How best to sum up the weekend for Titleist Brand Ambassador Matteo Manassero?

Whoa.

The Italian, at 17 years and 188 days old, won the Castello Masters to become the youngest winner ever on the European Tour, eclipsing the previous record (18 years, 213 days) by over a year, and continue a recent trend of rewriting the record books.

Manasserro tapped his Pro V1x golf ball in for par on the 18th hole Sunday at the Club de Campo Del Mediterraneo for a 4-under 67 and a runaway victory highlighted by three consecutive birdies from Nos. 13-15. Manassero, who started the day two shots back of the lead, was one of 69 players in the field that trusted a Titleist golf ball, more than all other golf balls combined.

He finished at 16-under 201, four shots ahead of Pro V1x loyalist Ignacio Garrido.

"This was my first chance to win a tournament, which I never thought would come so quickly and to do it is unbelievable," said Manassero, who also became the European Tour's youngest full-time member, surpassing Seve Ballesteros' record by 12 days.

Last year, Manassero became the youngest British Amateur Champion at 16 years old and won the silver medal as the low amateur (13th) at the 2009 British Open at Turnberry, where he closed in 1-under 69. In April, he finished tied for 36th at the Masters after becoming the youngest player to ever make the cut.

“My results this year are well above my expectations," said Manassero, who plays a full bag of Titleist equipment.

Manassero became the ninth player across the worldwide profession tours to win using the new Titleist 910 driver since seeding began in July. 
For the week, Manassero finished fifth in driving accuracy, hitting 64.3 percent of fairways.

Manassero also finished second for the week in putts per green in regulation (1.646) after putting a new Scotty Cameron Studio Select Fastback putter into play for the first time.

Here's a closer look at Manassero's Titleist equipment:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Titleist 910D2 9.5 (A1 Setting)
3-wood: Titleist 909F2 13.5
Hybrid: Titleist 909H 17.0
Irons: AP2 (3-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design Spin Milled (52, 58)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Select Fastback

• • •

Manassero's victory was one of four last week for Titleist Brand Ambassadors and golf ball loyalists across the worldwide professional tours. In 2010, Titleist golf ball players have recorded 126 total victories, more than 100 more than the nearest competitor with 23:

• PGA TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist Jonathan Byrd hit perhaps the shot of the year Sunday night as darkness fell upon Las Vegas and the fourth playoff hole of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open.

But he didn't see it.

Standing on the tee of TPC Summerlin's 240-yard par-3 17th, Byrd watched as his Pro V1x #2 golf ball disappeared somewhere over the green.

"It started perfect, it turned perfect, and it was coming right down the flag," said Byrd. " I thought I hit it too good. I thought I hit it too far, and I couldn't see anything."

Byrd's Pro V1x dropped about 15 feet in front of the cup, hopped once and rolled into the cup, earning him his fourth PGA Tour victory – the first with a 6-iron in his hands at the end.

"…To hear the reaction as it went in, I was just in shock," he said. What better place than Las Vegas to win with an ace?

Byrd closed in 3-under 68 to finish regulation at 21-under 263, tied with Pro V1 loyalist Cameron Percy (67).

Byrd and Percy were two of 95 players in the field that trusted a Titleist golf ball, more than five times the nearest competitor with 17. Nine of the top 10 finishers trusted a Titleist golf ball for their success, while 22 players in the field had new Titleist Pro V1 or Pro V1x prototype golf balls in play.

Percy was on one of seven players that used a new Pro V1 prototype golf ball, while Titleist Brand Ambassador Webb Simpson (T-4) was one of 15 players that played the new Pro V1x prototype golf ball.

In the three weeks since Simpson put the new golf ball in play, he has finished T-12, T-44 and T-4. This week, Simpson also led the field in driving accuracy (83.9 percent). 


• LPGA: Pro V1x loyalist Jimin Kang birdied three of her last four holes, including a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole, to capture the inaugural Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia by one stroke over Hall of Famer and Pro V1 loyalist Julie Inkster.


The win was the second LPGA tour victory for Kang, who closed in 6-under 65 for a 9-under 204 total.

"(I'm) speechless. That's not that easy to do for me. I played solid. I hit a lot of putts. As you guys can tell, my score was good enough to win a tournament, and you know, it's been a while. So I'm trying to soak this in," said Kang, whose first LPGA victory came at the 2005 LPGA Corning Classic. "Oh, my... I can't believe I won!"

Kang was one of 44 players in the field that trusted a Titleist golf ball, 11 times the nearest competitor with four.


Pro V1 loyalist Cristie Kerr, who finished eighth, is projected to regain the No. 1 position in this week's Rolex World Rankings.   


• NATIONWIDE TOUR: Pro V1x loyalist David Mathis secured his 2011 PGA Tour card by winning the inaugural Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open Sunday at Dye's Valley at TPC Sawgrass.

Mathis closed in 1-under 69  to finish at 8-under 272 for a one-stroke victory over three players, including Titleist Brand Ambassador Won Joon Lee and Pro V1x loyalist Jeff Curl.

Mathis, who moved from No. 35 to No. 12 on the Nationwide Tour money list with only one event remaining, was one 89 players in the field that trusted a Titleist golf ball, nearly five times the nearest competitor with 16.

Titleist also was first in Sand, Lob and Approach Wedges (126) and Putters (61).