Tiger Woods Uses Both Power and Precision to Clinch Masters Win New Technology for Tiger Results in a Major Performance BEAVERTON, Ore., April 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tiger Woods, again the No. 1 player in the world, used massive drives and pin-seeking iron shots to win his fourth Masters title. Woods made a major move during the third round by stringing together seven consecutive birdies, tying a Masters record and vaulting him into the lead for the start of the final round. Forced into a playoff hole after the final round, Woods hit three great shots on the eighteenth for birdie and a remarkable win. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020719/NKGOLFLOGO ) Woods used prolific drives, at times more than 60 yards past his competitor, to keep the pressure on all day. Since switching to the longer more forgiving 460cc Ignite driver in 2005 and a prototype One Platinum ball, Woods has significantly increased his distance off the tee and has moved up to third on the PGA TOUR in driving distance, after finishing ninth at the end of last year. Woods' 460cc Ignite driver, made with NexTi Titanium and around the crown construction features a Mitsubishi Diamana shaft, which will be a custom shaft option for the Ignite in May. This exceptional driver, shaft and golf ball combination has proven to be so long that the PGA TOUR was recently asked by another player to test Woods' driver to insure it conformed. It did. While Woods' driving gave him a distinct advantage, his precision into and around the greens may have been what sealed the win. Woods was incredibly accurate with his irons, finishing second in greens hit in regulation (75%). But it was his amazing birdie chip on the sixteenth that may go down as one of the best Masters shots of all time. This type of precision and control has been made possible in part by the new prototype Nike One Platinum golf ball Woods has been playing since the beginning of the year. The One Platinum was developed for Woods to maximize play with today's larger head drivers by promoting a higher trajectory and a lower spin rate. The win at the Masters is the third win on the tour this year for Woods and his new One Platinum ball. When it hits the market this May, the Nike One Platinum will feature a Progressive Density Core with a soft center and a progressively harder outer shell. This provides lower spin off the tee even with its soft outer cover. It is comparable to the Nike One Black, Nike's longest ball on Tour, in that regard. Similar to the Nike One Gold, the One Platinum is comprised of three layers or covers beyond the core. Each cover of the One Platinum has its own job to do: the Inner Cover, closest to the core, is designed to reduce spin off the driver; the Middle Cover provides superior mid-iron control; and the Outer Cover, softer than the Nike One Gold, promotes incredible feel around the green making shots like Woods' chip on sixteen possible. The Outer Cover also features Nike Golf's proprietary 408 dimple pattern, the same one used on the Nike One Black. This particular dimple promotes a higher trajectory and more penetrating ball flight through the apex of the ball's trajectory. In other words, it descends at a less steep angle promoting more distance and roll. In addition to an Ignite driver, the 2005 Masters champion relied on an Ignite 3 wood to put him in great position off the tee. Rounding out Woods equipment arsenal, Nike Forged Blade Irons and Forged TW Wedges. On a warm day in Augusta and in the heat of competition Woods kept a sure grip on his clubs thanks to his Dri-FIT Tour Glove and stable footing thanks to his SP-7 TW Tour Footwear. Additional Notes: Trevor Immelman's ace on the sixteenth hole helped him secure a tie for fifth place in only his second Masters appearance. The ace was made possible by a Nike Pro Combo iron and a One Black ball. Immelman, along with sixteen other players in the Masters field carried Nike irons at Augusta National making irons from Nike Golf the number one iron at the 2005 Masters. Nike Golf, located in Beaverton, Oregon, is passionately dedicated to honoring and respecting the traditions and heritage of the game, and to providing committed golfers with the absolute best equipment in the game in every product category. For more information on Nike Golf, visit our Web site at http://www.nikegolf.com/. Editors and journalists seeking editorial information and downloadable images, visit http://www.nikegolf.com/presscenter. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020719/NKGOLFLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Nike Golf CONTACT: Chris Mike, Nike Golf, +1-503-532-7281, or Web site: http://www.nikegolf.com/ Web site: http://www.nikebiz.com/

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