The Tour Spot is always looking at the latest trends when it comes to the equipment that touring professionals choose to play. It’s amazing what can happen in little over a year, especially in the golf equipment industry. Case in point: Miyazaki Golf shafts. Many of THP’s readers have become very familiar with the Miyazaki brand since it was introduced during the 2010 PGA show. At that time, Miyazaki had just launched their offerings on the PGA Tour and they were creating quite a buzz. For those of you that are unaware, Miyazaki has been making and developing shafts for over 20 years. However, until recently, they were virtually unknown outside of Japan. In a very short time, tour acceptance of these shafts has grown at an astounding rate. Here is a bit of information about the growth that this company has seen.
The number of Miyazaki shafts in play across the many worldwide tours is quite amazing; especially when you consider the short amount of time they have been available. Currently, there are around 150 touring professional using Miyazaki shafts in everything from drivers to hybrids. That comes out to well over 200 shafts being used professionally at this time. To go from zero players on Tour to over 150 within a couple of years is an amazing feat and definitely has THP wondering what is in store for this company in the near future. One thing almost all tour players have in common is that they demand the best and will not risk their livelihood on inferior equipment. It is remarkable for a virtually unknown company to have this type of growth in such a short period of time.
Another thing that has been interesting to see is that quite a few players have put Miyazaki’s lightweight shaft, the C. Kua, in play. For a lightweight shaft to hold up to the swing of a professional golfer speaks volumes about the stability and quality of this line. In a game of inches, adding 5-10 yards can make a huge difference and it seems that some of golf’s elite are taking advantage of what Miyazaki has to offer.
David Toms, a Miyazaki staffer, recently jump-started his career with a T3 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as well as four 2nd place finishes since 2009. Jerry Kelly is another notable PGA Tour player carrying a Miyazaki in his bag. Kelly had a strong 3rd place finish at the 2011 Honda Classic and had a great year in 2009 when he won the Zurich Classic and the Shark Shootout. Fan favorite Boo Weekly is one of the more recognizable professionals that plays a Miyazaki shaft, as is Vijay Singh. It certainly can’t be a coincidence that so many exceptional touring professionals are choosing the Miyazaki brand.
Miyazaki has seen amazing growth since being partnered with its sister companies, Srixon and Cleveland Golf. It appears that the combination of exceptional quality, performance, and style in the Miyazaki line made quite an impression among professional golfers around the globe. Stay tuned to the Tour Spot, as THP will be watching closely to see what the future holds for this relative newcomer to worldwide stage.
