CARLSBAD, Calif., March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) Staff
Professional Annika Sorenstam continued her remarkable run into the LPGA Tour
history books yesterday, winning the Nabisco Championship for the third major
championship of her stellar career, her 26th career title and her third
consecutive victory of the 2001 LPGA season. With the three-stroke victory in
the season's first major championship, Sorenstam has now finished an amazing
2nd -2nd -1st -1st -1st in her five tournament starts this year.
Her three-stroke victory at the Nabisco marks the first major championship
win for Callaway Golf's "Rule 35(R)" ball and for the new Hawk Eye(R) VFT(TM)
Titanium Driver.
After setting or tying six different LPGA Tour scoring records at last
week's Standard Register Ping -- where she became the first woman ever to
shoot 59 in competition -- Sorenstam's performance at the Nabisco Championship
was nothing less than masterful. She shot a 72-hole total of 7-under-par 281,
hitting 35 of 36 greens in regulation over the final two rounds to help her
add another major championship to her 1995 and '96 U.S. Women's Open
victories.
"I didn't shoot 59 this week, but because this is a major championship on
a difficult course, this win really ranks up there with a 59," said Sorenstam,
30. "This is a dream come true. I just trusted my game and was patient. I'm
so confident in my ability to hit every fairway and every green that I can
just go out there and play my game."
As she has throughout her torrid 2001 streak, Sorenstam used 11 Callaway
Golf(R) clubs at the Nabisco Championship, including a Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series
Titanium Driver, Steelhead Plus(TM) 4-wood and 7-wood, Steelhead(R) X-14(R)
Irons and an Odyssey(R) Dual Force(R) Rossie(R) 2 Putter. Sorenstam also used
a "Rule 35" Softfeel(TM) (blue logo) ball. In the 13 months since it was
launched, the Callaway Golf ball has been used in more than 40 professional
victories around the world.
Sorenstam's sensational play has put her atop several LPGA Tour
statistical categories. She leads the tour in money won ($636,448), scoring
average (68.17), greens hit in regulation (83.6 percent) and rounds under par
(16 out of 18 played). In the five tournaments she's played this year,
Sorenstam is a combined 69-under par.
"This has been a truly remarkable stretch of golf by one of the greatest
golf champions in history," said Ely Callaway, Founder, Chairman and CEO of
Callaway Golf. "Annika has demonstrated unparalleled skill, focus, patience
and self-control during this winning streak. We are all very proud of her,
and proud that she has been associated with Callaway Golf for her entire
professional career."
Elsewhere, the strong acceptance of Callaway Golf's Big Bertha(R) ERC(TM)
II Driver on the PGA European Tour hit new heights this past week. A total of
47 golfers at the Sao Paulo Brazilian Open used an ERC II Forged Titanium
Driver -- the highest total ever. The high usage number is notable because
only two Callaway Golf staff professionals competed in the event, meaning
nearly every golfer who used an ERC II did so without receiving any "tee-up"
fee. The ERC II remains the most-played driver model on the PGA European Tour
this season.
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
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Related links:
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CONTACT:
Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski, or Millie Speirs
of Callaway Golf, 760-931-1771
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