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It's a busy week for the Titleist Tour Support Team this week as the European Tour is staging two events. A host of talent has travelled to Portugal's beautiful island of Madeira for this year's Madeira Island Open.

The cliff-top links of Porto Santo Golf Club, designed by the great Seve Ballesteros, again welcomes the players for the event. Because Madeira is so remote, it's logistically impossible to get the Titleist Tour Support Vehicle (TTSV) on site for the tournament. Instead, product has to be shipped from Titleist's European HQ well in advance to ensure that our Team is supplied with plenty of product to address any player need that may be encountered.

Despite the gloomy weather that we've seen thus far, it hasn't prevented some stellar play. Pro V1x loyalist Lloyd Saltman equalled his best round ever as a professional, firing an 8-under 64 to take a four-shot lead after the opening round.

This morning, Scotland's Craig Lee (Pro V1x) followed up an opening round 67 with a 4-under 68, taking a one-shot lead over his fellow compatriot as Saltman awaits the start of his second round. Titleist Brand Ambassador Thomas Levet rounds out the top-3 at the time of this posting, currently at 7-under.

To view a slideshow of images we captured from the Madeira Island Open just click on the image above.

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The European Tour heads west this week, across the Yellow Sea from South Korea to Tianjin for the Volvo China Open. Binhai Lake Golf Club will play host this week for the second year in a row and the wind-swept, lakeside Pete Dye design will certainly pose numerous challenges to players this week.

And to face this challenge, 102 players in the field of 156 will trust a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball for their success, more than 7 times the nearest competitor and more than all competitors combined.

Getting off to a fast start, Pro V1x loyalist Mikko Ilonen is faring very well after the opening two rounds, holding a three shot lead at 12-under-par. Titleist Brand Amabassadors, Brett Rumford and Kiradech Aphibarnrat are in close pursuit and currently sit at 9-under as we head into the weekend.

Both Brett and Kiradech come into the week with plenty of momentum from recent great play. Brett is coming off a fantastic performance last week, where he hoisted the trophy at the Ballantine's Championship and Kiradech recently captured the Maybank Malaysian Open title in late March.

Team Titleist was on site in Tianjin for this final leg of the European Tour's Asian swing. We head back to Europe next week for the Volvo Match Play Championship in Bulgaria.

To view a slideshow of images we captured from Tianjin and the Volvo China Open just click on the image above.

There are many exciting ways to achieve victory. And this weekend, five champions trusting a Titleist golf ball displayed a few that were particularly thrilling: a pair of breakthrough championship performances, a team effort, and a playoff-ending eagle.

At the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Pro V1x loyalist Billy Horschel outlasted the weather and outperformed the field with a final round 8-under 64 for his first career PGA Tour victory. Titleist Brand Ambassador Brett Rumford (Pro V1x) made a dramatic eagle on the first hole of a three-way sudden death playoff to win the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea, for his fourth European Tour title. On the Champions Tour, the duo of Titleist Brand Ambassador Brad Faxon (Pro V1x) and Pro V1 loyalist Jeff Sluman captured the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf following a final-round 7-under 65 and 23-under total. Finally, Jose de Jesus Rodriguez entered the winner’s circle for the first time in his career when his Pro V1x golf ball dropped for a birdie on the second hole of a three-way, sudden death playoff at the Roberto De Vicenzo Invitational Copa NEC.

With three more official victories, players trusting a Titleist golf ball have now won 46 tournaments on the worldwide professional tours in 2013, more than four times the nearest competitor with eleven and more than all other competitors combined.

This is Team Titleist, let’s wrap-up the week…

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PGA: Zurich Classic of New Orleans

Winner: Pro V1x loyalist Billy Horschel

Horschel sealed his win at the Zurich with a 27-foot birdie putt on 18, edging playing partner D.A. Points (Pro V1x), who also birdied the hole, by one shot.

"27 feet in the hole, first victory.  You can't ask for anything else," said Horschel. "It's still pretty unbelievable."

Although the win marked Horschel's first PGA Tour title, he had been knocking on the door with three top 10 finishes in his past three tournaments — tying for second in Houston, tying for third in San Antonio and tying for ninth at the RBC Heritage a week ago. He has also made a PGA Tour-leading 23 straight cuts.

Horschel made a string of six straight birdies that ran from the seventh through 12th holes, moving him to 7-under on the round and 19-under for the tournament. Points birdied the 10th through 13th holes to stay on Horschel's heels.

Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 156 with 104 players, more than six times the nearest competitor with 17. Titleist also was the overwhelming top choice in the sand, lob, and approach wedge (147) and putter (56) categories.

• • •

EUROPEAN/ASIA: Ballantine’s Championship

Winner: Titleist Brand Ambassador Brett Rumford

The win marked the fourth European Tour title for Rumford and his first in six years. He closed with a 4-under 68 to finish regulation tied with two fellow competitors at 11-under par.   The threesome returned to the 18th hole, a par 5, and after Rumford saw his opponents fail to reach the green in two, he fired a brilliant approach to four feet and converted the eagle putt for the win.

“It was an absolute roller coaster ride of emotions out there this afternoon," said Rumford following the win.  "Obviously my last five holes yesterday and front nine today got me in a great position to take this tournament.”

Rumford, who finished his third round with five consecutive birdies, took that run to seven when he converted a 20-foot putt on the first green and then fired his approach to five feet at the next. He then had three pars, but a bunker shot to three feet at the sixth sparked a run of four straight birdies. Titleist Brand Ambassador Romain Wattel (Pro V1x, 913D3 driver, 913F fairway metal, 913H hybrid, MB irons, Vokey Design SM4 wedges, Scotty Cameron 009 prototype putter) finished fourth at 9-under par, with World No. 7 Louis Oosthuizen (Pro V1x) a shot further back.

What's in Brett Rumford's Bag:  Pro V1x golf ball, 913D2 (8.5) driver, 913Fd (15) fairway metal, 712U 2,3 and 4 utility irons, CB (5-9) irons, Vokey Design SM4 pitching (48) and sand (54) wedges, Vokey Design Spin Milled lob (60) wedge.

Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 156 with 94 players, more than four times the nearest competitor with 22. Titleist also was the overwhelming top choice in the utility club (76), iron (50) and sand, lob, and approach wedge (170) categories.

• • •

CHAMPIONS: Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf

Winner: Titleist Brand Ambassador Brad Faxon and Pro V1 Loyalist Jeff Sluman

Titleist was the most relied upon golf ball in the field of 66 (33 teams) with 50 players, more than eight times the nearest competitor with 6. Titleist also was the top choice in the irons (17), sand, lob, and approach wedge (50) and putter (16) categories.

• • •

LATINOAMERICA: Vicenzo Invitational Copa NEC

Winner: Pro V1x loyalist Jose de Jesus Rodriguez

After making par on the first extra hole, the 18th at Club de Golf Uruguay, all three playoff participants advanced to the short par-4 eighth, the second extra hole. Rodriguez drove the green and two-putted for birdie and his first career win on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica.