitors from the PGA Tour including FootJoy Classics players Adam Scott, Nick Watney (Pure Touch™ Glove) and Camilo Villegas (Pure Touch™ Glove).

Ross Fisher currently no. 4 on the Race to Dubai, is back on the European Tour after a great finish in the US Open. Ross will be hoping to continue his impressive run of form this week.

Scottish staffer Callum Macaulay broke out a new pair of white and black SYNR-G for his first appearance as a professional at the Scottish Open. He competed at Loch Lomond a year ago as an amateur.

Last year's leading money winner on the Challenge Tour, David Horsey, wore traditional plain black Classics on the practice day. He's not normally such a sober dresser and looks forward to being able to customise his shoes to match his colourful outfits. He was one of a number of players wearing a FJ logo on their shirt collars this week... Webster, Macaulay, Hoey, O'Malley and Ferrie were among the others.

Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Nick Watney were seen wearing Pure Touch gloves at Loch Lomond this week and will all be hoping to maintain their form into next week and The Open Championship at Turnberry.

The crowds at Loch Lomond would have been delighted by being able to follow a dream threeball to follow on Thursday. FootJoy ambassadors Rory McIlroy, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood were paired together. McIlroy and Poulter enjoyed steady first rounds, scoring three under two under respectively. Westwood found things tough as he is currently fighting a chest infection but still managed to card a respectable 73.

All players in the field this week will be keen to perform well ahead of next week’s Open at Turnberry.

 FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf

FJ at the Open Championship

From hotel and golf resort created by the railway boom of the Edwardian era, to wartime military hospital, airfield and Open Championship venue (not to mention scene of a highly memorable Open battle in 1977) Turnberry has a vibrant and colourful history. Nearly 140 of the world’s best golfers are gathering on the Ayrshire coast and once again more of them will be wearing FootJoy shoes than all other brands as they embark on their quest to write the next chapter of the Open Championship story at Turnberry.

How can FootJoy be so confident of the #1 shoe accolade? Comfort Zone readers will be more familiar than most with the fact that week-in week-out, over 6 out of every 10 players on the world’s major Tours choose to wear the #1 Shoe in Golf. What you may not know is that FootJoy has been the most worn shoe at The Open Championship every year since records have been kept – a figure that at Turnberry will total exactly 30 years.

The players of the modern age are more conscious than ever that the equipment they use makes a difference. And nowhere are the stakes higher and potentially the playing conditions more challenging than at an Open Championship. A truth that not only applies to golf shoes, but to golf gloves as well – a second category where FootJoy reigns supreme.

As the week goes on, the anticipation will increase as fans and commentators alike discuss the relative merits of Open Champion Padraig Harrington versus the young challenger McIlroy. The home challenge of Lee Westwood, Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter. The threat posed by big guns from overseas like Scott, Cabrera, Villegas, Stricker and Johnson. From FootJoy SYNR-G™ to ReelFit®. From DryJoys® to StaSof®, SciFlex™ and Pure Touch™ - each and every one of these players is carrying the FJ initials.

And without wishing to be seen as someone of a ‘glass half empty’ disposition, there is every chance that Open week will produce some of the weather that makes a tough links even tougher. With the prospect of sun, sand, wind, and rain (potentially all in one day!) there will be a good percentage of the field that will turn to the protection and performance of FJ Outerwear, making every day playable.

With the ultimate in shoe, glove and outerwear comfort and performance to rely on courtesy of FootJoy, the best players in the world will have the best possible chance to maximise their incredible talent and give themselves the opportunity to lay claim to the old claret jug. It promises to be another Open to remember on the Ailsa Links in the shadow of the old Station Hotel.

Open de France Tour Update

With the Race To Dubai really heating up, the two highest placed FootJoy shoe wearers, Rory McIlroy and Ross Fisher, positions 3 & 4 respectively, are sitting out the French Open this week in preparation for the Open at Turnberry in two weeks time. This will open the door to the other 10 FootJoy shoe wearers currently in the Race To Dubai top 20 to catch them up.

Last years winner, Pablo Larrazabal is really looking forward to defending the title he won last year. It is turning into a very special week for the Larrazabal family, as Pablo's brother, Alex, has joined him in the French Open field after qualifying for the tournament last week (pictured - right). This is exactly what Pablo did last year before storming to and emphatic victory over the Golf National course to claim his first European Tour title and helped him to become the Sir Henry Cotton, Rookie of the Year. Can lightning strike twice!?

Another player who loves this tournament is FootJoy wearer Soren Hansen, he finished in third place last year. He was in fine form this week and looking to improve on last years finish. New FootJoy ambassador and recent Irish Open winner Shane Lowry was hard at work on his game ready for the week ahead.

The big story of the week has been the launch of a new FootJoy shoe to the European Tour. Players came to visit the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle to collect their new shoes, and only positive responses were heard. The majority of comments included how light the shoes felt and how comfortable they were. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these on the players this week and the next few weeks. More styles will be released to the players at The Open Championship.

One player already wearing the shoe is Ian Poulter. It was good to see him again in Europe after a long spell across the Pond on the USPGA Tour. Ian will certainly fancy his chances this week as he has been showing some great form and can't be too far away from a win. He is joined in the field by Angel Cabrera, who will be looking to add to his Masters crown earlier in the season and SYNR-G and FootJoy PureTouch wearer, Padraig Harrington. FJ collar wearer Ricardo Gonzales was seen pounding balls on the range and looked to be in good form. And one final note to be made, the style and glamour of FootJoy is not confined to the players, as you can see from the stylish LoPro MyJoys on show below!

Perry Victorious in SciFlex®

Kenny Perry (SciFlex® Glove) fired a final round 7-under 63 en route to a Travelers Championship tournament-record 22-under 258.  He finished three strokes clear of David Toms. The 48-year old Perry led after each of the first two rounds, and trailed by a shot heading into the final round.  It was the 14th career victory for Perry and his second this season (he also captured this year's FBR Open).  With the victory, he also takes the lead in FedEx Cup standings, followed by FootJoy wearer Zach Johnson.
It was another good show for FootJoy shoe wearers with Perry’s four closest challengers putting their faith in FJ.

Tour Update - BMW International Open

As if we hadn't seen enough rain last week at the US Open at Bethpage, the heavens opened again this week in Munich for the BMW International Open.

With continuous rain for all three practice days, the course and practice range looked more like a swamp and FootJoy golf shoes needed to be swapped for wellington boots. It was so wet that there was a mini emergency on the Tuesday morning when the Titleist and FootJoy support vehicle began to sink! Luckily the expertise of our driver, Ian Martin, managed to bring this to a holt pretty quickly and normal service was resumed.

With all the rain about, plenty of players were putting the new FJ Sport range of outerwear through it's paces again. This has been a familiar story for the blog in recent weeks. Fingers crossed it won't have to be mentioned again for a while.

Henrik Stenson, fresh from his US Open trip, stopped by to collect a custom pair of brown SYNR-G shoes (Above right). He will definitely be needing these this week in the boggy conditions. Other SYNR-G wearers following in Stenson's footsteps this week include Rafael Cabrera-Bello and James Kingston.

Alessandro Tadini braved the weather and wore a funky pair of white and green Classics. He isn't afraid of a bit of colour in his wardrobe. Tadini can usually be found sporting a coloured SciFlex glove to match his shoes.

After an impressive performance in New York, Titleist and FootJoy sensation, Rory McIlroy, collected a FJ Sport Rainshirt and he has also been wearing the new FootJoy PureTouch since it became available. He is more likely to need a FootJoy RainGrip glove this week!!

FootJoy leads the way at Dundonald

When the weather got tough, FootJoy got going! The brutal weather at the 2009 Glenmuir Club Pro Championships had the professionals reaching for their tried and tested footwear to help them battle the fierce wind and rain that met them at Dundonald Links.

A total of 134 players, including winner James Lee, placed their trust in FootJoy; representing an impressive 84.3% of the total field compared to just 8.2% for the next shoe brand*. The shoes in play were a mixture of the new SYNR-G™, providing tremendous stability, ReelFit®, promoting laceless technology and custom comfort through the BOA™ lacing system, and DryJoys®, offering the proven stability and comfort that has become synonymous with the DryJoys brand name.

Lee, the Head Professional at Caerphilly Golf Club in Wales, sported Classics® on Day 1, but as the weather took a turn for the worse put SYNR-G in play for round 2 (the first time he'd ever tried them!) and they stayed put on his feet for rounds 3 and 4 which took him handsomely to the title. In addition to the FJ initials on his feet, the victor was also seen wearing FJ outerwear, which helped make every day playable.

* IFM Sports Marketing Surveys Glenmuir Club Professional Championship Survey 2009

FootJoy®.  The #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Another Gay Day

Brian Gay (Classics golf shoes, StaSof glove) earned his second win in his last five events and third of his career Sunday, dominating just as he did at the Verizon Heritage in April, to win the St. Jude Classic by five shots. He completed a wire-to-wire victory to earn the final berth into this week’s U.S. Open at Bethpage.

Gay led by only a stroke after each of the first three rounds, then shot a third straight 4-under 66 to pull away. He birdied three of the first six holes to take all the suspense out of the final round, and birdied the 18th hole to finish at 18-under 262. He needed only 100 putts to become only the fourth wire-to-wire winner in the tournament’s 52-year history.

Six players finished in the top five and ties and five of them trusted FootJoy golf shoes, including Gay, David Toms (T2), Bryce Molder (T2), John Senden (T4) and Paul Goydos (T4).

To hear Brian's post round interview, click hear

Jubilant Jeppe

FootJoy ambassador Jeppe Huldahl continued the recent phenomena of outsiders winning European Tour events at the Wales Open. The Danish player, who is ranked 377th in the world, moved to the European Tour this year after three years on the satellite Challenge Tour. His previous form never suggested that a win was on the cards after missing the cut in his previous three events. The 26-year-old from Copenhagen played admirably in the final 36 holes, where only one blemish was recorded on his card. Father-to-be Huldahl, started his final round as joint leader, and held on with remarkable poise, carding four birdies and, more significantly, no bogeys to claim the first place prize of £300,000.

Huldahl relied heavily on the performance of his FootJoy Classics and StaSof glove to overcome some torrid weather, where in 36 hours, nearly 6% of the annual rainfall hit the 2010 Ryder Cup venue.

Tour Update - 2009 Welsh Open

Finally the sun came out, and the outerwear and winter clothing could be put away, as the players arrived at Celtic Manor for the Wales Open and the home of the 2010 Ryder Cup.

FootJoy wearers and potential European Ryder Cup players, Pablo Larrazabal and Ross Fisher are looking for a good week in Wales. Pablo was out practicing hard on the course and he was also putting a prototype pair of FootJoy shoes through their paces to see how they would hold-up for him in tournament play. As you would expect from FootJoy, he had no issues with the shoes and is looking to give them a trial run this week.

The SYNR-G shoe is still creating a stir on the European Tour with more and more players wearing the shoe on a regular basis. David Frost is one of the latest converts as he wore a pair of all White SYNR-G. He joins the likes of Titleist and FootJoy staff players Brett Rumford, Callum Macaulay and Michael Hoey who are all wearing them week-in, week-out.

Titleist and FootJoy staff player, Bernd Wiesberger (pictured right), cracked open a new pair of FootJoy DryJoys (style 53742), and proceeded to unleash some huge drives down the practice ground. Fellow FootJoy staff players, Mikko Ilonen and Paul Waring tried to keep up with the young Austrian, but unfortunately they didn't quite have enough in the locker!

Next week there is a break for the Tour, however we will be back in two weeks time as the players head to St Omer. See you all then.

Stricker Srikes!

Steve Stricker clinched the Crowne Plaza Invitational following a tense three-way sudden death play-off. Stricker had a shaky start, allowing the field to claw back his early final round lead. His chances of winning looked all but over when he missed the green on the 17th, finding the fluffy grass behind the green. In true gutsy fashion, the SYNR-GISED Stricker holed his chip setting up the three man playoff. The gritty American claimed victory on the second extra hole when he put his approach to 3 feet from the cup and then confidently knocked in the birdie putt to win his fifth career title and claim the first prize of $1,116,000.

Stricker’s victory was performed in the seamless fusion of stability and exquisite styling of SYNR-G, complimented with the ultimate feel of a StaSof glove. The win moves Stricker to No.8 in the world rankings.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf.

Tour Update - 2009 European

More wind and rain greeted the players at The London Club in Kent, for The European Open. This is the third week in a row where the Titleist & FootJoy Tour team have been busy kitting players out with rainwear, woolly hats and winter mitts. Luckily for the players, the weather forecast looks like it will improve for the tournament days.

As you will see form the pictures, the players were well wrapped up for the practice days. Titleist and FootJoy staff players Martin Erlandsson (pictured right), Seve Benson and Pablo Larrazabal were putting the FootJoy Sport outerwear range to the test on the putting green and the course, whilst FootJoy shoe wearer John E Morgan made sure he didn't drop any of his sandwich down his nice new white and orange rainshirt.

Last years winner of the European Open, and on the back of a 2nd place finish at the BMW PGA Championship, Ross Fisher, was hard at work on the practice putting green with his caddie. He was joined there by FootJoy Classics wearer and FJ collar wearer, Phil Price and Frenchman, Michael Lorenzo -Vera.

FootJoy shoe wearers got to meet some of the FootJoy marketing team this week and helped to do some media work. Seve Benson was approached to help with the piece, however, he looked like he would rather be somewhere a bit warmer!

Players were also introduced to a selection of new shoes, which will be available to them a bit later in the year. Pablo Larrazabal (pictured right) stopped by the Titleist and FootJoy tour support vehicle to have a chat with Tour Rep Guy Smith, to discuss the features and benefits of these exciting new shoes. He was joined by one of the top coaches, Pete Cowen, who was also very interested to catch a glimpse of the new shoes.

Next week the tour heads to Wales and Celtic Manor for the Wales Open. Here's hoping for some better weather!

Tour Update - 2009 BMW PGA Championship

After last week's wet and windy conditions, the players were greeted by more wind at Wentworth, (the venue for the BMW PGA Championship) and the odd shower, so the rainwear was back on for the practice days. FootJoy player, Martin Erlandsson (pictured right) could be seen wearing the FootJoy Sport rainshirt in orange, whilst past winner of this tournament, Anders Hansen wore a short sleeve version in white and orange. Fingers crossed the sun will come out for the tournament days!

FootJoy shoe wearer Lee Westwood will be looking to challenge this week along with Henrik Stenson who is fresh from his victory at the Players Championship. Henrik was wearing the new FootJoy SYNR-G shoe whilst Lee could be seen sporting a pair of Custom Classics. Stenson also collected a special pair of custom SYNR-G shoes for the week ahead. Another player back on home soil for the week is FootJoy Classics wearer Luke Donald.

FootJoy collar wearers David Horsey (pictured right), Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Mark Foster, Michael Hoey and Steve Webster are all in the field this week and have all be working hard on the range during the practice days. Rafael and Michael were in the new SYNR-G shoes whilst the other plays put their trust and their feet in FootJoy Classics.

Back To Back for Zach

A day after matching the course record with a 10-under 60, Zach Johnson (SYNR-G style #53917, SciFlex) made a 12-foot birdie on the first playoff hole to repeat as the Valero Texas Open champion Sunday.

Seven months after winning for the first time at La Cantera Golf Club when the tournament was part of the Fall Series, Johnson’s even-par 70 was good enough for a 15-under 265 and forced the sudden-death playoff. Johnson now leads the FedEx Cup standings following his second victory of the season.

Click hear to listen to Zach's reaction to his impressive win.

FootJoy also enjoyed success at the Irish Open, with the winner choosing to put his faith and trust in FootJoy shoes and outerwear.

Tour Update - 2009 Irish Open

Rainwear, umbrellas, winter mitts and anything else to keep you warm, was the story of the week at the Irish Open. With plenty of wind, and rain forecast for the tournament days, all the players were getting themselves prepared for the elements.

The FootJoy Sport collection has been very popular and the players are loving the new 2009 styles. Seve Benson, Pablo Larrazbal and James Kingston were all seen sporting the outerwear just to name a few.

FootJoy shoe wearer Brett Rumford, tried the new FootJoy SYNR-G shoe for the first time in practice this week and loved the support and comfort. So much so, he has returned his Classics and ordered more pairs of SYNR-G for the season. He will join the likes of Padraig Harrington, Michael Hoey and Damien McGrane who will all be wearing SYNR-G on the County Louth GC links this week.

Alejandro Canizares placed an order for some more Custom MyJoys in the Contour style as did Gareth Maybin, who ordered an all white pair of DryJoys with his national flag on each heel. These are to replace the pair that did him so well last week for his top 10 finish at the Italian Open.

Lee Westwood (pictured right) and FJ collar wearer, Steve Webster, both picked up pairs of  FootJoy DryJoys for the week.

FootJoy shoe wearers Rory McIlroy and Ross Fisher were also back in Europe for the first time since the Dubai Desert Classic. They were both in the customary FootJoy Classics and looking forward to getting back down to business on the European Tour and moving their way up the Race To Dubai Order of Merit.

Swede Victory for Stenson

Henrik Stenson (FootJoy Classics) won THE PLAYERS Championship with a flawless final round Sunday, firing a bogey-free 6-under 66 for a four-shot victory. Starting the day five shots behind the leader, Stenson notched the second largest comeback in PLAYERS history and matched the largest rally on the Stadium course en route to victory.

Stenson finished at 12-under 276, four shots clear of Ryder Cup teammate Ian Poulter. John Mallinger (70) and Kevin Na (70) tied for third as FootJoy players swept the top four positions.

The Swede tied for the lead with a chip-in birdie from just off the seventh green and took the outright lead with a two-putt from 55 feet on the fringe at the par-5 ninth. He never looked back and found himself lifting the crystal trophy at the end of the day for his second PGA Tour victory.

He stretched his lead with a pitching wedge into 2 feet for birdie on the 15th, then two-putted for another birdie on the 16th, taking some of the fear factor from standing on the 17th tee, staring at an island.

Once his ball found land, it was over.

“I could afford to go bogey-bogey and still win it,” Stenson said. “That’s always a handy situation to be in.”

FootJoy continues to be the shoe of choice with 63% of this week's field choosing to put their faith and trust in the #1 Shoe in Golf.

Tour Update -BMW Italian Open

This weeks leg of The Race to Dubai moves to Torino in northern Italy. The Royal Park GC , which sits in the shadows of The Alps, is a new venue for the BMW Italian Open and has been highly praised by many of the players. The Royal Park hosted a Challenge Tour event in 08 which was won by Titleist and FootJoy Staff player Seve Benson.

The Robert Trent Jones Snr designed course measures 7222 yards and is Par 71. Royal Park  boasts some great views up to the mountains but the players will need to be fully focused on their golf because the softly rolling tree lined fairways lead to very small, undulating, quick greens.The rough, both off the fairway and greens also looks extremely penal if you stray off line. The winner this week will need every part of his game to be sharp.

Players are continually impressed with the new FootJoy SYNR-G shoe. Alan McLean wore them for the first time last week at the Spanish Open and said "they are the best pair of FootJoys' I have ever worn." Players wearing the shoe this week include Titleist and FootJoy Staff Players, Peter O'Malley and Callum Macaulay. They could also be seen on the feet of Scotsman Chris Doak, the charismatic, John E Morgan (pictured right), and Englishman, Barry Lane.

Titleist and FootJoy Staff Player, Brett Rumford collected new DryJoys Sport rainwear along with fellow countryman Peter O'Malley. Both players are hoping not to put it into test this week in Italy, but I'm sure they will find use for it next week when we head to County Louth for the Irish Open.

Champagne Victory for Levet

Frenchman Thomas Levet carded a 4-under-par 68 to win the Open de España by two shots. Levet fought off a succession of challenges to claim his fifth European Tour title, a record amount of wins for a French player. Defending champion and DryJoys ambassador Peter Lawrie performed well again, finally finishing tied third. Levet dedicated his win to Seve Ballesteros who is still undergoing chemotherapy for a brain tumour.

The 40-year-old Frenchman claimed the first prize cheque of €330,330 in the ultimate style and comfort of FootJoy Classics.

FootJoy continues to be the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf with 69% of this week’s field choosing to put their faith and trust in FootJoy.

Kelly captures Zurich wearing SYNR-G and Sciflex

After enduring a seven-year winless streak, Jerry Kelly shot a final round 1-under 71 to capture the Zurich Classic by one shot on Sunday. Kelly, a longtime SciFlex fan, has also worn SYNR-G shoes since their debut this year. He wore style #53883 during the final round.

Kelly offset bogeys on No. 8 and No. 10 with birdies on Nos. 5, 11 and 14 for a 1-under 71 in the final round. He finished with a 14-under 274 total, one stroke ahead of three players. It was the 42-year-old Wisconsin player’s first PGA Tour title since he won two in 2002 – exactly 200 starts ago.

His first title since claiming the Sony Open and Advil Western Open in 2002 provided Kelly with his biggest payday ever. The winning purse moved Kelly from No. 97 to No. 14 on the money list with $1.4 million. It also earns him full exempt status through 2011 and an invitation to the Master next year.

“It’s been a long time,” said Kelly, who was showered with Mardi Gras beads by fans and presented with a large tray of char-broiled oysters by his favorite New Orleans restaurant. “I sometimes doubted if it was ever going to happen again.”

Kelly, known for showing his emotions on the golf course, was in full celebration mode after the win. He took the umbrella from the parade marshal, donned his tasseled sash and danced his way off the 18th as the brass band played an exuberant Dixieland tune.

Ochoa continues to dominate

Mexican Lorena Ochoa shot a 5-under 68 on in her final round to win the Corona Championship for the second straight year. The FootJoy shoe wearer was in impressive form having posted two consecutive rounds of 65 on Thursday and Friday. Ochoa, who won last year’s tournament by 11 shots, didn’t have such an easy time despite finishing the tournament with exactly the same score. The 27-year-old Mexican drew on her experience with important birdies at 15 and 16 which helped secure her 26th Tour Title and maintain her position as the world’s #1 lady golfer.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf

Tour Update

Top European Tour Representative, Jonathan Loosemore has been busy this week the European Tour is in Jeju, otherwise known as "The Honeymoon Island," where a strong field is assembled for the second Ballantine's Championship, an event tri-sanctioned with the Asian Tour and Korean PGA Tour. Last year's winner was the affable Irishman and FJ ambassador, Graeme McDowell, who was sporting a smart pair of brown Classics during his practice round. 

One of the main challengers at this year’s event is likely to be Lee Westwood (pictured here he is on the 1st tee on pro-am day, wearing a brand new pair of white Classics).

One of the local favourites is the newest addition to FJ's exciting worldwide team of ambassadors, Korean teenage sensation Seung-Yul Noh. The youngest winner on the Asian, he surely has an exciting future ahead of him.

Another of our young FootJoy players on good form is Carlos Del Moral from Spain (pictured right). Here he is warming up on Wednesday wearing his new FJ outerwear.

FootJoy continues to be the #1 Shoe of choice with 70% of this week’s field choosing to put their faith in FootJoy Shoes.

Strange Habit

FootJoy wearer Scott Strange (FootJoy Classics) won the Volvo China Open after shooting a final round four-under-par 68, which included five birdies. The impressive finish secured victory for Strange who finished eight-under-par 280, one shot ahead of a fellow FootJoy wearer. The 32 year old Australian overcame the damp conditions in style, choosing to put his trust in FJ outerwear, helping make every day playable. The tournament started brightly for many FootJoy wearers,  none more so than the 2007 Champion Marcus Brier who lead after the first round. Brier secured a top ten finish in the stability of the SYNR:G and the style and comfort of ReelFit.

The  second European Tour Title for Strange earned him the first prize cheque of $366,660 and also wins a place in the 16-man field for the World Match Play Championship in Spain later this year.

FootJoy continues to be the #1 Shoe on the European Tour with 67% of the field at this week’s event choosing to put their faith in FJ.

Gay Dominant

Brian Gay shot a 7-under 64 Sunday to win the Verizon Heritage by an astounding 10 shots. He broke the 13-year-old scoring record, finishing at 20-under 264 on the way to his second PGA TOUR victory. Gay wore all-white shield tip Classics Dry Premiere and a StaSof glove in the final round.

Gay admitted he found validation in his second PGA Tour victory, which was the largest margin of victory on Tour in almost three years. His first win came last year at the Mayakoba Golf Classic which is contested opposite the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Gay bested Loren Roberts’ mark of 19 under in winning the 1996 Verizon Heritage. Gay’s 10-shot edge over fellow FootJoy players Luke Donald (66) and Briny Baird (68) shattered the seven strokes five-time champ Davis Love III won by in 1998.

Besides a $1.026 million first prize, Gay earned a trip to his first Masters next year.

Gay began the day with a three shot lead and essentially wrapped things up two holes. He struck his approach to 10 feet on No. 1 for a birdie to increase the lead to four. A hole later, he rolled in a curling, uphill 57-footer for an eagle-3, raising his putter as the ball disappeared into the cup.

Cabrera wins US Masters

Angel Cabrera (Classics) became the first Argentine to win the green jacket at Augusta National on Sunday by surviving an up-and-down final round followed by a three-man sudden death playoff with fellow FootJoy players Kenny Perry (SciFlex glove) and Chad Campbell (Classics, prototype glove).

After closing with a final round 1-under 71, Cabrera drove into the trees on the first playoff hole, hit another shot off a Georgia pine, but still scrambled for par with an 8-foot putt. He won on the next playoff hole with a routine par on the 10th when Perry missed the green to the left and made bogey.

Cabrera, who won the U.S. Open at Oakmont two years ago, won his second career major and the first green jacket for Argentina.

It was 41 years ago when Roberto de Vicenzo made one of golf’s most famous gaffes, signing for the wrong score that denied him a spot in a Masters playoff.

De Vicenzo gave Cabrera a picture of a green jacket two years ago when Cabrera returned home as U.S. Open champion and told him to go for it. On this turbulent day, it took everything Cabrera had.

He closed with a 1-under 71 to get into the first three-man playoff at the Masters in 22 years.

“This is a great moment, the dream of any golfer to win the Masters,” Cabrera said through an interpreter during the green jacket ceremony. “I’m so emotional I can barely talk.”

As with most Masters tournaments, the final few holes were filled with near-misses and “what-could-have-been” moments. Campbell, who was steady throughout the day, finished with a 69 and was eliminated on the first playoff hole when he found a bunker from the middle of the 18th fairway, then watched his 6-foot par putt barely lip out of the hole. Perry did not make a birdie until his 20-foot putt on the 12th curled into the side of the cup. Campbell, playing in the group ahead, narrowly missed two eagle putts on the back nine to forge a brief share of the lead.

Then it looked like Perry had the green jacket buttoned up when he hit his tee shot to within a foot of the cup on the par-3 16th hole for a two-shot lead over Campbell and Cabrera, who made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th just to stay in the game. However, Perry bogeyed his final two holes setting the stage for the playoff.

Michael Hoey and FootJoy prove to be a perfect SYNR-G.

Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey claimed his first European Tour victory at the Estoril Open de Portugal in a tense playoff. Hoey produced one of the rounds of his life to surge to the top of the leaderboard with an impressive five under 66. The thirty-year-old Hoey had started the day five shots off the lead down in 19th place, but his impressive final round saw him tie with Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano at the top of the leaderboard to force a playoff. The playoff began with two more trips down the 18th both of which were halved with pars. The man from Belfast finally got his hands on the trophy after a great up and down for par on the 17th. The win secured Hoey the first place prize of £192,755 and more importantly a two-year exemption on the European Tour.

FJ Collar wearer Hoey strode to victory in the new FootJoy SYNR-G shoe which gave him a solid platform to experience his maiden European Tour victory.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf.

Smiling Soren

Four months after claiming his maiden European Tour title,  Soren Kjeldsen clinched the Open de Andalucia in Seville. The 33 year old Dane set himself in good stead going into his final round after recording a course record and career best 62 during his penultimate round. The final round proved a tense battle between Kjeldsen and his fellow FootJoy wearer David Drysdale (DryJoys). The pair were locked with three holes to play. It was Kjeldsen who dug deep to finish with a level par 72, to claim a three shot victory and the first place prize of £156,000. Kjeldsen now heads to Augusta for his Masters debut at his highest ever ranked position in the world – just outside the top 40.

Kjeldsen’s win was experienced in the style and comfort of FootJoy Classics and StaSof glove. The Dane was in good company with 65% of the field also putting their trust in the #1 Shoe in Golf.

The European Tour heads to Portugal this week for the Estoril Open

Behind the Ropes with the FJ Tour Team

The Open de Andalucia proved to be an exceptionally hectic week for the FootJoy European Tour Team. This is the first week the Tour has been back in main land Europe and with that the first chance the players have seen the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle (TTSV) since the end of the 2008 season back in November.

The TTSV has undergone a new livery since then and has also been given a big spring clean ready for the new season. Unfortunately the heavens opened on Tuesday and the truck became a very wet a muddy place to be. It did however give the opportunity for players to come and collect some of the new stylish DryJoys Sport collection in both long and short sleeve, and jackets and rainshirts. This was certainly the talk of the range as the Tour stock ran out very quickly. I suspect many players weren't expecting rain in Spain and hadn't prepared themselves for this eventuality!

This week also proved exceptionally popular for the new FootJoy SYNR-G shoe. Over 20 FootJoy wearers came and collected a new pair of the shoes. There were plenty of positive comments from the players, who liked the support and comfort the shoe brought straight from the box. Players that collected the shoe this week included Gregory Bourdy, Pablo Larrazabal, Markus Brier, last weeks tournament winner Estanislao Goya, last weeks runner-up and FJ collar wearer Callum Macaualay, the ever bubbly John E Morgan and Titleist and FJ ambassadors Bernd Wiesberger and Michael Hoey.

Players who collected SYNR-G this week are:

Greg Bourdy
Pablo Larrazabal
Markus Brier
Estanislao Goya
Ignacio Garrido
Rafael Cabrera-Bello
Wil Besseling
Daniel Willett
Michael Hoey
Eirik Tage Johansson
Bernd Wiesberger
Chris Doak
Callum Macaulay
Alfredo Garcia-Heredia
John E Morgan
Antti Ahokas
Carl Suneson
Pedro Linhart

Players who collected the new DryJoys Sport include

Callum Macaulay
Estanislao Goya
Branden Grace

Fast Start for Goya

Argentina’s Estanislao Goya (FootJoy Classics) won his first European Tour tile, holding off the challenge from his fellow FootJoy wearer Callum Macaulay (FootJoy DryJoys and FJ Collar) to claim the Madeira Islands Open. The 20-year-old Goya, started his day with a three shot lead, finally closing with a 2-over 73 to finish on 6-under 278. Macaulay had been 11 strokes behind with nine to play but managed to birdie eight of the last nine for a back nine total of 28, finishing on a final round of 64 which equalled the course record. Goya’s win earned him €116,660 and catapults him from 150th to 50th in The Race to Dubai.

FootJoy continues to be the #1 Shoe on Tour with 66% of this week’s field putting their faith in the style and comfort of FootJoy shoes.

Time to Celebrate

Lorena Ochoa won the Honda LPGA Thailand on Sunday for her 25th career title, easily overcoming an early deficit and pulling away for a three-stroke victory in her season debut. Meanwhile, down in Mexico, Mark Wilson took over the lead of the Mayakoba Golf Classic for good with two early birdies Sunday, yet had to fight through some wobbly play down the stretch to earn his second career PGA TOUR victory.

The top-ranked Mexican star, three strokes off the lead at the start of the round, erased the deficit in just three holes en route to a final round 6-under 66.

Ochoa took the outright lead at 10 under on No. 5, added a birdie on the par-5 sixth and pulled away with birdies on the par-3 eighth and par-5 11th and 13th. She bogeyed the par-3 16th, got the stroke back with a birdie on the 17th and parred the 18th.

“It’s been a great week,” Ochoa said. “My goal was to win the tournament, and here I am with the trophy. I’m pleased. I played exceptionally well.”

Ochoa finished at 14-under 274 — shooting 71-69-68 the first three days — and earned $217,500 for her second consecutive, season-opening victory. Last year, she opened with a victory in Singapore in the HSBC Women’s Champions and went on to win five of her first six events. She will be in Singapore next week for her title defense.

“This is a good preparation for next week, as the course is pretty much the same,” Ochoa said. “I will take a rest and will be ready to defend my title on Thursday.”

Kangratulations!

Anthony Kang of the United States rolled home a short birdie putt at the final hole to snatch a one stroke victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open from a determined chasing pack.

The 36 year old began the final round two shots behind fellow FJ wearer Adam Blyth of Australia but closed with a five under par 67 at Saujana Golf and Country Club to win the US$ 2million event, which is co-sanctioned by The European Tour and the Asian Tour.

“It feels wonderful,” said the Kang. “I’ve been playing in Malaysia since 1996 or 1997 so to finally win this event, I’m speechless”

Putting his trust in the revolutionary ReelFit™ shoes meant Kang could stride comfortably to victory. These shoes do away with traditional laces but use 49 strands of aircraft grade stainless steel to form one stainless steel lace which is micro-adjusted by the discreet dial located on the heel of the shoe. A SciFlex™ glove finished off the ensemble nicely.

The chasing pack was primarily made up of FJ wearers, indeed 9 of the final 10 places were filled by golfers putting their faith in FootJoy. Classics® wearer David Horsey fired a fantastic back 8 of 29 to finish at 16 under pair, while hot on his heels was Gareth Maybin, sporting some classy MyJoys®, and new DryJoys® convert South African Louis Oosthuizen, who continued his fine form with a closing 65.

Kang moved up the leaderboard early on with three birdies on the front nine and was two shots in front of the field on 17 under after further birdies on the 11th and 13th.

“The last three rounds is probably the best golf I’ve played so far. I think I made only one bogey which was on the 15th hole,” he said, having found himself 12 strokes off the lead after shooting a two over 74 in the opening round.

FJ Collar wearer Horsey’s magnificent final round of 64 gave the 23 year old Challenge Tour graduate his best finish on The European Tour to date.

He said: “I am pleased - I would have certainly taken that score at the start of the day but then there is a little bit of disappointment not to win having gone so close. I am very pleased with how I have applied myself.

FJ - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Comeback kid

Nick Watney (FootJoy Classics) began the day five shots off the lead but remained near the top of the leaderboard through 15 holes on Sunday. When the leaders stumbled coming down the stretch, he seized the moment by converting two huge birdies over the final three holes to rise up and win the Buick Invitational.

Watney, who wore FootJoy’s new SYNR-G style on Saturday, knocked in a 40-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-3 16th, then completed his five-shot rally with a two-putt birdie on the 18th hole to capture his first win since the 2007 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He closed with a 4-under 68 for an 11-under 277 total that also earned him a trip to the Masters.

Watney was five shots behind going into the final round and was an afterthought most of the day, never getting closer than two shots until the tournament swung in his favor on the 16th.

While the leader struggled to a bogey, Watney calmly stared down a 40-footer from just off the green that broke sharply to the left. His pace was perfect, the ball caught the left edge and dropped, and Watney widened his eyes and pumped his fist.

That gave him a tie for the lead, and after exchanging pars with the leader on the 17th, he came up with the shot that mattered on the 18th, finding the top shelf of the green and coaxing his long eagle putt a few feet away. When his competitor missed his chance to force a playoff, Watney calmly rolled in his birdie putt for the victory.

The Desert Diary

No wonder the players like the Desert Swing. Five star hotels, manicured fairways and some warm early season sunshine in which to hone their games. The fields have been strong and the FootJoy Tour Team has had its hands full keeping up with player requests.

World Cup winner Henrik Stenson is a Classics devotee. At Qatar it was time to collect three pairs to kick-off the 2009 season. Ross McGowan also paid the team a visit. Now in his second full year on Tour, Ross takes meticulous care over his equipment and always checks his gloves for fit before putting them into play. The young Englishman from Cheam is another who is already playing in SYNR-G.

Spaniard, Alejandro Canizares, has been busy designing custom Contours on the MyJoys website. At Abu Dhabi he collected two pairs. The first, black with a white saddle and the second pair a white shoe with a blue lizard print saddle - both very striking! Keep you eyes peeled for these.

Alejandro was amongst a group of Spanish players and FootJoy wearers including Alvaro Velasco and Pablo Larrazabal, who were admiring Jose maria Olazabal’s ball striking on the range in Dubai – and we hope taking note of Jose Maria’s sartorial elegance completed perfectly with a pair of Custom Classics.

Those of you catching-up with the coverage of the Desert Swing events on television may have spotted players sporting the FJ logo on their collars. Peter O'Malley, Ariel Canete, Kenneth Ferrie (back from a season on the PGA Tour), Steve Webster, Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Ross McGowan all featured in the coverage.

After Dubai, it’s out to Malaysia and Australia before the first WGC events of the year come into view for the big guns. We’ll keep you posted.

Meet Team FJ - Ross Fisher

At the Dubai Desert Classic.

1. Heads or Tails?
"Heads the majority of the time, although they do say tails never fails."

2. Can you remember your first ever pair of FJ’s? What were they?
"Crikey, I have no idea, it was so long ago. My Dad always used to want me to dress the best he could so I'm guessing I was very young."

3. What’s the first word you think of when you think of FJ?
"Classic. Traditional. It's the best quality golf shoe by far."

4. Favourite pair of FJ’s?
"My all white Classics (50672)"

5. Favourite golf course?
"Here, actually (Emirates GC). Loch Lomond and Kingsbarns would also be high on the list. I've done well at all those courses before."

6. Funky or traditional?
"Traditional with a little bit of funk, but not too much. I generally dress very traditionally but like to throw in a funky shirt or pair of trousers every now and again."

7. Beer or wine?
"Neither, I don't like beer or wine. I drink very rarely but when I do, I'll have a vodka and lemonade or something."

8. What did you do for New Year's Eve?
"My wife and I had a few friends round and we had a quiet night in."

9. Which football team do you support?
"I don't really. I'm not really a football fan, I prefer rugby to football."

10. If you weren’t a golfer what would you be?
"I don't know, I've never thought about it. Golf has been what I've always wanted to do. Maybe testing cars of devising computer games would be fun."

11. How much money do you have in your pocket right now?
"I have two tees and a glove but no money."

12. If your life was a film, who would play you?
"Will Smith!! He's such a good actor and so funny. I'd like him to play me."

13. What book are you currently reading?
"Nothing. I don't enjoy books. I prefer to flick through a magazine or play X-Box games."

14. Who is the biggest joker on Tour?
"One of the Spaniards, I'd say."

15. Which song always gets you on the dance floor?
"I don't know, there aren't many songs that can get me on the dance floor. I'd have to have had a few drinks too!!"

16. Who is the worst dressed on Tour?
(Consults with caddie, Adam) "Rod Pampling last week in Qatar, defiinitely!!"

17. What about your body would you change?
"I'd be more flexible. My flexibility is horrific, but I'm working hard on it."

18. Who has the best nickname on Tour?
"It's got to be one of the caddies. Not too many players have nicknames. There's "Whitney" Houston, of course though!!"

19. Who is the worst roommate on Tour?
"I don't share with too many people. He's not on the tour at the moment but James Heath's pretty bad. He's really untidy and will wake up in the middle of the night and turn his computer on or start doing push-ups or something!!"

20. Which 3 people (pros/celebrities) would make up your ultimate 4ball?
(Argues with caddie and doesn't come up with any names at all!!)

21. Which band would you like to be in?
"Girls Aloud. Kick Ginger out and I'll take her place among the others."

22. On Tour who is the last person to buy a round?
"Jamie Donaldson, although my caddie's pretty slow on the draw (another argument ensues.)

23. Who is the worst loser, ie the most competitive person on Tour?
(Caddie butts in) "You, you're a shocking loser." (Ross doesn't disagree) "I try to be a gracious loser but I'm very grumpy if I don't win."

24. What is your favourite golf film?
"Happy Gilmore, maybe? No, sorry, Caddyshack. Caddyshack's the best golf film although Happy Gilmore was funny too."

25. When was the last shank you hit?
"The last really memorable one was at the Q-School in 2005, round 4, 6th hole at San Roque. I shanked a 3-iron from the fairway out of bounds and made 6. I parred 7 and 8 and eagled the 9th, my last hole, to make the cut by a shot!!"

26. Looks or personality?
"Personality."

27. Green Jacket or Claret Jug?
"Claret Jug all day long. I'd love a green jacket one day too, though!!"

28. Drive for show or putt for dough?
"Putt for dough. I used to say drive for show but I'm not one of the longest any more. I'm long when I don't need to be sometimes (referring to the Dunhill Links playoff). (Caddie chips in) "If you'd have putted for dough that week, we wouldn't have even been in the playoff!"

29. What would we not know about you?
"My wife's having a baby in July, due the week of The Open."

Thanks Ross, and congratulations on your happy news!

What's the Story? Rory's Glory

It was always just a matter of time before Northern Irish sensation Rory McIlroy claimed his first victory, and after a dramatic final round at the Dubai Desert Classic, Rory now has his name on his first professional trophy.

The 19 year old carded a final round of 70, which included just 5 pars, but crucially saw him take the coveted title by a single shot. After starting with 3 birdies, McIlroy stumbled a little before reeling off an impressive 5 bridies on the trot around the turn. And in spite of a determined chasing pack, Rory executed an impressive up-and-down from the greenside bunker on the 72nd hole to take the title.

McIlroy admitted that the pressure had made it difficult, saying: “You see guys coming down the stretch with a four or five shot lead, and you think it’s easy – but it’s not. You still have to play the shots, and you still have to hole the putts."

The win elevates Rory to 16th in the World Rankings and to an impressive 2nd in the Race to Dubai standings. His maiden victory was all the more impressive given the quality of the chasing pack, including fellow FJ wearers Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer and European #1 Robert Karlsson.

Rory's shoe of choice was a pair of all white FJ Classics style #50607. In fact FJ was the shoe of choice for the majority of players at the Dubai Desert classic, with 70% of the top 10 opting to put their trust, and their feet, in FootJoy.

FJ - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Hi Five for FJ!

FootJoy wearers were at the head of the field at the end of play on Sunday at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, as the top 5 finishers all chose to put their trust in FootJoy golf shoes.

Henrik Stenson underlined his love for the Gulf Swing with another outstanding performance, including two rounds of 66, but was left ruing a level par 72 on Friday. Tied for second with Stenson was South African Louis Oosthuizen, who continued his fine run of form over the past few weeks to finish on a very impressive 16 under par.

While Stenson and Oosthuizen opted for FootJoy Classics®, Irishman Damien McGrane stormed through the field sporting a pair of the new SYNR-G™. By his own admission Damien's swing involves a degree of lateral movement in his lower body, and the unparalelled stability of SYNR-G has given him a firm base to hit from, something he clearly enjoyed in Qatar. And completing the top 5 was Dutchman Maarten Lafeber whose strong finish has helped him climb up the Race to Dubai standings and given him entry into this week's tournament in Dubai.

FJ - #1 Shoe in Golf

09 Commercialbank Qatar Masters Shoe Count

FootJoy - 54%

Nearest Competitor - 24%

FootJoy Year to Date - 65%

Aloha means victory for Johnson

Zach Johnson (new DryJoys style #53753, StaSof glove) didn’t have to wait long to see his offseason work payoff, winning his second start of the year at the 2009 Sony Open. Following a month off during which he went “back to basics” and made some equipment changes, Johnson followed up a T6 at the Mercedes Championship with his fifth career win on Sunday at the first full field event of the season. Johnson finished with a 5-under 65 for a 15-under 265 total and a two shot win over fellow FootJoy players Adam Scott (Classics) and David Toms (DryJoys Traditional) who tied for second at 13-under.

 FJ #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Shoe Count: 2009 Abu Dhabi Championship

FootJoy - 55%

Nearest Competitor - 24%

FootJoy Year to Date - 66%

Great Dane

Anders Hansen held his nerve on the final hole of the Joburg Open to claim a birdie and win the title from Andrew McLardy.

The Dane was level with McLardy at 14 under going to the par five 18th hole, and gave himself every chance of winning by leaving his second shot 25 feet from the hole.

He missed the eagle chance, but made birdie from three feet to finish with a 15 under 269 total and see off South African McLardy, who had chances to pick up shots over the closing holes.

Hansen’s final round five under 66 was enough to claim the €174,350 prize on his way to a third European Tour title.

He said: “I think it means a lot to win obviously – because that’s of course what we’re here for. Especially after the first day, where the first two holes I started double bogey-bogey and think ‘what is this?’ But I turned that round around and got off to a flying start the second day. I couldn’t keep it going, but that sort of helped me put things into perspective thinking about the next day.

I thought 15 under was going to be the winning score, so I was right.”

The 38 year old’s biggest move came on the front nine where he claimed five birdies, including four in four holes to make the turn in 31. But a bogey on the par three 12th hole saw him slip back before he hit back on the final hole.

“(On the last) I was focussed on just hitting a good drive and I did that. I hit a great second shot and the two putt was enough, so it’s great.”

There was FJ success thorughout the top 10, as 9 of the top 10 and ties chose to put their trust, and their feet, in FootJoy shoes. Many of them also chose the tried and tested performance of a FootJoy glove, including the winner Hansen, runner-up McLardy and star of the future Danny Willett.

Englishman Willett, who began his round with a bogey before finishing birdie-birdie for a round of 68 said: “Yeah, it was a good finish. I turned in one over and not really playing very good and then tried to get it going on the back nine. I had a really good finish then down 17 and 18, so yeah, I’m quite happy.

“A top five this week gets me into next week at Abu Dhabi, which I wouldn’t have got in otherwise. I’m just trying to play well this year, keep plodding along and hopefully keep my card, so we’ll see what happens.”

Hansen put his trust in the renowned FootJoy Classics®, McLardy opted for the supreme comfort of Contour Series™, and Englishmen David Drysdale and Danny Willett chose DryJoys® featuring PODS™ technology.

FJ - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Shoe Count: 2009 Joburg Open

FootJoy - 70%

Nearest Competitor - 15%

FootJoy Year to Date - 68%

Welcome Padraig Harrington

FootJoy, the #1 Shoe in Golf and #1 Shoe on every Tour Worldwide, announced today that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Padraig Harrington. Following a historic 2008 season in which he captured two major championships, was named PGA Tour Player of the Year and The European Tour Golfer of the Year, Harrington will add yet another “#1” to his resume when he laces up the #1 Shoe in Golf in 2009. 

Harrington will wear the new SYNR-G shoe, which will be available from 1st February. A perfect combination of comfort and stability, SYNR-G is engineered for players such as Harrington who possess higher swing speeds and demand additional support and motion control in their golf shoes. Padraig will be featured in new FootJoy television advertisements as well as print and online creative throughout the year. For more on SYNR-G, visit the microsite at www.footjoy.com/synrg.  

"FootJoy is a brand that just about every golfer is brought up wearing, and I'm no different," said Harrington.  “The belief is, and you’ve got to have this, that you are playing the very best shoes you can get, and that gives you an edge over the field.  The new SYNR-G shoes from FootJoy are fantastic.  They support the foot well throughout the golf swing, which is so important to hitting solid, powerful shots.”

Long considered one of Europe's most talented and popular athletes, Padraig has enjoyed a steady climb up the world golf rankings to his current position as the #4 ranked player. After capturing the Volvo Order of Merit as the top player in Europe in 2006, he validated that title by winning his native country's championship at the 2007 Irish Open and then capturing his first major weeks later at the 2007 British Open Championship at Carnoustie. Harrington continued his fine form last year, winning two majors. He first defended his crown at the British Open at Royal Birkdale in July and then won the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills just weeks later. Throughout his career, Harrington has amassed 16 International victories, 5 PGA Tour victories, 3 major championships and he’s been selected to 5 European Ryder Cup teams.  

“We are hugely excited to welcome Padraig Harrington to Team FJ,” said Richard Fryer, European Marketing Manager for FootJoy.  “Padraig not only brings an outstanding record of worldwide success but also an intimate knowledge of the research and technology behind footwear development.”

Augusta Bound...

FJ ambassador Rory McIlroy confirmed his place in The 2009 Masters Tournament after finishing tied third in the South African Open Championship to seal his spot in the end of year Official World Golf Ranking at a fantastic number 40.

With the Top 50 in the Ranking all gaining starts in Augusta National in April, it means the 19 year old will make his debut in The Masters Tournament having climbed more than 200 places in the past 12 months.

It capped a spectacular first year as a professional for the Ulsterman who came so close to landing his maiden European Tour title when he lost in play-offs in both the Omega European Masters and the UBS Hong Kong Open.

“It's been an absolutely great year and to get to play in Augusta in my second season, making the Top 50 in the world and staying there,” said McIlroy. “I had to go out this week and I played pretty well and I did that.
 
“It's going to be great, driving up Magnolia Lane. I'll still be a teenager when I'm going up there. To earn my place there is absolutely fantastic, to achieve what I have, and I’m obviously looking forward to next year.

“The Masters has got a mystique.  You never really know what to expect when you get there.  It's just going to be absolutely fantastic.  I've watched it so many years on TV and to actually get there and play is going to be great.”

Fellow FJ wearer Denmark’s Søren Kjeldsen finished in 50th spot to clinch the final place in The Masters Tournament, thanks principally to his superb victory in the final Volvo Masters, which concluded the 2008 season on The European Tour.

Other FJ wearers who will be making the trip up Magnolia Lane include Graeme McDowell and Jeev Milkha Singh, alongside Augusta regulars such as Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson, Camilo Villegas and European #1 Robert Karlsson.

2009 TV Spots

That’s a wrap! Two days, two commercials, six players, a crew of about 50 people, a spectacular golf course, perfect weather and lots of memories. We shot some great stuff this year and we hope you’re pleased with the results when the spots begin airing in January. Until then, we have a lot of fun content from the shoot which we’ll be sharing with you over the next month or so. You’ll hear from the players, see some of the behind-the-scenes action, learn more about Naples National, see some trick shots and more. It’s all coming on the blog, so stay tuned.

 Learn more at FootJoyblog.com

STENS-ATIONAL

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson recorded an impressive victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge when he claimed a nine-stroke win at the Gary Player Country Club, South Africa. Stenson went into the final round with an eight-stroke lead, a lead which he built on early in the final round round with a birdie at the par-five second. The FootJoy shoe wearer finished with a 21-under-par 267 to record the second-largest winning margin in the history of the tournament, behind a 12-shot triumph set in 1993.

Wearing an all white pair of FootJoy Classics (style #50867), Stenson marched to the top of winners podium to claim the $1.2 million winner’s cheque. The win was Stenson’s second in two weeks after he and Robert Karlsson claimed victory at the World Cup last week.

FJ #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Sweden win World Cup of Golf

Sweden’s Robert Karlsson (Classics Style 50884 and StaSof Glove) and Henrik Stenson (Classics Style 50867) overturned a three-shot deficit to claim a dramatic World Cup victory at Mission Hills in China. The Swedes finished with a 9-under-par 63 in alternate-shot play to beat the Spanish duo which included FootJoy player and Rookie of the Year Pablo Larrazabal.
The pair clawed back the gap with five early birdies which shot them up the leader board, and with  four birdies on the back nine to match, the pair claimed a three shot victory, recording Sweden’s second World Cup Win.

FJ #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf

Pampling victorious on home soil

Australia’s Rod Pampling won the Australian Masters in a dramatic playoff victory. The 39 year old closed with a 5-under 67, to force a playoff at the Huntingdale Golf Club. The playoff was a close affair with both players paring the first two holes. It was Pampling who held his nerve, paring the par four 18th while his opponent could only manage a bogey.

Pampling has twice won on the US PGA Tour in the past four years, but it was his first Australasian PGA Tour victory in nine years.

The FootJoy wearer put his faith in a pair of all black Classics and a SciFlex glove to help him keep a firm grip of the trophy and the winning cheque of $270,000.

Ochoa Honoured as 2008 Player of the Year

Lorena Ochoa was honoured with the Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy Awards at the LPGA’s season-ending awards ceremony last week. Ochoa received her third Rolex Player of the Year and Vare Trophy Award titles, which recognizes the player with the lowest scoring average.

The Rolex Player of the Year Award is the pinnacle of excellence on the LPGA Tour, rewarding players for their consistent top finishes. Ochoa, the Rolex Rankings’ number one since April 2007, won seven times this season and recorded 10 additional top-10 finishes in 21 starts on the LPGA Tour. She also earned a 68.5802 scoring average to capture the Vare Trophy. Ochoa was the only player in 2008 to maintain a sub-70 scoring average, which is one-tenth of a stroke lower than 2007.

“Lorena has had yet another incredible season,” LPGA Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens said. “Her work off the course has been equally impressive. Once only a national hero, Lorena is now a global hero. The world is grateful to have her, and we are more than proud to call her our own.”

Classic Playoff Win for Wen-tang

Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-tang overcame the threat posed by his fellow FootJoy wearer Rory McIlroy, to win the UBS Hong Kong Open. The 34 year old closed out his victory on the second playoff hole after a flawless approach came within a foot of the cup. McIlroy showed a taste of his potential when making an impressive recovery from the trees to land his shot within twelve feet. The Northern Irish teenager couldn’t convert the putt, leaving Lin to tap in to claim the €416,660 first prize.

Both Wen-tang (all black Classics) and McIlroy (all white Classics) put their faith in the style and comfort of FootJoy Classics Golf Shoes.

FJ #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf.

Shoe Count: 2009 UBS Hong Kong Open

FootJoy - 61%

Nearest Competitor - 24%

FootJoy Year to Date - 62%

Singapore Slingh

Team DryJoys Talisman Jeev Milkha Singh proved once again to be the model of consistency to shoot three rounds in the 60's to take the Barclay's Singapore Open by a single stroke. After a slow start to the week Jeev reeled off rounds of 68, 67 and 69 to finish at 7 under par and take home the winner's cheque of $792,500.

The victory is Jeev's third of 2008, all of which have been achieved wearing the formidable DryJoys featuring the now renowned PODS outsole technology. To find out more about DryJoys and the other Tour players putting their trust in them visit our DryJoys microsite.

The week also saw another strong performance from FootJoy wearer Rory McIlroy, who continues to challenge on a consistent basis. It won't be long before the young Irishman becomes a winner on Tour.

FJ - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

The Most Celebrated Shoe on The European Tour

As the curtain came down on the European Tour Season at Valderrama, FootJoy celebrated its 25th win of the year for players wearing the #1 Shoe in Golf, a victory totalling more than all competitive shoes combined. The champagne flowed for global superstars like Adam Scott and Vijay Singh, for the Tour’s new generation, Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell. Not to mention the Volvo Masters winner Soren Kjeldsen and the newly crowned European #1, Robert Karlsson. All victorious in 2008 wearing the FJ initials.

Every time the European Tour teed-up, FootJoy was the most worn shoe. Over 60% of players* choosing to trust the #1 Shoe in Golf across the Tour’s international schedule from Beijing to Birmingham – a tribute to the faith the leading players have in FootJoy, whether their target is to top the Order of Merit, to get in the world top fifty, or secure their playing rights for 2009 Race to Dubai.

Each of our winners were able to toast their favourite FootJoy style. Robert Karlsson’s late season charge to the Order of Merit title was made in his distinctive white and rhubarb FootJoy Classics. The new DryJoys shoes had a high profile, players like Vijay and Jeev Milkha Singh, striding to success in the ‘Tech’ style and Adam Scott favouring the more traditional look when he won in Qatar.

Just Lovely

Wearing a brand new shoe from FJ (to be launched in the coming weeks), Davis Love III secured the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at Disney on Sunday with a final round 8-under 64. It was the second consecutive 64 for Love, the best final 36-hole score in the tournament’s 38-year history, en route to his 20th career victory. He becomes one of only four active players to reach the 20 win plateau and with it, earns a lifetime exemption on the PGA Tour.
Love, who finished at 25-under 263, saved the best for last, as his weekend 64s were both season-low rounds in the final PGA Tour event of 2008.  The win was the first in more than two years for the 22-year PGA TOUR veteran who last won at the 2006 Chrysler Classic of Greensboro (now the Wyndham Championship).
“I always questioned, ‘Am I doing the right thing? Why am I still doing this?’” the 44-year-old Love said. “I didn’t doubt my desire, or that I could still compete; it was just the little things I had to do.”
With a two-shot lead, Love’s tee shot on the 17th was buried in deep rough, leaving him no shot at the green. He laid up 100 yards short, hit wedge to 7 feet and saved par. From the right rough on the 18th, his ball flew the green into a back bunker. Needing par to win, he blasted out to 3 feet and made the putt.
“I was in trouble (on 18), but I was still confident I could get the ball up and in,” Love said. “I didn’t worry about winning or losing or screwing up.”
The win was Love’s seventh top-five finish in the tournament and his 15th straight round in the tournament in the 60s, breaking the record held by the #1 player in the world.

Karlsson wins the European Order of Merit

After 19 years as a professional Sweden's Robert Karlsson wins the European Tour Order of Merit to claim the Harry Vardon Trophy. After a fantastic season including 2 wins and a plethora of top 10's, Karlsson has been rewarded as the first Swedish winner of the European Order of Merit.

Throughout the season the tall Swede has put his faith and his feet in FootJoy Classics, and has trusted the superior feel and grip of FootJoy's StaSof glove to help his get his hand on the prized trophy.

But Robert was not the only FJ wearer having success, Spain's Pablo Larrazabal was awarded with the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award, following his dramatic win in France earlier in the year and a run of great performances which saw him finish the season in an impressive 18th place on the Order of Merit.

In total 7 of the top 10 golfers on the European Order of Merit chose to put their trust in FJ golf shoes, underlining the fact that when Europe's best golfers are facing the varied conditions during the European Tour season, they choose FJ.

FJ - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Super Soren Succeeds in Spain

Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen fired a cool and calm final round of 71 to take the final Volvo Masters by 2 shots from fellow FJ wearers Martin Kaymer and Anthony Wall.

Following an opening 66 to kick off the week Kjeldsen was atop the leaderboard every evening and despite a final day charge from Kaymer which included a run of 3 birdies at 11, 12 and 13, Soren pulled away with a couple of birdies himself to get his hands on the title and the €708,000 prize money which took him to 10th place on the Order of Merit.

As well as the FJ logo sported on the Dane's collar there was FJ on his hand in the form a StaSof glove, and FJ on his feet in the form of some black Classics Dry Premiere. Martin Kaymer was also sporting Classics Dry Premiere while Anthony Wall opted for the custom fit of the revolutionary ReelFit and the supreme feel of StaSof.

FJ - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

King Quiros

FootJoy wearer Alvaro Quiros captured his second career European Tour title at the Portuguese Masters held at the Oceânico Victoria Golf Course. The 25 year old held off the chasing pack which included fellow FootJoy weraer Order of Merit leader Robert Karlsson. The Spaniard sealed his three shot victory with a final round 4-under 68 for a total 19-under 269. Karlsson (Classics style #50884 & StaSof glove) had to settle for third place, which extends his lead at the top of the Order of Merit by €297,424.

Quiros marched to the €500,000 first prize in the style and comfort of a pair of all white FootJoy Classics (Style #50867). The European Tour heads to Quiro’s home country next week for the Castello Masters.

There was also success on the PGA Tour for FootJoy Classics wearer Marc Turnesa at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. The win was Turnesa’s first PGA Tour title and earned him a winner’s cheque of $738,000. 

FootJoy, the #1 Shoe on the European and PGA Tours

Zach's Back on Top with win in San Antonio

Zach Johnson (DryJoys Tech style #53502, SciFlex glove) won the Texas Open on Sunday for his fourth PGA Tour title, following his third-round 62 with a 6-under 64 for a two-stroke victory.
Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion who entered the week with only one top-10 finish this year, had a 19-under 261 total on the La Cantera Golf Club’s Resort Course. He had only two bogies over his final 54 holes.
The victory, capped with a 5-foot birdie putt on 18, was his first on the tour outside Georgia. In addition to the Masters, he won the 2004 BellSouth Classic and 2007 AT&T Classic.

Karlsson Wins All-Classics Playoff at Dunhill Links Championship

Robert Karlsson (Classics style #50884, StaSof glove) of Sweden won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with a birdie on the first hole of an all-Classics playoff on Sunday. He finished regulation tied at 10-under 278 with Ross Fisher (all white Classics) and overnight leader Martin Kaymer (all white Classics).

In the playoff, Fisher drove into the Swilcan Burn, the stream that fronts the first hole on The Old Course, and made a bogey. Kaymer then missed a 10-foot birdie putt before Karlsson made a three-footer for the victory.

The Swede earned $800,000 for his second win of the year and took the lead in the European Tour’s Order of Merit. Karlsson won the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Germany the week before last month’s Ryder Cup, and finished second twice and third three times earlier this season.

There are four events remaining on the European schedule. Karlsson will play the Portugal Masters in two weeks and the Volvo Masters in Valderrama, Spain, two weeks after that, hoping to secure his firs Order of Merit title. Although, according to Karlsson, that would just be icing on the cake.

“I’ve already exceeded my expectations for the season. I’ve made the Ryder Cup team, won twice, had five other top-threes,” he said. “What more can I expect?”

Due to the intense weather in Scotland, many players in the field opted for the protection and performance of Red Label outerwear as well 57% of players choosing the style and comfort of FootJoy shoes.

2008 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Show Count

FootJoy - 57%

Nearest Competitor - 24%

FootJoy Year to Date - 60.7%

Lucky #7 for Lorena

Lorena Ochoa (custom Classics) won the Navistar LPGA Classic on Sunday for her seventh victory of the year and first since May by knocking in a 2-foot par putt on the second hole of a playoff.

Recharged after a month away from the tour, Ochoa made a 5-foot eagle putt on the par-5 eighth and also had a bogey and a birdie in the round that she finished with six straight pars — eight including the playoff. The top-ranked Mexican star closed with a 2-under 70 and finished in a three-way tie after two of her competitors knocked in 25-foot birdie putts at the last to finish at 15-under 273.

On the second playoff hole, Ochoa two-putted from the back fringe, leaving only 2 feet for par. She earned $210,000 for her 24th career LPGA Tour victory to push her season total to $2,591,048. She has won all seven times she has entered the final round with the lead in 2008.

“I had a good feeling that today it was my day and it was going to happen,” Ochoa said. “Sometimes you need to play and just have a good time, and that’s what I did

Villegas Completes FJ Sweep with Win in Atlanta

Camilo Villegas made it a clean sweep for FJ players in the FedEx Cup Playoffs as he picked up his second win in a row, firing a final round 4-under 66 that featured six birdies over his final 11 holes, to win THE TOUR Championship in a playoff. He rallied from five shots back to start the day and completed the comeback by making birdie at the 17th hole from 12 feet to tie for the lead, then twice hit beautiful lag putts from outside 45 feet on the par three 18th hole, once in regulation to finish at 7-under 273, then in the playoff to cap off his TOUR season in style. The 26-year-old Columbian also won the BMW Championship in St. Louis three weeks ago.

Villegas, who should move to No. 6 in the world rankings on Monday, earned $1.26 million for winning THE TOUR Championship and another $3 million for finishing second in the FedEx Cup Playoffs behind fellow FJ player Vijay Singh. With Singh winning the first two events (The Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship) and Camilo winning the final two, FJ players swept the playoff events and finished 1-2 in the final standings. Singh finished a mere 550 points ahead of Villegas and picked up the $10 million first place prize.

Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño wins in playoff

Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño won the Quinn Insurance British Masters at the Belfry after an enthralling playoff with fellow FootJoy wearer Lee Westwood. The Spaniard started his final round three shots adrift of Westwood but a flawless final round, which did not contain a single bogey, saw him share the lead with Westwood after both players finished on 12 under par 276. Castaño finally took a grip on the trophy at the fourth playoff hole, holing a 10-footer to claim the £300,000 first prize. The win secured the 27 year old his fourth career victory and the perfect playoff record having won two of his previous four titles via that method.

Both Castaño and Westwood endured the pressure of the playoff in a pair of all white FootJoy Classics (style 50867). In total 10 of the golfers who finished in the top ten places and ties opted for the style and comfort of FootJoy Golf Shoes.

Karlsson in top form for Ryder Cup

FootJoy player, Robert Karlsson won the Mercedes-Benz Championship at Gut Larchenhof in Cologne, Germany. The Ryder Cup player won by two shots after carding a four-round total of thirteen-under-par 273. Having led since the second round, Karlsson closed out his win with a final round 71. The win earned Karlsson his eighth career European Tour title and moved him to second on the Order of Merit.

The Swede continues to put his faith in FootJoy Classics (style 50884) and StaSof glove. Karlsson’s fellow Ryder Cup team mates and FootJoy wearers, Søren Hansen (8th) and Graeme McDowell (16th) showed that they are also in great form ahead of this week’s battle with the U.S.

Numero Uno for Villegas

Camilo Villegas (all white Classics and StaSof glove) captured his first PGA Tour win on Sunday at the BMW Championship, going wire-to-wire for a two shot victory over fellow FJ player Dudley Hart.

Villegas closed with a 2-under 68 that featured some huge putts on the back nine, including back-to-back birdie putts of 18 and 35 feet on the 13th and 14th holes that all but assured him of his maiden win. After splitting the fairway on 18 with the longest drive of his career (370 yds), Camilo made par to finish the week with a 15-under 265 total. He moves into second position in the FedEx Cup standings and likely moves into the top 20 in the World golf Rankings. Camilo’s great play this week is a continuation of what he has done in huge events over the last few weeks, giving himself a chance to win almost every time he tees it up. He was near the lead going into the weekend at the British Open, rallied to finish fourth in the PGA Championship, then started the final round last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship one shot off the lead.

“It’s awesome to be here,” said Villegas. “Hopefully, it’s the first of many.”

Omega European Msters Shoe Count

FootJoy - 64%

Nearest Competitor - 21%

FootJoy Year to Date - 62.2%

Havret Storms to Victory

Gregory Havret led from start to finish to win the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. The FootJoy wearer held his nerve on the final hole of his final round, sinking a clutch eight foot par putt to secure victory by one shot. The dramatic win earned Havret his third European Tour title.

The Frenchman elected for the style and comfort of a pair of all black FootJoy Classics.

DryJoys Double For Singh

Vijay Singh (DryJoys Traditional style and SciFlex glove) won his second consecutive FedEx Cup Playoff event on Monday, firing an 8-under 63 to win the Deutsche Bank Championship. Vijay finished the week with a 22-under 262 total to break the tournament scoring record by two and pull away with a five stroke victory, thanks in large part to his putter. Singh needed just 23 putts over the final round and amassed 174 feet, 7 inches of total distance with the short stick, including birdie putts of 37 feet and 60 feet on the 13th and 14th holes. His 72-hole score of 262 breaks the tournament record by two shots.

Combined with his win last week at The Barclays Singh is clearly in the drivers seat to win the FedEx Cup, having eliminated all but three other players from claiming the $10 million first prize at the conclusion of The Tour Championship. Singh will aim for his third straight win this week at the BMW Championship.

Shoe Count: 2008 Johnnie Walker Championship

FootJoy - 62%

Nearest Competitor - 22%

FootJoy Year to Date - 61.6%

Playoff Payoff for Singh at The Barclays

Vijay Singh won The Barclays for a record fourth time Sunday, closing out his playoff opponents with birdies on the first two extra holes. After finishing regulation tied with an 8-under 276 total, one of Singh’s playoff opponents dropped a 27-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole. Singh, who wore DryJoys Traditional and a SciFlex glove on Sunday, calmly matched him with a birdie putt of his own from 26 feet and then had a tap-in birdie on the next hole for the victory, the 33rd of his career on the PGA Tour. The 45-year-old Fijian was also best at the Barclays in 1993, 1995 and 2006, although this was the first time the event was held at Ridgewood Country Club. The win moves Singh to the top of the FedEx Cup points race after one event as the Tour now moves to the TPC Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Shoe Count: 2008 KLM Open

FootJoy - 63%

Nearest Competitor - 24%

FootJoy Year to Date - 61.6%

Shoe Count: 2008 SAS Masters

FootJoy - 60%

Nearest Competitor - 25%

FootJoy Year to Date - 61.9%

FootJoy is the #1 Shoe at the USPGA Championship

FootJoy is the #1 shoe at the PGA Championship just as it has been at all the previous majors and PGA and European Tour events this year. While you should keep an eye on FJ players such as Vijay Singh, Adam Scott, Zach Johnson and Lee Westwood, you might also want to keep an eye on FootJoy Classics wearer Robert Karlsson who is the the only player to finish in the top ten in all three majors this year - The Masters (T8), U.S. Open (T4) and The Open Championship (T7). In fact, the Big Swede hasn’t finished outside the top 20 since March, a run that includes six top tens on the European Tour.

FootJoy continues its dominance as the #1 Shoe & Glove in Golf. 

Breakthrough for Singh

Vijay Singh swirled in a 3-foot par putt on the last hole to win his first career World Golf Championship event on Sunday at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Singh closed with a 2-under 68 for a one shot victory over fellow FootJoy player Lee Westwood (FootJoy Classics Dry Premiere).

Singh, who wore DryJoys PODS Traditional (style #53562) and a SciFlex glove throughout the week, finished with a 10-under 270 total. The victory was the 32nd of his career on the PGA Tour and first on U.S. soil since the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in 2007. With the win, he is expected to move up to #4 in the World Golf Rankings ahead of this week’s final major - the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

Westwood, who could have moved up to No. 4 in the world with his first U.S. title in 10 years, rallied from a five-shot deficit with 11 holes to play to get within one of the lead. But he missed a 7-foot birdie on the 17th, and his 15-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the 18th to tie for the lead was left all the way. He closed with a 69 to tie for second.

World Wide Wins for FJ

Lundberg Wins in Russia

FootJoy wearer, Mikael Lundberg won the Inteco Russian Open for the second time after carding a final round 68. The Swede finished on 21 under par at Le Meridien Moscow Country Club, two-shots clear of his nearest rivals. The Swede takes home the first prize of €210,237.
The 31 year strode to victory in a pair of FootJoy Classics, complimented with a FootJoy SciFlex Glove.

Major Breakthrough for Vaughan

FootJoy player Bruce Vaughan holed a 20-foot putt to win the Senior British Open in a playoff, his first tournament victory on either the Champions Tour or PGA Tour.
In a dramatic turnaround at Royal Troon on Sunday, Vaughan stormed back from three down with nine to play to force a playoff. Trailing by one on the 18th green in regulation, Vaughan made par then watched as the leader came up 15 feet short on a putt from off the green. He made the putt for bogey which left both players tied at 6-under 278 and headed back to the 18th tee for the playoff.
Vaughan pitched to the centre of the green and then holed his putt, and the former firefighter from Hutchinson, Kansas, collecting his biggest-ever paycheck of $312,258. Vaughan, who has had six operations on his left knee, celebrated his first tournament triumph and one that gets him into the field for next year’s British Open at Turnberry.

Three Cheers for Chez

Chez Reavie closed out his first PGA Tour win with a 1-under 70 Sunday en route to winning the RBC Canadian Open - Canada’s national championship. Playing for the sixth consecutive week on Tour, Reavie finished the week with a 17-under 267 total for a three shot victory over fellow FootJoy player, and fellow Arizona State alum, Billy Mayfair.
Reavie, wearing a pair of black Classics Tour, came out early on Sunday to finish the last two holes of his third round and ended up regaining the lead with a tap-in birdie on the par 5 18th. Later in the day, after a slow start on his final round, Reavie broke away from the field with back-to-back birdies on 9 and 10 and sealed the win with a 12-foot birdie on 18. Not a long hitter, the 26-year-old Tour rookie relied on accuracy all week, hitting 44 of 56 fairways in regulation and 54 of 72 greens. He earned $900,000 and spots the next two weeks in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship.

FootJoy Diary - The Open Championship

The rain swept across the famous links, the flags pulled on their lanyards and the tented village shuddered in the face of the elements as the world’s best players gritted their teeth and battled their way around Royal Birkdale. Shot by shot, hole by hole until only the most patient and the most skilful were left. And throughout, never was the comfort and performance of FootJoy more appreciated.

Once again, FootJoy was the #1 Shoe at The Open, the 91 players trusting FootJoy, being more than all the rest combined. The official count also showed FootJoy as the #1 Glove. And with at least 27 players wearing FootJoy Outerwear at some point during the event, there was no doubt which brand was working hardest to keep the players on their game.

The Open Championship was very much on the minds of the players a week earlier at the Barclay’s Scottish Open. Angel Cabrera was one who stopped by to order some new DryJoys especially for Birkdale. Adam Scott was more focussed on the present. It was tipping down and Adam needed DryJoys right there and then for the wet conditions.

It was great to see Pablo Larrazabal back in action after his fabulous French Open victory. Pablo dropped in to order a new pair of white Classics. His were ruined when his countrymen threw him in the lake following his win. Finally, congratulations to Graeme McDowell who notched the seventh consecutive European Tour victory for FootJoy resplendent in a pair of Classics.

On to the 137th Open Championship with Royal Birkdale in superb condition. At The Open, FootJoy do a substantial shoe issue to the players, including many new styles. The Fitting Cabin was flat-out from Monday through Wednesday with players coming in to collect new shoes, some to double check their sizing and others simply wanting to put some new spikes in.

As can be seen in the Tour Blog, Open special MyJoys were created for some of the players, including JB Holmes who put his straight on before going out to play. One of the new styles of Classics unleashed this week was a black pebble and patent shield-tip Classics Dry Premiere, which was seen on the feet of both Adam Scott and David Frost.

DryJoys were once again another popular choice, and were being worn by Zach Johnson, Jerry Kelly, Woody Austin and Vijay Singh amongst others. DL III dropped by and picked up a pair of white and brown ReelFit which went straight into use and kept him nice and stable as he hit balls on the range.

Given the stiff wind (a gentle breeze according to the locals!) even during the practice days there was a big demand for FootJoy Outerwear from players and caddies alike - Steve Stricker, Ross Fisher and Paul Waring to name but three, who were keeping warm and dry as a result.

A quick mention for form player and FootJoy wearer Martin Kaymer who took some time out of his practice schedule to head over to the Golf Foundation and challenge the kids to a chipping contest (which sadly, he lost!) before taking time to sign autographs.

As we now know, Royal Birkdale 2008 presented a severe test for players and their equipment alike. And with the #1 Shoe accolade secured for the 29th consecutive year and seven out of the top ten and ties wearing the FJ initials, you could say it was an examination passed with flying colours.

FootJoy. #1 Glove on Tour for 25 years and counting...

Leaf through the official counts from the world’s major Tours this season, and you’ll find once again that more players have chosen to pull on a FootJoy golf glove than any other brand. Exactly as they have for the past 25 years straight.

What’s most remarkable about that fact is that FootJoy only entered the golf glove business in 1979. The very next year, the StaSof® cabretta leather golf glove was launched and quickly became not only the most popular golf glove on Tour, but also the best selling glove in golf. The rest, as they say, is history.

A quarter of a century later and top players like Steve Stricker, Robert Karlsson and Camilo Villegas still trust a FootJoy StaSof glove. Refined and redesigned for the modern era using Taction® APL™ cabretta leather exclusively tanned by Pittards® of England, the modern StaSof is synonymous with powerful grip performance, exceptional moisture resistance and the finest feel.

Today’s Tour players are fortunate to have a choice as to which FootJoy glove they prefer to provide the grip, comfort and fit they demand. Since its launch in 2003, the SciFlex™ glove has earned many admirers on Tour such as Vijay Singh, Ian Poulter and Davis Love III who appreciate the high tech materials, cool performance and even the splash of colour the glove provides.

StaSof, SciFlex and the other gloves in the FootJoy range are available through every FootJoy retailer. Make a FootJoy your choice and join the company of the world’s best.

Oakland Hills on the horizon for FootJoy

Oakland Hills Country Club has hosted six U.S. Open Championships, two PGA Championships, two U.S. Senior Opens and of course, one Ryder Cup.

At 7,445 yards, the remodelled South Course will ensure a demanding test for the fourth Major of the year. A test that will be eagerly anticipated not only by the players, but also by FootJoy, who have already captured the ‘#1 Shoe’ title at The Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship.

Golf course architect Rees Jones recently described the invitation to guide the renovation programme at Oakland Hills for the 90th PGA Championship “the call I was waiting for my whole life”. Previously remodelled by Robert Trent Jones in 1950, Rees Jones grew up knowing that this famous course was the one that meant the most to his father.

Originally laid out by Donald Ross in 1916, Rees Jones describes the course as “one of those wonderful rolling pieces of property where the holes fit like a glove”. The Championship South Course, which played to a par 70 and 6,974 yards when the U.S. Open was played at the venue in 1996, under Rees Jones’s direction has been extended by 345 yards without moving any of the greens.

15 holes have been lengthened, several fairways narrowed and the depth, size and location of fairway and greenside bunkers have been altered. Additionally, the ponds at the seventh and sixteenth holes have been re-modelled to ensure that the more aggressive drivers will need a well placed tee-shot. Perhaps the most dramatic makeover comes at the par four eleventh hole which played 398 yards in 1996 and is now a 455 yarder featuring a daunting 290 yard carry over a rolling hill.

With the support of so many of the world’s leading players, its #1 position on across the world’s major Tours and Its success at the three 2008 major championships, FootJoy looks forward to another strong count at Oakland Hills. To be trusted by more players in a clean sweep of the 2008 Majors is perhaps the ultimate endorsement of the comfort and performance delivered by the latest generation of FootJoy shoes.

An exciting prospect for the #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf at what Rees Jones and Oakland Hills have ensured will be another supreme test of golf at the highest level.

Jeev Wins by Two in Japan

Jeev Milkha Singh carded a stunning final round six under par 66 to claim his second title of the season at the Nagashima Shiego Invitational Sega Sammy Cup. Heading into the final round four shots behind, Singh’s impressive final round saw him blow away the field to finish two shot clear of his nearest rivals.

The win comes off the back of fine run for the Team DryJoys Player having finished 10th at the European Open and 9th at the Scottish Open. The style and comfort of the FootJoy DryJoys Golf Shoes have helped Singh to maintain his fine form on Tour.

2008 Inteco Russian Open Shoe Count

FootJoy - 69%

Nearest Competitor - 17%

FootJoy Year to Date - 61.5%

FJ to the fore at Royal Birkdale

FJ wearers rise to the challenge presented by the course and the weather at The Open Championship and are well placed as the tournament progresses. Go to www.footjoyblog.com to find out the latest inside the ropes information and stories!

Magic Mac

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell wins The Barclays Scottish Open by two shots after a commanding final round score of 68 at Loch Lomond Golf Club. After opening rounds of 67, 70 and 66, 'GMac' kept his foot on the pedal to pull away from the field for a two shot victory.

McDowell has made no secret of his desire to get into the Ryder Cup team and this victory, his second of the year following his dramatic play-off victory against Team DryJoys member Jeev Milkha Singh in the Ballantines Championship in March, has given his mission a huge boost. “I refused to be measured up last week at The European Open for my clothing and for my suits - maybe I'll accept that invitation next time I get it," said Graeme, whose aggressive approach shot into the 18th green showed he has exactly what will bre required when Europe takes on the US in September.

South African James Kingston was second with a final score of 273, closing with a stunning 66 which he described as “probably as close to flawless golf as I have played. It felt like I hit almost every fairway". Another to make up ground on the final day was Englishman Robert Dinwiddie with a closing 68, 3 under par. Robert took some time out at the European Open last week to model some of the new FJ Outerwear for the 2009 catalogue, and was clearly as comfortable in front of the TV cameras as he was the photographer's lens, finishing in a tie for 6th on 8 under par.

But it was the man from Northern Ireland who took the title with a total of 271, and the cheque for €631,044 that came with it. Graeme wore nothing but Classics Dry® Premiere throughout the week, which offered the comfort and support to stride to the title, and who knows, they could take him to further success next week at Royal Birkdale.

FootJoy - #1 Shoe in Golf

Full-line Fisher on Fire

England's Ross Fisher strode to the most empahtic of 7 shot victories at the European Open, by holing a greenside bunker shot at the 72nd hole.

Fisher opted not to play a practice round on Wednesday, instead spending time on his short game and hitting balls on the range. This clearly paid off, as he opened the week with a course record 63 despite playing the course 'blind', which he followed with 3 further rounds in the 60's to finish the week at a staggering 20 under.

Not only did Ross put his faith in FootJoy Classics Golf Shoes, but also trusted the contemporary look of the FootJoy Red Label Outerwear as the inclement weather played a factor on Sunday. And with the rain coming down ever harder, the Wentworth-based golfer donned a FootJoy RainGrip glove to help get to grips with both his clubs, and the golf course.

In all, 10 of the golfers in the top 10 positions put their faith and their feet in a pair of FootJoy golf shoes, including teenage sensation Rory McIlroy whose recent return to form has got the golf world's attention once more. Another FootJoy wearer was 48 year old David Frost, whose fourth place finish gained him a spot in the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale next week. Like Fisher, Frost relied on FootJoy Outerwear to keep the elements at bay, favouring the DryJoys Performance Light range.

FJ - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Larrazabal secures maiden win

Pablo Larrazabal has been crowned the newest star on the European Tour after winning the Open de France ALSTOM at Le Golf National. The 25 year old Spaniard held off the challenge of fellow FootJoy players, Soren Hansen (All Black Classics), Lee Westwood (All White Classics) and Marcus Brier (All Black ReelFits) to claim his first European Tour win. Larrazabal, who five years ago was caddying for his brother at the same tournament, stormed to a four shot win after carding a fantastic final round of four under par 67, seeing him finish on 15 under par 269. The win earns the FootJoy wearer €666,660 and an additional bonus of a guaranteed start at the Open Championship, his first major championship start.

Larrazabal strode to victory in a pair of all white Classics Dry Premiere, and the shoes waterproof properties were put to the ultimate test when the Spaniard was thrown in the lake in front of the 18th green by his compatriots.

FootJoy was the # 1 shoe at the Open de France ALSTOM with 61% of the field opting for the comfort and style of FootJoy

A walk in the Park

Two weeks away from her 20th birthday, Inbee Park (MyJoys shoes/StaSof glove) closed with a 2-under 71 to become the youngest winner in the history of the U.S. Women’s Open. Park finished at 9-under 283, four shots clear of the field, marking the largest margin of victory at the Women’s Open since 2001. Park was the only player to break par all four days at Interlachen, and became the third player in the last six years to make the U.S. Women’s Open her first LPGA Tour victory.

As the pressure mounted during the final round, many players saw their chances slip away with untimely bogeys on the difficult Interlachen layout. Not Park. She pulled away with crucial putts on three straight holes — two birdies and one par — early on the back nine and added a final birdie for a 2-under 71. She was bogey-free over her final 10 holes and was the only player in the final nine groups to break par.

Inbee wore MyJoys shoes to enjoy the walk to her first victory. Her white/ white DryJoys contained the monogram “INBEE” on both heels. She also held on tight to her U.S. Open trophy with a pearl white StaSof glove.

FootJoy was clear shoe and glove choice of more players at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open.

Shoe Count
FootJoy : 56%, Nearest Competitor : 17%

Glove Count
FootJoy : 43%, Nearest Competitor : 25% (Titleist)

08 Open de France ALSTOM Shoe Count

FootJoy - 61%

Nearest Competitor - 22%

FootJoy Year to Date - 61.8%

Kaymer wins BMW International Open in a Playoff

Singh on song in Austria

India’s Jeev Milkha Singh won in dramatic style with his final round of 18 consecutive pars. The Team DryJoys player, who had a four-stroke lead going into the final round, finished on 15-under-par 198 to claim his third European Tour Victory and the prize money of £170,000.

The FootJoy player strode to victory in the ultimate comfort of a pair of all black FootJoy DryJoys #53523 and has now moves Singh to ninth position on The European Tour Order of Merit with €731,692.  Fellow Team DryJoys member Ross McGowan missed the event as he is on his way to compete in his first major at the US Open at Torrey Pines having qualified in fine fashion at Walton Heath.

This follows on the back of Adam Scott’s victory at the EDS Byron Nelson Classic recently in the US. As more of a traditionalist, Adam relied on the White with Black Saddle DryJoys PODS #53562 which carried him to a dramatic victory as he holed a monster putt on the final hole.

DryJoys – Tour Tested Player Approved

Super Strange Wins in Wales

Aussie Scott Strange cruised to a flawless vistory in the Celtic Manor Wales Open, closing with a stunning round of 64 to take the title by four clear shots. The first playing of the Wales Open on the 2010 course which will play host to the Ryder Cup in two years time brought some tough conditions as rain and wind made the course play its full yardage, but Strange was more than man enough to accept the challenge. Despite suffering from dizzy spells on the course on Saturday Scott was able to put these behind him and focus on scoring, which he did with a fantastic final tally of 22 under par for the event.

Swede Robert Karlsson continued his strong run of form with another second place, who by his own admission was playing as well as he could and was impressed to see Strange maintaining the margin. Both players relied on the Tour proven performance and comfort of FootJoy Classics Dry Premiere Golf Shoes and FootJoy StaSof Golf Gloves. Both products made from the finest materials available, made for the finest golfers on the European Tour.

FootJoy - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

BMW PGA Championship Shoe Count

FootJoy - 53%

Nearest Competitor - 25%

FootJoy Year to Date - 62.2%

Imada secures first PGA Tour Win

Ryuji Imada won his first PGA Tour Title, sinking a four foot put on the first play-off hole at the AT&T Classic. The Japanese native, shot a final round 5-under-par 67, to finish tied on 15-under-par 273. The win in the play off helps overcome the demons of last year’s playoff loss, which saw Imada hit his ball into the water in front of the 18th green during the playoff.

The victory earns Imada $990,000 and also secures his ticket to the Open Championship and next years US Masters. The victory was achieved in the ultimate comfort of a pair of black FootJoy Classic Golf Shoes

Ochoa continues to dominate

Lorena Ochoa found a new way to win at the Sybase Classic, by grinding it out, instead of leaving the field in her wake. In a tournament reduced to 54 holes after Friday’s play was washed out, the world number 1 finished on 10 under par 206, one stroke ahead of five rivals.

The victory was the 22nd for Ochoa since April 2006, and the $300,000 prize pushed her career earning past the $12 million mark, making her the fastest player on the LPGA  to reach that plateau.

Ochoa continues her impressive form in the ultimate comfort and style of FootJoy. The Mexican managed to beat the field and the weather in a pair of FootJoy Women’s Golf Shoes and also relied on the waterproof performance of FootJoy’s Women’s outerwear collection.

Shoe Count: 2008 Irish Open

FootJoy - 63%

Nearest Competitor - 21%

FootJoy Year to Date Total - 62.3%

Inside the Ropes on Tour with FJ

FootJoy, the #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf, has launched its own blog site: footjoyblog.com. The blog allows golfers to discover more about what is happening with the FootJoy brand and products plus the very latest news on FootJoy’s Tour players.

For those interested in statistics the FootJoy shoe count section also provides tournament by tournament data on the number of players wearing FootJoy week in week out. And if you have any questions on anything in the big, wide world of FootJoy, from the Tour, to products, to marketing, you can get this answered by adding a comment to any of the blogs featured.

Great Scott

Adam Scott made a clutch 9-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force a playoff, then drained a 48-footer playing it again on the third playoff hole to win the EDS Byron Nelson Championship on Sunday. Playing the par four 18th hole for the third time in less than an hour, the second time in the playoff, Scott hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker to the right. He got his approach to the front of the green, then rolled the putt over two ridges and into the cup for his sixth career PGA Tour victory. Scott wore the DryJoys Traditional with the stability PODS™ outsole during the dramatic final round.
Playing conditions at the redesigned TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas, which reopened for play just this week, changed drastically again after rain overnight combined with blustery conditions Sunday. It was an unseasonable cool day with temperatures barely reaching 60 degrees, with wind gusting to 30 mph making it feel even cooler. The winning score of 7-under 273 was the highest since the EDS Byron Nelson Championship moved to the Las Colinas venue in 1983.
It was the 16th playoff at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship since 1968, more than any other tournament on the PGA TOUR.

McGrane wins by nine

FootJoy wearer, Damien McGrane won the Volvo China Open on Sunday to clinch his first European Tour Title. McGrane, who carried a three stroke lead going into the final round, finished with a 10-under-par total of 278, after carding a one-over 73 in driving rain.

The Irishman beat the field and the weather in a pair of FootJoy DryJoys PODS, earning him the first prize of $232,121

What a week for Boo

Boo Weekley successfully defended his title at the Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head Island on Sunday. Weekley dominated the event early on by shooting a 64 on Friday, followed by a 65 on Saturday, finishing with an even par 71 to win by 3 shots

Weekley strode to his second career win in the style and comfort of a selection of FootJoy Golf Shoes, including a pair FootJoy Reelfits and a pair of MyJoys featuring the camouflage print saddle.

Ochoa wins fourth straight title

Lorena Ochoa has continued her record breaking success by winning this weekend’s Ginn Open. With this win, the 26 year old became the first LPGA Tour player in 45 years to win four tournaments in consecutive weeks. The Mexican carded a final round three-under-par 69 to finish on 19-under, three shots clear of her nearest rival.

Ochoa is continuing her success in the ultimate comfort of her FootJoy Women’s Golf Shoes

Bourdy wins Estorial Open de Portugal

Gregory Bourdy won the Estorial Open de Portugal in a dramatic 3 way play off. Bourdy had a share of the lead in the first three rounds, but a three over par front nine in the final round saw his chance of winning fade. However, the FootJoy wearer managed to find his stride on the back nine with back-to-back birdies at ten and eleven, finally finishing in a three way tie on 18-under-par 266. The Frenchman held his nerve in the play-off, finally winning on the third extra hole to claim his second European Tour Title and the $208,330 first prize.

Bourdy put his faith in a pair of all black FootJoy Classics, which helped carry him to victory in ultimate comfort and style.

High Five for FJ

This weekend proved to be very successful for FootJoy wearers, with five wins on all five major tours. The wins came from Johnson Wagner, Gregory Bourdy, Mark Wiebe, Aron Price and Lorena Ochoa.

Ochoa’s win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship secured her second major win. The Mexican star finished on 11-under-par, five shots clear of her nearest competitor. With three wins from four events, Ochoa is cementing her dominance as the world’s number one.

Johnson Wagner completed his first tour victory at the Houston Open finishing with a two shot lead on 16-under-par 272. The win also secures Wagner his first trip to Augusta National for this week’s US Masters.

There were also wins for Mark Wiebe at the inaugural CAP Cana Championship. Wiebe’s fellow FootJoy wearer Aron price was enjoying his own success with victory at the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship, and to complete the wins, Gregory Bourdy won the Estorial Open de Portugal in a dramatic three-way play off.

Levet wins Open de Andalucia

Nearly four years after his previous European Tour win, Thomas Levet won the Mapfre Open de Andalucia on the first extra playoff hole. The playoff pair finished three clear of overnight leader Lee Westwood, who had gone clear of the field after birdieing four of his first six holes in his final round, but it was Westwood's fellow FootJoy ambassador, Levet, who strode to victory to claim the title and the £129,849 prize money.

Levet put his trust in a pair of all black FootJoy Classic golf shoes (50859), which carried him to victory in ultimate comfort.

FootJoy was the shoe of choice for more players at this week's Open de Andalucia with seven of the top ten players putting their faith in FootJoy shoes.

Impressive win for Ochoa

Lorena Ochoa successfully defended her title on Sunday at the Safeway International with a convincing seven-stroke victory. The 26-year old fired a final round 6-under 66 to finish at 22-under 266 and claim her second victory in three starts to begin the season. It marked the lowest score, by four shots, in the five years the tournament has been held at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club.

Ochoa, who was supported all week by a large contingent of her Mexican fans, began the day with only a one shot lead. However, she took the lead with a birdie on the par-3 fourth hole and never looked back. She finished the day with eight birdies against two early bogeys for her 16th victory in her last 53 starts. Next up, Ochoa will pursue her second career major when this week's Kraft Nabisco Championship kicks off in Rancho Mirage, CA.

Ochoa continues to perform in FootJoy Womens Golf Shoes.

To learn more:

Women's Golf Shoes

Ochoa wins HSBC Women's Championship

It was a fantastic weekend for FootJoy wearer Lorena Ochoa who won the HSBC Women’s Championship by 11 shots on the Tanah Merah’s Garden Course .
Competing for the first time since winning the ADT Championship in November, her eighth victory of 2007, Ochoa finished at 20-under 268. She entered the final round with an eight-shot lead after opening with rounds of 66, 65 and 69, and steadily built on it through three rain delays.
Ochoa missed a chance to break Cindy Mackey’s 72-hole record for margin of victory, 14, but topped her own mark of 10 in the 2006 Tournament of Champions.

Wearing a pair of FootJoy women’s golf shoes, the top-ranked Mexican star strode to her 18th career LPGA Tour victory earning her $300,000.

Lowery wins AT&T

It was a FootJoy playoff at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where Steve Lowery captured his first PGA TOUR victory in more than seven years with a birdie on the first extra hole. Lowery, who closed with a final round 68 (-4), topped Vijay Singh, who birdied the 72nd hole to force the sudden death playoff. Both players finished regulation at 278 (-10). The win was the third of Lowery's career, all of them in playoffs. At 47, he is the oldest winner in 71-year history of the tournament.

Lowery's playoff win was the second straight for FootJoy golf shoe players on the PGA TOUR. Last week, J.B. Holmes won on the first extra hole of the FBR Open.

A long time FJ wearer, Steve prefers the stylish look and platform stability of FootJoy Classics Tour golf shoes.

FootJoy was the shoe of choice for more players at this week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. 67% of the field laced up a pair of FootJoy shoes in the desert (nearest competitor 21%).

J B Holmes wins the Phoenix Open

J B Holmes wins Phoenix Open for second time… Big hitting J B Holmes, sealed his second PGA Tour victory in the event he won as a rookie two years ago. The 23 year old, who lead by four overnight, fought hard all day but managed to stay within one shot of the clubhouse leader. Holmes managed to keep his nerve on the last, sinking a 10-foot birdie putt to force a playoff. With no previous sudden-death experience, Holmes showed no nerves producing a huge 359 yards tee shot, setting up a pitch to eight foot which the Kentucky-born Holmes holed for victory. With this victory,  During the week, J B put his faith in a pair of the new White Titanium FootJoy DryJoys PODS golf shoes. To complete his attire, Holmes opted for a FootJoy golf glove which enabled him to get a firm grip on the trophy. The weekend also proved to a great success for many FootJoy players on the European Tour in the Dubai Desert Classic. Seven of the top 10 players put their faith in a pair of FootJoy golf shoes.

Scott wins in Qatar

Australia’s Adam Scott shot an impressive 11-under par 61 final round to win the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. The Australian began the day three shots adrift of the overnight leader Johan Edfors, but with five birdies on the first five holes, Scott started to make his move on the field. Out in 30, Scott picked up a further three birdies immediately after the turn to move clear of his closest rival, fellow FootJoy wearer Henrik Stenson. With further birdies at the fifteenth and seventeenth, Scott finished with an impressive course record 11-under-par 61 to finish three ahead of Stenson. The win secured a record in Qatar for Scott of played twice, won twice, more importantly moving him up the world ranking by three places to become World No5.  

Wearing a pair of FootJoy Classics golf shoes, Scott strode clear of the field to capture his sixth European Tour Title.

Kaymer wins in Abu Dhabi

1-2-3 for FootJoy

Kaymer wins in Abu Dhabi

Martin Kaymer, the European Tour rookie of the year for 2007, held his nerve to win his maiden European Tour title at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. The 23-year-old started the day six shots clear on 17-under, and the biggest threat came from fellow FootJoy ambassadors, Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson. By the turn his lead was halved as a result of consecutive bogeys at the fourth, fifth and six. The German steadied himself on the back nine, carding a final round two-over-par 74, which saw him clear of the field by four shots.

Just as Westwood and Stenson, Kaymer laced up a pair of Classics Dry Premiere to stride to his maiden tour victory, taking him to 35th place in the world rankings. In all, 7 of the top ten finishers put their trust in FootJoy golf shoes. Due to a mishap at the beginning of the week, Kaymer was without his usual pair of  FootJoy shoes but the Tour team managed to furnished him with a pair of white Classics which carried him across the finish line in style.

Chopra wins in Hawaii

Chopra achieves lifelong long dream in Hawaii

Daniel Chopra wins the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii after beating fellow FootJoy ambassador Steve Stricker in a tense playoff at the Plantation Course, Kapalua. The pair were tied on 18-under-par 274 after the final round, Chopra carded a seven-under 66 while Stricker shot an impressive nine-under 64. Luck would prove to be on Chopra's side going into the play-off, in the shape of his ball marker, which reads “Fortune Favours the brave”. On the first extra hole on the par-5 18th, Stricker putted from 120 feet for eagle when his ball hit Chopra’s ball marker, resulting in the putt finishing 10 feet short. Stricker missed the resulting birdie putt. The win finally came at the fourth playoff hole, the par 5 ninth, where Chopra made birdie leaving Stricker needing to hole from 15 feet to tie. The putt slid past the hole giving Chopra his second career PGA win.

The Swede earned $1.1 million and a Mercedes-Benz sports car. More importantly to Chopra the win earned him his first trip to the Masters. “I get to go to Augusta, my lifelong dream,” Chopra said. The tournament also saw strong finishes for FootJoy Players Hunter Mahan and Nick Watney who both finished T5. Mahan finished with the joint lowest final round carding a nine-under 64. 

Chopra strode to victory wearing a combination of the new black FootJoy DryJoys PODS (#53523) and the all white Golf Athletics (#56808) , while a FootJoy StaSof golf glove helped him take a firm grip on the winner’s trophy.

Kingston is King

South Africa’s James Kingston claimed his first win on the European Tour on home soil at the Pearl Valley Golf Estates, winning the South African Open by one stroke from England’s Oliver Wilson. Kingston was crowned champion after a final round which was heavily affected by torrid weather conditions which saw play suspended for nearly 4 hours earlier in the day. The 42 year old shot a final round 1- under-par 71 which took him to 4-under for the tournament. Kingston’s victory ensured that the trophy remained in the republic for the eighth straight year.

Kingston achieved his first European Tour win in a pair of Black FootJoy® Classics Dry Premiere golf shoes. And to complete his attire, Kingston opted for a FootJoy SciFlex golf glove which helped him get a grip of the trophy.

FootJoy - #1 Shoe in Golf

Poulter Wins in Japan

Ian Poulter sealed his first win of the year with victory in the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament in Japan. Poulter led the event after each round and although challenged early on day four, he kept his cool in gusty winds to take victory with a final round 69 to finish 11 under par 269, 3 shots ahead of fellow FootJoy wearer, Spaniard Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño. Englishman Luke Donald completed the FootJoy 1-2-3 finishing on 7 under. With this win in Japan, Poulter obtained his ninth worldwide victory, and his first in Asia.

Renowned for his flamboyant dress sense, ‘Poults’ sported some FootJoy Classics golf shoes colour coordinated to match the rest of his attire. And to complete his outfit Ian opted for a FootJoy SciFlex golf glove which helped him get his hands on the trophy.

FootJoy - #1 Shoe in Golf

Villegas bursts through

Camilo Villegas clinches a dramatic victory at the Coca-Cola Tokai Classic in Japan. After being one of only 3 players to finish under par, the Columbian sunk a clutch 20 foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to defeat local favourite Toyokazu Fujishima. With Camilo putting his faith in a pair of FootJoy Classic Dry Premiere golf shoes he notched up yet another victory for FootJoy, in what is turning out to be another successful season for the #1 Shoe and Glove in golf.

Westwood Strides Ahead

Lee Westwood captured the Quinn Direct British Masters at The Belfry with a flawless final round of 65 (-7) and a total of 273 (-15). Westwood secured the victory following a birdie-eagle on holes 16 and 17 to finish five shots clear of runner-up and fellow FootJoy wearer Ian Poulter. The overnight leader Mark Foster shot a final round 73 to finish solo third at 9-under par.

It marked the 18th career PGA European Tour title for Westwood and his second in 2007, following his winning success at the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia earlier this season.

Westwood and Poulter had more than just their 1-2 finish on Sunday. They both chose a pair of white pebble and purple patent FJ Classics Dry Premiere as a perfect compliment to their brilliant play.

FootJoy's latest exciting new signing, 18-year old Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland, finished in 42nd place with a 2-over par 290 total in his professional debut. Just as Westwood and Poulter, McIlroy laced up Classics Dry Premiere shoes for his first tournament. In all, 6 of the top 10 finishers put their trust in FootJoy golf shoes, as did 56% of the field.

FootJoy - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Rumford triumphs in the Mountains

Brett Rumford held his nerve to clinch the Omega European Masters with a dramatic chip-in at the first extra hole after finishing 72 holes tied for the lead at 16 under par. Rumford recovered from a crooked teeshot to strike a fine iron to the back of the 18th green and then calmly chipped in from 30 foot to clinch the title with a birdie three. Rumford relied on a strong short game all week, and now can relax safe in the knowledge that he has next year's card safe, giving him a number of privileges and guaranteed entry into a number of different tournaments.

The Australian strode the fairways in a custom pair of FootJoy Classic Tour golf shoes and never looked like putting a foot out of place. Rumford's victory now takes FootJoy's win count to 25 this year on the European Tour alone, further underlining our position as the preferred shoe on golf's biggest stages.

FootJoy - #1 Shoe in Golf

Stricker and Fisher lead the way at the weekend

Once again FootJoy was proven to be #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf.

FootJoy ambassador Steve Stricker birdied four of his last five holes to finish at 69 (-2) and capture The Barclays by two shots over his nearest competitor. It marked the fourth career PGA Tour victory for Stricker, who finished at 268 (-16). Stricker, who trailed by one shot with three holes remaining, also vaulted to the top of the FedEx Cup standings entering the final three events in the Playoffs. Stricker was T4 in greens in regulation and T8 in driving accuracy at The Barclays. The win was the first for Stricker in over six years.

FootJoy was the overwhelming golf shoe of choice at The Barclays with over 66% of players lacing up an FJ in pursuit of the $10 million first prize.

Earlier that day our rising European star Ross Fisher took glory at the KLM Dutch Open, finishing coolly under pressure from a local favourite to birdie the final hole and take his maiden European Tour title by a single shot, closing with a classy 3 under par 67. Fisher continues his rich vein of form in 2007 having been co-leader of the European Tour's flagship event, the BMW Championship at his home course of Wentworth going into the final round earleir in the season.

Over 60% of those that teed it up in the Netherlands chose FootJoy, with the nearest competitor just clearing 20%, underlining FootJoy's position as #1 Shoe in Golf.

Find out more: FootJoy Golf Shoes

Cristie Kerr wins US Open

Cristie Kerr fired a final round 70 (-1), including an 18-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole to take the lead, and held on to win the U.S. Women's Open by two strokes over her nearest competitors. Kerr, who made only two bogeys over her final 45 holes, finished the week with a 279 (-5) total, en route to her first career major and 10th career victory.

Cristie trusted FootJoy golf shoes and a StaSof glove for the biggest win of her career.

FootJoy was the golf shoe of choice at the U.S. Women's Open with 80 (51%) players, more than twice the nearest competitor with 35 (22%).

Women's FootJoy Golf Shoes

Women's FootJoy Golf Gloves

Castaño and Westwood win again

Spanish sensation Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño came out on top after a thrilling play-off to take the Telecom Italia Open Title from fellow FootJoy ambassador Markus Brier. Unseasonably bad weather in Italy forced the event to be cut short to 54 holes, and it was FootJoy product that won through, both in the form of FootJoy Classics golf shoes and the stylish Red Label Collection Outerwear, helping Gonzalo to finsh the event on 16 under par after just three rounds. Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed completed the FootJoy 1-2-3. FootJoy again represented the shoe of choice with over 60% of the field relying on the proven quality and comfort of FootJoy golf shoes.

Just one week later it was Englishman Lee Westwood who took the top spot at the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia. Westwood entered the event with the aim of finding his putting touch, and in achieving this strode to a comfortable 2 stroke victory ahead of Andersson-Hed who continues his rich run of form. Over 64% of the field wore FootJoy shoes in Spain, almost 3 times that of the nearest competitor.

FootJoy - #1 Shoe and Glove in Golf

Verplank wins EDS Byron Nelson in ReelFit

Scott Verplank dialled his FootJoy ReelFit golf shoes to carry him to an dramatic one stroke victory over fellow FootJoy wearer Luke Donald at the recent EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Verplank had the privilege of growing up in Dallas alongside the man after whom the tournament is named and cherished the chance to talk to and learn from "Lord" Byron Nelson.

As the lead passed between playing partners Verplank and Donald, it was Scott who stood on the 18th tee with a one stroke advantage. Both hit the fairway and drew mid irons into the tight pin, and after Verplank's birdie effort slid past, Donald's attempt to take the tournament into extra time also failed to drop. After four consecutive rounds in the 60's and closing with a stunning 66 Scott emerged as a worthy and emotional winner.

Verplank put his trust in a pair of black FootJoy ReelFit golf shoes model #53808 which were comfort-fitted to perfection, while Donald sported a pair of Classics Dry Premiere. A good weekend for FootJoy was rounded off with Jerry Kelly completing a FootJoy 1-2-3 in a pair of white and brown ReelFit shoes. FootJoy was the clear choice of golf shoe for over 70% of the field, with the nearest competitor representing just 16%.

Scott wins Shell Houston Open

FootJoy ambassador Adam Scott followed up a third round 65 (-7) with a final round 66 (-6) to finish at 271 (-17), capturing the Shell Houston Open by three strokes over third-round leader. It marked the fifth career PGA TOUR title for Scott and his 12th as a professional.

Scott topped a leaderboard that included 10 FootJoy shoe wearers among the 13 who finished among the Top 10 and ties. The victory is the 7th for FootJoy players on the 2007 PGA TOUR.

FootJoy was the golf shoe of choice at the Shell Houston Open with 104 (72%) nearly 6 times the nearest competitor with 18.

Learn more.:
FootJoy Men's Golf Shoes

Stenson Wins in Dubai

FootJoy player Henrik Stenson shot a final round 68 (-4) to win the Dubai Desert Classic, finishing one stroke ahead of the field.

Stenson began the day two shots behind the leader, but posted five birdies to finish at 269 (-19). Stenson's victory came down to the par-5 18th with Stenson a stroke ahead. Both final group players converted their birdie attempts, with Stenson finishing one stroke clear.

The Swede, a Dubai resident, opted for an all white pair of Classics Dry Premiere shoes for his 'home-town" win on Sunday.

Learn more .:
Classics Dry Premiere shoes