Callaway Golf Staff Pro Ben Bates Tops Nationwide Event

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 2004-- In a resounding Fourth of July weekend for Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) clubs and balls, the Company's explosive ERC Fusion Driver had its fourth professional win in the past five weeks, the hugely successful HX Tour Golf Ball won its second major championship in a month at the U.S. Women's Open and the Nationwide Tour champion used a full complement of Callaway Golf equipment to top the field at Hershey Country Club.

Callaway Golf(R) Staff Professional Jim Thorpe won for the second time in a month on the Champions Tour, using Callaway Golf equipment to stage a successful defense of his title at the Commerce Bank Long Island Classic. In a come-from-behind victory, Thorpe used the powerful combination of the ERC(R) Fusion(R) Driver and HX(R) Tour Golf Ball -- a pairing that has now produced 13 worldwide professional wins. Thorpe also used the Steelhead(R) III Strong 4-wood, Hawk Eye(R) VFT(R) Irons and Odyssey(R) White Hot(R) 2-Ball Blade Putter to close with a 3-under-par 67 for a 1-stroke win.

Thorpe's quick start on Sunday with three birdies on the front nine helped him overcome a four-shot deficit for his ninth Champions Tour victory. "I'm in kind of a groove and I'm really striking the ball well right now," Thorpe said. "The combination of the Fusion Driver and the HX Tour ball is working great for me."

The HX Tour Golf Ball and Odyssey Rossie(R) 2 Putter were among the keys to victory at the U.S. Women's Open, where the champion put on an amazing putting display to win her second career Open. She also had four Callaway Golf fairway woods in her arsenal (4-strong Steelhead Plus(R), Big Bertha(R) 5-wood, and Steelhead III 7- and 11-woods) as she edged Callaway Golf Staff Professional Annika Sorenstam by two strokes.

In a putting performance the champion called "magical," she had 10 one-putt greens Sunday (24 putts overall) en route to a record final round 65, 6-under-par. "I'm beside myself. I haven't putted like this in, I can't tell you how long. Just to stand over the putter like that and have these amazing putts go in was so much fun," she said. Odyssey Golf is part of the Callaway Golf family of brands; Callaway Golf also won the iron, wood and putter equipment counts at the 59th U.S. Women's Open.

At the Nationwide Tour's Reese's Cup Classic, Callaway Golf Staff Professional Ben Bates birdied the final hole in regulation play and then prevailed in an eight-hole playoff. Bates carried a bag full of Callaway Golf equipment, including the CTU 30(R) Red Golf Ball, Great Big Bertha(R) II 415 Driver, 3-strong Steelhead Plus and Steelhead III No. 5 Fairway Woods, Steelhead(R) X-16(R) Pro Series Irons, Callaway Golf Forged Wedges and an Odyssey Dual Force(R) 990 Putter.

Tour results are through the week ending 07/04/04 and reflect data from the Champions, LPGA and Nationwide tours. Source: Sports Marketing Survey, Ltd. and Darrell Survey Company. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods and Irons, including ERC(R) Fusion(R) Drivers and Fairway Woods, Great Big Bertha(R) II Titanium Drivers and Fairway Woods, Great Big Bertha II 415 Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha Titanium Drivers and Big Bertha Stainless Steel Fairway Woods, Hawk Eye(R) VFT(R) Tungsten Injected(TM) Titanium Irons, Big Bertha Stainless Steel Irons, Steelhead(R) X-16(R) and Steelhead X-16 Pro Series Stainless Steel Irons, the Game Enjoyment System(TM) of GES(TM) Golf Clubs, Callaway Golf Forged+ Wedges and Callaway Golf Forged Wedges, and Callaway Golf Tour Blue(TM) Putters. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey(R) Putters, including White Hot(R), TriHot(R), DFX(R), Dual Force(R) and 2-Ball Putters. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells the Callaway Golf(R) HX(R) Tour Balls, HX Blue and HX Red Balls, Big Bertha(TM) Blue and Big Bertha Red Balls, and the Warbird(TM) Balls. Callaway Golf also owns and operates The Top-Flite Golf Company, a wholly owned subsidiary that includes the Top-Flite(R), Strata(R) and Ben Hogan(R) brands and Bettinardi Putters. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our websites at www.callawaygolf.com, www.topflite.com and www.odysseygolf.com

CONTACT:
Callaway Golf Company
Larry Dorman or Mike Galeski
760-931-1771

SOURCE: Callaway Golf Company