CARLSBAD, Calif., March 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Drivers made by Callaway Golf
(NYSE: ELY) were used to win four professional tour events yesterday,
including the first-ever victory by a player using a Big Bertha(R) ERC(TM) II
Forged Titanium Driver on the PGA European Tour. This four-way sweep gives
Callaway Golf a 2001 season total of 13 driver wins -- more than any other
driver manufacturer across the PGA, Senior PGA, LPGA, Buy.com and PGA European
tours combined. Three of yesterday's driver victories were recorded by
Callaway Golf Staff Professionals: Annika Sorenstam successfully defended her
title at the Welch's/Circle K Championship, Jim Colbert won the SBC Senior
Classic and Jesper Parnevik triumphed at the Honda Classic.
The winner of the Qatar Masters was one of 32 players in the field --
including three of the top five finishers -- to tee it up with an ERC II
Forged Titanium Driver. The champion at Qatar shot a 14-under-par 274 for a
two-stroke victory. His sixth career PGA European Tour victory included a
stellar third-round 66, during which his driving distance average was
291.5 yards. The champion used a total of 11 Callaway Golf(R) clubs,
including a Big Bertha Steelhead(R) Strong 4-wood, Steelhead X-14(R) Pro
Series Irons and an Odyssey(R) Dual Force(R) 440 Putter, as well as a Callaway
Golf "Rule 35(TM)" Softfeel(TM) ball. The top five finishers at Qatar used
Odyssey Putters, and four of the top five used Callaway Golf drivers --
including three ERC II Drivers and one Big Bertha Hawk Eye(R) VFT(TM) Titanium
Driver.
Overall, Callaway Golf has now been the #1 brand of driver in use in each
of the last seven events on the PGA European Tour. And the ERC II Driver has
been the #1 model of driver for six of those seven weeks. Significantly,
Callaway Golf does not pay any "tee-up" money to professionals for using
Callaway Golf drivers. Callaway Golf Staff Professionals accounted for just
48 of the 390 times Callaway Golf drivers were put into play in the seven
tournaments.
Meanwhile, the three victories recorded by Callaway Golf Staff
Professionals yesterday were in the United States, where the ERC II is deemed
non-conforming for tournament play. Each of the three staff professionals
used a USGA-conforming Callaway Golf driver in their triumphant performances.
Annika Sorenstam used a new Big Bertha Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Driver in
her runaway win at the Welch's/Circle K Championship, shooting the second-
lowest tournament score in LPGA Tour history -- a 23-under-par 265. Sorenstam
posted four rounds in the 60s, including 65s in the first and final rounds, to
win by a six-stroke margin. In three events this year, Sorenstam now has a
victory and two second-place finishes. The future Hall of Fame member has now
won 24 LPGA Tour events and leads the tour in scoring average (68.5) and money
won in 2001.
"This is as good as I've played in a long time," said Sorenstam, who
carded 24 birdies against a single bogey over the four-round event. "All four
days I felt comfortable and nothing has affected me. I've been in control all
week. I knew I could play this course and it's great when you have that
feeling." Sorenstam broke the tournament scoring record at the Welch's/Circle
K Championship using 11 Callaway Golf clubs, including the Hawk Eye VFT Pro
Series Driver, Steelhead Plus(TM) 4-wood and 7-wood, Steelhead X-14 Irons and
an Odyssey Dual Force Rossie(R) 2 Putter. Sorenstam also used a "Rule 35"
Softfeel ball.
Like Sorenstam, Jim Colbert used the potent combination of a Hawk Eye VFT
Driver and a "Rule 35" ball to win the SBC Senior Classic. Colbert used
13 Callaway Golf clubs, including a Hawk Eye VFT Titanium Driver, Steelhead
Plus 3-wood and 5-wood, Steelhead X-14 Irons and a new Odyssey White Hot(TM)
7 Putter. Colbert used the "Rule 35" Firmfeel(TM) ball in what was the 20th
win of his Senior PGA Tour career. He is now one of only three golfers to
have won professional tournaments in five decades. "This win means a lot to
me," said Colbert, who became the 10th player in senior tour history to win
past his 60th birthday. "I feel the best about this win. It's so
fulfilling."
Callaway Golf products were well represented on the SBC Senior Classic
leaderboard. The top two finishers at the event used Hawk Eye VFT Titanium
Drivers, and six of the top 12 finishers used titanium drivers made by
Callaway Golf. Eight of the top 12 finishers used Odyssey Putters, while
seven of the top 12 finishers used "Rule 35" Firmfeel balls.
Jesper Parnevik rounded out the Callaway Golf Staff Professional victory
procession by earning the fifth PGA Tour win of his career. His one-stroke
victory at the Honda Classic included 22 birdies against just four bogeys.
Parnevik used 12 Callaway Golf clubs, including a Biggest Big Bertha(R)
Titanium Driver, Big Bertha Steelhead 3-wood and 5-wood and Big Bertha X-12
Irons. With the win, Parnevik passed the $7 million mark in career PGA Tour
earnings and extended his streak of years with at least one tour victory to
four.
Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods and Irons,
including Big Bertha ERC(TM) II Forged Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha Hawk
Eye(R) VFT(TM) and Big Bertha Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Drivers and
Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Steelhead Plus(TM) Stainless Steel Drivers and
Fairway Woods, Hawk Eye Tungsten Injected(TM) Titanium Irons, Steelhead(TM)
X-14(R) and Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Stainless Steel Irons. Callaway Golf
Company also makes and sells Odyssey(R) Putters, including White Hot(R),
TriHot(TM), and Dual Force(R) Putters. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells
the Callaway Golf(R) "Rule 35(R)" Firmfeel(TM) and Softfeel(TM) golf balls,
and the CB1(TM) Red golf ball. For more information about Callaway Golf
Company, please visit our Web sites at http://www.callawaygolf.com,
http://www.callawaygolfball.com and http://www.odysseygolf.com.
SOURCE Callaway Golf Company
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Related links:
http://www.callawaygolf.com
CONTACT:
Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski or Millie Speirs
of Callaway Golf Company, 760-931-1771
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