Callaway Golf Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam Breaks LPGA Money and Scoring Average Records

November 19, 2001 at 7:46 PM EST

CARLSBAD, Calif., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) Staff Professional Annika Sorenstam concluded her spectacular 2001 season by establishing new standards for money won and scoring average on the LPGA Tour. Sorenstam earned $115,000 for her second-place finish at the Tyco/ADT Championship yesterday, extending her 2001 earnings to $2,105,868 as she became the first LPGA Tour player to surpass the $2 million mark in single- season earnings. Sorenstam's final-round 65 also helped her claim the LPGA Tour scoring average record at 69.42 strokes per round, as well as the 2001 Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average.

"I'm walking on clouds," said Sorenstam, who also won the 2001 Rolex Player of the Year Award. "I can tell you that I had a fun year, and I'm looking forward to continuing on next year."

Sorenstam's remarkable season reached many other high points, including:

  • Becoming the first player on the LPGA Tour to shoot 59 in competition, setting or tying tour records for 18-, 54- and 72-hole scoring in relation to par while winning the Standard Register Ping.

  • Winning eight times, the most in a single season since Nancy Lopez won eight events in 1978.

  • Winning four consecutive tournaments, tying the LPGA Tour record for wins in consecutively scheduled events.

  • Surpassing the 30-win mark for her career.

  • Posting the largest comeback victory in LPGA Tour history, surging from 10 strokes back in the final round to win the The Office Depot.

  • Becoming the first woman to exceed $8 million in career earnings, a mark no other LPGA Tour player has reached to date.

  • Leading the LPGA Tour in greens hit in regulation at 79.7 percent, top-10 finishes with 20 and rounds in the 60s with 42.

As she has throughout her professional career, Sorenstam relied upon Callaway Golf(R) equipment in 2001. At the Tyco/ADT Championship, Sorenstam used 11 Callaway Golf clubs, including a Big Bertha(R) Hawk Eye(R) VFT(R) Pro Series Titanium Driver, Big Bertha Steelhead Plus(R) 4-wood and 7-wood, Steelhead(TM) X-14(R) Irons and the new Odyssey(R) White Hot(R) "2-Ball" Putter. In the three weeks since switching to the "2-Ball" Putter, Sorenstam has won twice and finished second once. Sorenstam also used a Callaway Golf Rule 35(R) Softfeel(TM) (blue logo) ball at the Tyco/ADT Championship.

Four of the top six finishers at the Tyco/ADT Championship used balls made by Callaway Golf. Janice Moodie and Callaway Golf Staff Professional Rosie Jones finished third and fourth, respectively, using the new CTU 30(TM) Red ball, while Betsy King finished sixth using the Rule 35 Softfeel model. Callaway Golf was the No. 2 golf ball brand at the Tyco/ADT Championship with 12 balls in play at the 30-player event.

The new CTU 30 Red ball was also used by Callaway Golf Staff Professional Olin Browne to win the Callaway Golf Invitational at Pebble Beach. Browne birdied the final hole of regulation to force the playoff, then won with a birdie on the third extra hole. Meanwhile, Arnold Palmer defeated his fellow Callaway Golf Staff Professional Gary Player 2-and-1 to help the U.S. team to a comeback victory at the Warburg Cup. Each used Callaway Golf clubs and balls, including the aerodynamically advanced new HX Red ball. Palmer also used the new Big Bertha Steelhead III Fairway Woods and Odyssey White Hot "2-Ball" Putter in competition for the first time.

Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods and Irons, including Big Bertha ERC(R) II Forged Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha C4(TM) Compression Cured Carbon Composite Drivers, Big Bertha Hawk Eye(R) VFT(R) and Big Bertha Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Drivers and Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Steelhead(TM) III Stainless Steel Drivers and Fairway Woods, Hawk Eye VFT Tungsten Injected(TM) Titanium Irons, Big Bertha Stainless Steel Irons, Steelhead 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) HX(TM) Red and HX Blue balls, Rule 35(R) Firmfeel(TM) and Softfeel(TM) balls, the CTU 30(TM) Red and CTU 30 Blue balls, and the CB1(TM) Red and CB1 Blue balls. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our Web sites at www.callawaygolf.com and www.odysseygolf.com.

SOURCE: Callaway Golf Company

CONTACT: Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski, or Millie Speirs of Callaway Golf Company, (760 931-1771