Emilee Klein Earns Wire-To-Wire LPGA Tour Victory; Callaway Golf Wins Ball Usage Count On Senior PGA Tour
Emilee Klein Earns Wire-To-Wire LPGA Tour Victory; Callaway Golf Wins Ball Usage Count On Senior PGA Tour
July 16, 2001 at 12:00 AM EDT
CONTACT(S): Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski, Millie Speirs (760) 931-1771
CARLSBAD, CA., July 16, 2001 – Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) Staff Professional Emilee Klein's resounding five-stroke victory at the LPGA Michelob Light Classic highlighted an exciting weekend for the Company's clubs and balls. Callaway Golf also was the No. 1 ball brand in play at the Ford Senior Players Championship, while the Company's Odyssey® Golf putters were used to win three tournaments around the world.
Callaway Golf's Rule 35® ball was used by 36 participants at the Ford Senior Players Championship, the final major championship of the Senior PGA Tour season. The nearest competitor had 32 balls in play. This marks the second time that Callaway Golf has won the Senior PGA Tour ball count outright, while the Company has shared the ball count lead with Titleist at two other senior events this year. Three of the top five finishers at the event used the Rule 35 Firmfeel™ (red logo) ball, including Callaway Golf Staff Professional Bruce Fleisher, who won the U.S. Senior Open using the Firmfeel ball two weeks ago, tied for fourth at the Ford Senior Players Championship and remains atop the Senior PGA Tour money list.
Meanwhile, Klein was using the Rule 35 Softfeel™ (blue logo) ball to post an impressive win at the Michelob Light Classic. The win was the third of Klein's LPGA Tour career and her first wire-to-wire victory. “I was just trying to keep making birdies on every hole,” Klein said. “I felt like I had outstanding control of my game, and was really pleased with the consistent performance of the Rule 35 ball.”
Klein used 12 Callaway Golf® clubs in her latest victory, including a Big Bertha® Hawk Eye® VFT™ Pro Series Titanium Driver, Big Bertha Steelhead Plus™ Fairway Woods, Steelhead™ X-14® Pro Series Irons and an Odyssey TriHot™ 1 Putter. Klein's opening-round 64 established a course record that was bettered by fellow Callaway Golf Staff Professional Jill McGill's 63 in the final round using the Rule 35 Firmfeel ball. McGill and Annika Sorenstam tied for second, giving Callaway Golf staff professionals a clean sweep of the top three spots on the leaderboard. McGill used 14 Callaway Golf clubs, including a Hawk Eye VFT Titanium Driver, Steelhead Plus Fairway Woods, Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Irons and Wedges and an Odyssey TriHot 2 Putter. Sorenstam used 11 Callaway Golf clubs, including a Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Driver, Steelhead Plus Fairway Woods, Steelhead X-14 Irons and an Odyssey Dual Force® Rossie® 2 Putter. Sorenstam, who used the Rule 35 Softfeel model, is the LPGA Tour's leading money-winner this season.
Callaway Golf was first in the usage count for drivers, fairway woods, irons and putters at the Michelob Light Classic. Through July 15, Callaway Golf is also first in LPGA Tour wins in drivers, fairway woods, irons, putters and balls.
Klein's victory was one of three for Odyssey Putters yesterday. The winner of the Greater Milwaukee Open used an Odyssey White Hot® 5 Putter to earn his first PGA Tour victory. Callaway Golf Staff Professional Charles Howell III used an Odyssey TriHot 3 Putter to birdie six of the last seven holes – including the final four in a row – to force a playoff. Howell's second-place finish is the best of his young PGA Tour career and ensures he will win enough money to earn his tour card next year. Howell used 11 Callaway Golf clubs at the Greater Milwaukee Open, including a Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Driver, Steelhead Plus 4-wood and Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Irons, along with the Rule 35 Firmfeel ball. In all, the top three finishers at the event used Odyssey Putters.
Odyssey Golf was also victorious at the Japan Golf Tour Aiful Cup, where the winner used an Odyssey TriHot 2 Putter. Odyssey Golf dominated the leaderboard with nine of the top 11 finishers using Odyssey Putters. The Rule 35 ball also had a strong showing at the Aiful Cup, as Callaway Golf Staff Professionals Prayad Marksaeng, Chin-Bing Lam and Kenichi Kuboya all finished in the top 10 using Rule 35 Softfeel balls.
Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha® Metal Woods and Irons, including Big Bertha ERC® II Forged Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha Hawk Eye® VFT™ and Big Bertha Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Drivers and Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Steelhead Plus™ Stainless Steel Drivers and Fairway Woods, Hawk Eye Tungsten Injected™ Titanium Irons, Steelhead™ X-14® and Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Stainless Steel Irons. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey® Putters, including White Hot®, TriHot™, and Dual Force® Putters. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells the Callaway Golf® “Rule 35®” Firmfeel™ and Softfeel™ golf balls, and the CB1™ Red and CB1 Blue golf balls. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our Web sites at www.callawaygolf.com and www.odysseygolf.com.