Callaway Golf Staff Professional Annika Sorenstam Wins Her Fourth LPGA Tour Event Of The Year
Callaway Golf Staff Professional Annika Sorenstam Wins Her Fourth LPGA Tour Event Of The Year
July 10, 2000 at 12:00 AM EDT
CONTACT(S): Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski, Peter Gotfredson, Millie Speirs (760) 931-1771
CARLSBAD, CA., July 10, 2000 – Annika Sorenstam birdied the second playoff hole to edge fellow Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) Staff Professional Rachel Hetherington at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic yesterday. Sorenstam, who met the performance qualifications for entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame with her victory at the Welch’s/Circle K Championship on March 22nd, has now won four times this year using a Callaway Golf® ball.
Sorenstam used the Callaway Golf “Rule 35™” Firmfeel™ (red logo) ball in her victory at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic. Hetherington - who used a “Rule 35” Softfeel™ (blue logo) ball - birdied the final two holes of regulation play to tie Sorenstam at 10-under par. Both parred the first playoff hole, then Sorenstam holed an 11-foot birdie putt on the second for the 22nd win of her LPGA Tour career.
“I’m really excited with the way this year has gone and I’m going to keep working hard,” said Sorenstam, who has won using both the Firmfeel and Softfeel models of the “Rule 35” ball. “I’ve been striking the ball very solid and I’m playing as steady as I ever have.”
In addition to using the Callaway Golf “Rule 35” ball, Sorenstam and Hetherington each relied upon the Callaway Golf clubs. 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. Hetherington used 12 Callaway Golf clubs, including a Steelhead Plus Driver and Fairway Woods, Steelhead X-14 Irons and an Odyssey TriForce™ 2 Putter.
Sorenstam and Hetherington weren’t the only successful golfers enjoying the “Complete Performance™” of the Callaway Golf “Rule 35” ball this past weekend. The winner of Sunday’s State Farm Senior Classic used a “Rule 35” Firmfeel ball in his two-hole playoff victory, giving Callaway Golf eight ball wins this year – including two with a Callaway prototype golf ball – on the world’s five major tours. The Senior PGA Tour victory was the first win by a non-Callaway Golf Staff Professional with the “Rule 35” ball. And on the PGA Tour, Callaway Golf Staff Professionals Stephen Ames and Brian Henninger each used the “Rule 35” ball to tie the tournament scoring record with rounds of 63 during the second round of the Advil Western Open. Ames used the “Rule 35” Softfeel ball, while Henninger used the “Rule 35” Firmfeel ball.
In all, each of Sunday's five winners on the world's major professional tours relied on the performance of Callaway Golf equipment. In addition to Sorenstam's LPGA Tour victory and the win on Senior PGA Tour, the winners of the PGA Tour and PGA European Tour events each used Callaway Golf fairway woods. And the winner of the Buy.com Hershey Open relied upon the performance of his Hawk Eye® Titanium Driver and a Callaway Golf fairway wood. Not surprisingly, data from the Darrell Survey Company and Sports Marketing Surveys Ltd. shows Callaway Golf to be the most played brand of drivers, fairway woods and irons on the combined five major professional tours this year.
Callaway Golf’s Hawk Eye Titanium Drivers also notched another victory this weekend. The winner of the Buy.com Hershey Open used his Hawk Eye Titanium Driver to earn the second tour victory of his career.
Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha® Metal Woods and Irons, including Great Big Bertha® Hawk Eye® Titanium Metal Woods and Hawk Eye Tungsten Injected™ Titanium Irons, Big Bertha Steelhead Plus™ Stainless Steel Metal Woods, Steelhead™ X-14™ Stainless Steel Irons, and Bobby Jones® and Carlsbad Series™ Putters. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey® putters with Stronomic® inserts, including White Hot™ and TriForce™ Putters. Callaway Golf Ball Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Callaway Golf Company, makes and sells the Callaway Golf “Rule 35™” Firmfeel™ and Softfeel™ golf balls. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our Web sites at www.callawaygolf.com, www.callawaygolfball.com and www.odysseygolf.com.