Callaway Golf Staff Professional Annika Sorenstam Charges To Her Second LPGA Tour Victory Of The Season
Callaway Golf Staff Professional Annika Sorenstam Charges To Her Second LPGA Tour Victory Of The Season
May 22, 2000 at 12:00 AM EDT
CONTACT(S): Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski, Peter Gotfredson, Millie Speirs (760) 931-1771
CARLSBAD, CA., May 22, 2000 – Using a string of three birdies over the last four holes, Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) Staff Professional Annika Sorenstam defeated Karrie Webb and Cristie Kerr on Sunday at the Firstar LPGA Classic at the Country Club of the North in Beavercreek, Ohio. Sorenstam’s record-setting 19-under-par finish clinched her second victory of the season and the 20th of her illustrious career.
Sorenstam who met the performance qualifications for entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame with her victory at the Welch’s/Circle K Championship in March birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, then parred the 18th to claim a one-stroke win. Her final score of 197 is a record for the Firstar LPGA Classic, and it tied the LPGA Tour record for a 54-hole winning score set by LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley in 1991.
Sorenstam turned in a sterling exhibition of ball striking at the Firstar LPGA Classic, hitting 50 of 54 greens in regulation in her bogey-free performance.
“This is the best I’ve played in a really long time,” said Sorenstam, who shot 66-65-66 to claim the $97,500 winner’s check. “I hit a lot of fairways and hit it close on a lot of greens and putted well. It was fun.”
Sorenstam used 11 Callaway Golf® clubs in her latest victory, including a Callaway Golf titanium driver, Steelhead Plus™ 3-wood and 7-wood, Steelhead™ X-14™ Irons and an Odyssey White Hot™ 2 Putter. Sorenstam also used a Callaway Golf “Rule 35™” Firmfeel™ ball. In a vivid demonstration of the “Complete Performance™” benefits of the new Callaway ball, Sorenstam has become the second pro golfer (Bruce Fleisher was the first) to win on Tour with both the Firmfeel™ and Softfeel™ ball.
Four winners on the world’s five major professional tours this past week relied upon Callaway Golf fairway woods. In addition to Sorenstam’s LPGA Tour victory, the winners on the Senior PGA Tour (Big Bertha® Steelhead 3-wood and 7-wood), Buy.Com Tour (Steelhead Plus 3-wood) and PGA European Tour (Steelhead Plus Strong 4-wood, Steelhead 5-wood) all used fairway woods made by Callaway Golf. According to figures from the Darrell Survey Company and Sports Marketing Surveys, Ltd., Callaway Golf was No. 1 in fairway wood usage on each of the five major professional tours for the week ending May 21, and Callaway Golf fairway woods are tops in combined usage across those five tours for the year.
Sorenstam wasn’t the only Callaway Golf Staff Professional to turn in a record-setting performance this past week. Jim Colbert tied the Senior PGA Tour single-round scoring record with his 11-under-par 61 during the first round of the TD Waterhouse Championship. Colbert’s record round included an eagle on the first hole and birdies on the first eight holes of the back nine. Colbert finished third at the event using 13 Callaway Golf clubs, including Steelhead Plus Driver, 3-wood and 5-wood, Steelhead X-14 Irons and an Odyssey® Dual Force® Rossie® 2 Bronze Putter. Colbert also used a Callaway Golf “Rule 35” Firmfeel ball.
Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha® Metal Woods and Irons, including Great Big Bertha® Hawk Eye® Titanium Metal Woods and Tungsten Injected™ Titanium Irons, Big Bertha® Steelhead Plus™ Stainless Steel Metal Woods and Steelhead™ X-14™ Stainless Steel Irons, and Bobby Jones® and Carlsbad Series™ Putters. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey® Putters and wedges with Stronomic® and Lyconite® inserts, including the White Hot™ and TriForce™ Putters. Callaway Golf Ball Company makes and sells Callaway Golf “Rule 35™” Firmfeel™ and Softfeel™ golf balls. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit the Company’s Web sites at www.callawaygolf.com, www.callawaygolfball.com and www.odysseygolf.com.