Lee Slattery’s win at the Bankia Madrid Masters has sparked a frenzy of interest in the sleeveless Galvin Green WINDSTOPPER® he was wearing during his final round in sunny, but windy conditions on the challenging El Encin course.
“We’ve been amazed at the huge interest in the black sleeveless body warmer that’s been generated by Lee’s victory in Spain and are having to review our stock of WINDSTOPPER® garments as a priority,” said Mike Johnson-Hill, Managing Director of Galvin Green (UK) Ltd.
Lee, ‘the face’ of Galvin Green’s advertising campaigns since 2008, left five members of last years’ winning Ryder Cup team trailing in his wake as he captured his first European Tour title in Madrid. The 33-year-old Englishman from Southport attacked the pins on the back nine and, despite a double-bogey on the last, won by a shot with an impressive total of 15-under par.
As he lifted his first trophy in seven years, he then praised the leading golf clothing brand for its support when he struggled with his game and had to graduate from the Challenge Tour last year. “I did some modeling for Galvin Green and I actually got more exposure out of that than from any sponsor I’ve ever had, so they’ve been fantastic,” he said.
Wearing a stylish combination of a white Ventil8 shirt and white slacks, matched with a black Boyd WINDSTOPPER® – ideal for playing in sunny, windy conditions – Slattery held his nerve to sink a short putt on the 18th to secure the biggest win of his career, move up 168 places in the world rankings to 160 and take the €166,660 first prize. He finished six shots ahead of fellow Team Galvin Green players Peter Hanson and Oscar Floren, with both Swedes tied for sixth spot at 9-under par.
“I was so relaxed on the back nine, but I’ve never shaken so much in my life as I did over that final two-foot putt, because that is a life-changing putt,” said Lee. “This win is huge for me. It’s given me the belief that I’m good enough to win on the Tour,” he added.
Going into the final round, Lee was leading a European Tour event for the first time and found himself six shots ahead of defending champion and world No.1 Luke Donald.
When he signed with Galvin Green three years ago, Lee finished joint second alongside Ernie Els at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa and commented: “I’m very conscious of how I look and feel on the course and Galvin Green garments give me the confidence to stride out regardless of the conditions.”
Commenting on Slattery’s victory in the Spanish capital, Johnson-Hill added: “We are all delighted for Lee, who epitomizes the golfer we are looking to help perform at their best with our pioneering multi-layer garments – from Compression base layer to GORE-TEX® rainwear of the highest quality.
“Lee has been prominent in our press advertising campaigns across Europe andScandinaviaduring the last three years, so a lot of golfers will be familiar with his face and the fact that he enjoys playing golf whatever the weather conditions. He also features in our new 2012 catalogue and will be even more high-profile in the future,” he added.
The Boyd full-zip body warmer in lightweight WINDSTOPPER® Soft Shell fabric is available in sizes S-3XL and has a RRP of £159. For more information on Galvin Green garments call 01932 503330 or visit www.galvingreen.com