Jim Colbert Leads Multiple-Win Weekend For Callaway Golf’s New Steelhead Plus

March 20, 2000 at 12:00 AM EST
CONTACT(S): Larry Dorman, Mike Galeski, Peter Gotfredson, Jamie Taylor (760) 931-1771

CARLSBAD, CA., March 20, 2000 – Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) Staff Professional Jim Colbert returned to the winner’s circle on Sunday with a formidable display of golf, teaming with partner Andy North to edge Callaway Golf Staff Professionals Bruce Fleisher and David Graham by one stroke in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf at St. Augustine, Fla.

Colbert sewed up the wire-to-wire win by rifling a 270-yard drive into a stiff wind on the tournament’s final hole, using his new Steelhead Plus™ Stainless Steel Driver to set up a solid closing par. With the victory, Colbert became the first player to win on tour using the Steelhead Plus Driver since it was introduced in January. The second victory for the Steelhead Plus Driver came later in the day when the champion of the LPGA Tour’s Standard Register Ping used the driver in her victory. Paul Azinger, Jesper Parnevik, Annika Sorenstam and Bruce Fleisher all have won using Steelhead Plus Fairway Woods in the three months since they were introduced.

Colbert’s exceptional play drew rave reviews from playing partner North, who was making his Senior PGA Tour debut.

“If you want someone putting for your life, Jim would be a pretty good pick,” he said. “I was playing with a guy who hits every fairway and every green and makes every putt.”

In all, Colbert used 14 Callaway Golf® clubs, including Steelhead Plus 3-wood and 5-wood, the new Steelhead™ X-14™ Irons and Wedges and an Odyssey® Dual Force® Rossie® 2 Bronze Putter. Colbert also used a prototype Callaway Golf ball. Callaway Golf Staff Professionals have been playing a USGA-approved prototype version of Callaway’s golf ball in competition since January. The professionals are expected to begin switching to Callaway’s new “Rule 35”™ ball – which comes in either Firmfeel™ (red logo) or Softfeel™ (blue logo) – when it appears on the USGA approved ball list this week.

Colbert’s partner at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf also used an Odyssey Putter, earning a win in his Senior PGA Tour debut with the new Odyssey White Hot™ 5 Putter. In their runner-up finish, Fleisher and Graham each used 14 Callaway Golf clubs and prototype version of Callaway’s new golf ball.

The victory and second-place finish at the unofficial Senior PGA Tour event highlighted an extremely successful weekend on the world’s professional tours for Callaway Golf. In addition to using a Steelhead Plus Driver, the LPGA Tour winner used Steelhead X-14 Irons in capturing her first career victory. The winner of the PGA European Tour’s Madeira Island Open used 14 Callaway Golf clubs in his victory, including an Odyssey White Hot 3 Putter, while the winner of the BUY.COM Monterrey Gulf Open used a Callaway Golf driver and fairway wood and an Odyssey Dual Force 550 Putter. And on the Japan Golf Tour, Callaway Golf Staff Professional Eiji Mizoguchi finished second at the DyDo Drinco Shizuoka Open using a Great Big Bertha® Hawk Eye® Titanium Driver, Steelhead Plus 3-wood, Steelhead X-14 Irons and a Callaway Golf prototype 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 launched its Firmfeel™ and Softfeel™ golf balls on February 4, 2000. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit the company’s websites at www.callawaygolf.com, www.callawaygolfball.com and www.odysseygolf.com.