St. Johns G&CC To Host PGA Tour Qualifying First Stage

St. Johns Golf & Country Club To Host PGA TOUR Qualifying School Tournament (ST. AUGUSTINE, FL) - St. Johns Golf & Country Club - owned and managed by Billy Casper Golf - will host the first-stage tournament of the 2011 PGA TOUR Qualifying School, Tuesday October 25 through Friday, October 28.

The 72-hole, stroke-play tournament at St. Johns will be contested between roughly 80 golfers, including seven from north Florida, with the top qualifiers advancing to the second stage of competition. St. Johns was selected by the PGA TOUR as one of only 13 golf courses across America to host a first-round qualifying competition. This marks the sixth time St. Johns will host a Q-School event.

Tee times begin each day at 8:30 a.m. and the event is free and open to the public.

Notables competing to earn their PGA TOUR card at St. Johns include Sam Saunders (grandson of Arnold Palmer) and TOUR veterans Brent Schwarzrock, Matthew Borchert and Scott Hend. Several PGA TOUR regulars, including Carl Paulson, David Gossett, Guy Boros and Chris Couch, have played TOUR qualifying rounds at St. Johns in past years.

"St. Johns is proud to again be selected by the PGA TOUR to host this important first step for golfers to earn their way onto the TOUR," says Dan Zimmer, General Manager of St. Johns. "The course will showcase TOUR-quality conditions and offer a true test for all competitors."

St. Johns, a Clyde Johnston-designed course located just north of St. Augustine, is a gem that attracts golfers from across the southeastern United States. Carved out of a pine forest, the course offers a great test for every skill level. From the championship tees, the course is a decidedly robust par-72 playing 7,236 yards with occasionally arduous wind patterns.

The PGA TOUR qualifying system dates back to 1965 and currently involves three stages. At the end of the qualifying process, 25 players, plus those who tied, earn their PGA TOUR card for the following season.

For more information about St. Johns: www.stjohnsgolf.com, 904.940.3200.

About Billy Casper Golf
Widely respected as a high-performance owner-operator of more than 130 golf courses, country clubs and resorts, Billy Casper Golf holds the second largest domestic portfolio. The company provides turnkey club management for public-agency and private owners, developers and investors. Founded more than 20 years ago in cooperation with golf legend Billy Casper, the firm is headquartered in Vienna, VA with regional offices strategically convenient to courses' locales.

Industry leaders and media praise the company's best-of-breed infrastructure that shows clients favorable returns on investments. Billy Casper Golf's economies of scale make and save money for courses while delivering personal touches to golfers and club members.

Buffalo Communications - a division of Billy Casper Golf - is the global public relations, branding and marketing-communications firm. In addition to creating and implementing programs for Billy Casper Golf courses, Buffalo represents many of golf's top brands (products, resorts, destinations and communities) worldwide.

For more information: www.billycaspergolf.com, www.buffalocommunications.com, 703.761.1444.

View the original article here

Titleist's Simpson Wins First Title

Wins Wyndham Championship for first career PGA Tour title trusting Pro V1x golf ball and Titleist golf clubs Fairhaven, MA (August 22, 2011) - Trusting the Pro V1x golf ball and Titleist equipment from tee-to-green, local favorite Webb Simpson fired four consecutive rounds in the 60's to capture his first career PGA TOUR title at the Wyndham Championship. Simpson, who grew up in North Carolina and was the ACC's player of the year for Wake Forest in 2008, fired a bogey-free final round three-under 67 en route to an 18-under 262 victory total in Greensboro.

- With Simpson's victory, 12 Titleist full product line Brand Ambassadors have now won a combined 14 times on the 2011 PGA TOUR. Simpson joins Steve Stricker and Nick Watney (who have each won twice), Adam Scott, Scott Piercy, Johnson Wagner, Gary Woodland, Brendan Steele, Harrison Frazar, Rory McIlroy, Chris Kirk and Scott Stallings who have entered this year's winners' circle trusting Titleist equipment throughout the bag.

- Titleist golf ball loyalists have now won 26 times on the 2011 PGA TOUR, nearly nine times the nearest competitor with 3.

- What's in Webb Simpson's Titleist bag?: Pro V1x, 909D3 (10.5) driver, 909F3 (13.5) fairway metal, 910F (17) fairway metal, 910H (21) hybrid, 680MB (4-PW) irons, Vokey Design TVD sand (54) and lob (58) wedges.

- After taking the lead during the third round with a late five-hole stretch of four birdies and an eagle, the 26-year-old Simpson opened his final round with eight straight pars before moving to 16-under with a birdie on the par-4 ninth. Simpson sealed the tournament with consecutive birdies on Nos. 15 and 16.

- The performance marks the 15th top-25 finish of the year for Simpson, whose consistent performance this year has vaulted him to No. 3 in the standings heading into next week's FedEx Playoffs, just behind fellow Titleist Brand Ambassadors Nick Watney and Steve Stricker, respectively.

- Five players tied for 4th, including Charles Howell III (Pro V1x) and Titleist Brand Ambassador Kyung-Tae Kim (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver, 909H and 910H hybrids, CB and MB irons, Vokey Design pitching, approach and lob wedges). Kim, who notched his first top-5 finish this week, recently tied for 6th at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

- Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the event with 105 players, seven times the nearest competitor with 15. Titleist also was first in iron sets (43), including 27 sets of new 712 prototype irons (1 AP1, 3 AP2, 11 MB, and 12 CB sets in play); sand, lob and approach wedges(131); and putters (58). Titleist was second in drivers (40), including 36 910D2 or 910D3 models; fairway metals (46); and hybrids (34).

- With additional golf ball wins on the Nationwide and Canadian Tours, Titleist players have now combined for 109 victories across the worldwide professional tours, more than six times the nearest competitor with 16.

NATIONWIDE TOUR: James Nitties (Pro V1x) closed with his second straight six-under 65 to win the Midwest Classic by five strokes over two players including Jonas Blixt (Pro V1x, 910D3 driver). The win was Nitties' first on the Nationwide Tour, and his 26-under par 258 victory smashed the tournament scoring record by six shots.

- Titleist was the overwhelming golf ball of choice at the Midwest Classic with 106 players, more than six times the nearest competitor with 17.

- Titleist also was first in iron sets (45), including 17 sets of new 712 prototype irons (6 AP2, 5 MB, 5 CB and 1 AP1); sand, lob and approach wedges (142); and putters (64). Titleist was second in drivers (44), including 40 910D2 or 910D3 models; and fairway metals (43).

CANADIAN TOUR: Brian Unk (Pro V1x) closed with a five-under 65 to earn his second Seaforth Country Classic title in three years. Unk, who finished at 20-under-par 260 at the weather-delayed event, edged the runner-up by one shot.

View the original article here