Callaway Golf Staff Professional Eduardo Romero Romps To Wire-To-Wire Victory With “Rule 35” Ball, Prototype Driver
Callaway Golf Staff Professional Eduardo Romero Romps To Wire-To-Wire Victory With “Rule 35” Ball, Prototype Driver
September 11, 2000 at 12:00 AM EDT
CONTACT(S): Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski, Peter Gotfredson, Millie Speirs (760) 931-1771
CARLSBAD, CA., September 11, 2000 – With the most impressive driving display of his career, Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) Staff Professional Eduardo Romero yesterday cruised to a remarkable 10-stroke victory at the Canon European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland. Romero, 46, combined the “Complete Performance™” of the new Callaway “Rule 35™” golf ball with a new Callaway Golf prototype driver to shoot the lowest score of the year on the PGA European Tour – a 23-under-par total of 261.
Framed by the Swiss Alps at one of the European Tour’s most breathtaking venues, Romero painted a masterpiece of consistency, leading from start to finish in his seventh European Tour career victory. Using a “Rule 35” Softfeel™ (blue logo) ball and the prototype driver, Romero shot rounds of 64-68-62-67 for the largest winning margin of the year in Europe. Romero used the Callaway Golf prototype driver to hit a massive 325-yard drive on the 9th hole during the final round.
“I feel strong, like Tiger Woods,” said Romero, who won for the first time since the 1994 European Masters. “Six years is a long time between wins, but with the “Rule 35” ball and this great new driver, I can maybe win next week as well. I am driving the ball so far, it is amazing.”
In all, Romero used 11 Callaway Golf® clubs, including the prototype driver, Steelhead Plus™ Strong 3-wood, Steelhead™ X-14™ Irons and an Odyssey® White Hot™ 1 Putter. This was the first win for the new prototype driver, which Callaway Golf Staff Professionals Brian Henninger and Phillip Price already have used to post top-5 finishes. Michael Campbell also used the prototype driver to finish tied for 10th at the Cannon European Masters.
Five of the top 10 finishers at the Canon European Masters used drivers made by Callaway Golf, including Price, who finished tied for sixth using his Hawk Eye® Pro Series Titanium Driver and a “Rule 35” Softfeel ball. Another of the top 10 finishers used an ERC™ Forged Titanium Driver.
Meanwhile, this week’s LPGA and Buy.com Tour winners relied upon the proven performance of Callaway Golf drivers and fairway woods. The winner of the First Union Betsy King Classic used a Steelhead Plus Driver and four Callaway Golf fairway woods, including a Steelhead Plus 3-wood and 4-wood. The winner of the Buy.com Tri-Cities Open also used two Steelhead Plus Fairway Woods, as well as a Callaway Golf titanium driver.
The “Rule 35” ball also continues to build momentum on the professional tours. Callaway Golf was second in ball usage on the Senior PGA Tour and LPGA Tour last week, according to the Darrell Survey Company. At the Comfort Classic, 26 seniors used the “Rule 35” ball, including five of the top eight finishers. And 27 golfers used Callaway Golf balls at the First Union Betsy King Classic on the LPGA Tour, including three of the top six finishers. In all, 70 touring professionals on six tours worldwide used the “Rule 35” ball this past weekend.
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.