It seems an unlikely tale. A pro golfer from England uses the golf shafts from a company in Canada to become top-ranked player in the world. Well, it became true at the end of May when Luke Donald won the BMW PGA Championship on the EuropeanTour and ascended to the top of the world rankings.
It is quite a feat for any golfer to accomplish, and to have a small Canadian golf shaft company along for the ride is a nice touch, especially considering the fact that Canadian players are not exactly making a big dent in the world pro golf stage right about now.
Luke Donald has used wood shafts from ACCRA Golf in Kingston, Ontario for quite some time now, but unfortunately for the company they can't tell you that directly. You see they don't Donald to endorse their products so they can't use his name or likeness in their promotional materials. They can only hint at who the player is and let the reader fill in the blanks. That is why we can tell you that it is Donald who plays the shafts and the fact that he does not get paid to do so is even greater testament to ACCRA and their products.
Donald, who also won the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play earlier this year, uses ACCRA shafts in his driver and three wood, and despite other companies trying to sway him, he has remained loyal to the products in his run to the top ranking.
Donald, Northwestern University graduate who, incidentally, is married to a Canadian, has trusted ACCRA golf shafts in his 3 wood for more than five years. Even during several changes in equipment, he remained loyal to ACCRA golf shafts. It was in the fall of 2009 that he switched to a TaylorMade driver custom fit with an ACCRA premium golf shaft, that he truly began his climb up the world golf rankings. He currently uses a TaylorMade R11 driver and as always, with his ACCRA shaft.
"It is always thrilling to see your product help a great golfer achieve success at the highest level, but this is beyond our wildest expectations!" stated Gawain Robertson (ACCRA- Co-Founder). "We are honoured that the #1 golfer in the world has trusted ACCRA golf shafts during his ascent to the top of the world rankings," continued Mr. Robertson.
ACCRA recently introduced their Tour Z line of shafts that is also getting traction on the pro tours. Paul Goydos and Chez Reavie are among the players who have put them into play and had success. Versions of the shafts are now available through ACCRA certified dealers.
"This victory and overall outcome justifies what ACCRA is all about. Finding a shaft that is perfectly matched to your swing characteristics is what club fitting is all about." stated Dave Makarucha (ACCRA - Co-Founder) "When the new #1 golfer in the world chose ACCRA, he knew that these shafts were matched to his swing and that there was no reason to change. Mike Biviano, ACCRA's Tour representative, ensures PGA Tour players are fit properly. ACCRA certified club fitters offer the same fitting experience to all levels of golfers, ensuring that any golfer can benefit from properly fit equipment," continued Mr. Makarucha.
Nobody knows how long Donald can maintain his #1 ranking but even when that day comes a small golf shaft manufacture from Eastern Ontario will know that, at one time, they were part of his rise to the top.
