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CARLSBAD, Calif. (May 23, 2016) – Spain’s longtime Ryder Cup stalwart used Nippon Shaft’s N.S. PRO MODUS³ Tour 130 X-flex shafts in his irons and wedges en route to a playoff victory Sunday (May 22) at the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship at TPC Four Seasons in Irving, Texas.

The 36-year-old native of Castellon won with a par on the first hole of sudden death, after his 15-under par in regulation on rounds of 63-66-68-68—265, playing his first 44 holes bogey-free.  The victory was his ninth on the PGA TOUR, tying him with countryman Seve Ballesteros, and paid $1,314,000. It was his second time winning the Nelson.

“Nippon Shaft would like to congratulate the 2016 Byron Nelson champion, who is known as one of the game’s top iron players,” said Hiro Fukuda, sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft.  “He has been playing Nippon Shaft for several years, and our company is honored that a player now ranked No. 12 in the world continues to entrust his game with Nippon Shaft products.”

He currently is ranked fifth in Ryder Cup points. He hits 71.89 percent of his greens in regulation, third-best on the PGA TOUR.

Nippon Shaft’s popularity on the world’s major golf tours grew significantly in 2015, with 106 players on the PGA and European Tours combined utilizing steel shafts built by the Japan-based golf shaft manufacturer, an increase of over 50 percent compared to the prior year when 70 major Tour pros used Nippon Shaft.

“Nippon Shaft is proud and gratified that its product penetration continues to experience meaningful growth year after year on the world’s major men’s golf tours,” said Fukuda.

In the 2014-15 season, Nippon Shaft players won 16 times on the world’s top tours, including the PGA TOUR, European Tour, Web.com Tour, Challenge Tour and the LPGA Tour.

Seven of the 30 contestants in the PGA TOUR’s TOUR Championship used Nippon Shaft steel shafts in their irons and/or wedges.

The iron shaft models used by golf’s elite players were the N.S. PRO 950GH, the N.S. PRO MODUS³ Tour 130, N.S. PRO MODUS³ Tour 120, N.S. PRO MODUS³ TOUR 105 shaft, and N.S. PRO MODUS³ PROTOTYPE ORA steel shafts.

In addition, more than 70 players used Nippon Shaft N.S. PRO MODUS³ WEDGE shafts, which were designed exclusively for wedges, utilizing unique technologies that contribute to high levels of stability and feel in the short game.  The WEDGE shafts were released to the public in March of 2015.

Meanwhile, Nippon Shaft continues to be the preferred shaft on the LPGA Tour, with several players having recorded victories on the world’s predominant women’s tour.

Over the years, Nippon Shaft recorded hundreds of victories on professional golf tours worldwide, as the best players in the world increasingly chose to install in their irons steel shafts manufactured in Japan to unparalleled quality standards.

Nippon Shaft products are available globally either as stock or custom shafts in many of the world’s top iron brands.  In addition, Nippon Shaft products are available through Nippon Shaft’s dedicated global club fitter network.  Details of these can be found at www.nipponshaft.com

Nippon Shaft manufactures all of its steel and graphite shafts in a state-of-the-art factory in Komagane, Japan.  The company’s integrated production lines are strictly monitored and controlled with thorough checks conducted responsibly through the entire production process.  As a result, Nippon Shaft is able to control high product quality – from material selection to final testing.

Based in Yokohama, Japan, Nippon Shaft is the No. 1-selling steel shaft in Asia.  Nippon Shaft is a privately-held subsidiary of NHK Spring Co. LTD, a Japanese automobile parts manufacturer.  Nippon Shaft’s North American headquarters is in Carlsbad.