Staff Professional Rachel Teske Leads a Winning Weekend for Callaway Golf Clubs and Balls Around the World
The victories by Taniguchi and Teske give Callaway Golf a total of five ball wins across the world's six major professional tours combined this year -- the second-highest total of any golf ball manufacturer. Callaway Golf was No. 2 in golf ball usage with a total of 179 golf balls in play across the combined PGA, Senior PGA, LPGA, Buy.com, PGA European and Japan Golf Tours this week. That is the highest single-week ball usage number the Company has achieved since entering the golf ball business just over two years ago. The third-place ball manufacturer had just 72 balls in play. Of Callaway Golf's 179 balls in play, 108 were HX models and 70 were CTU 30 models.
Teske and Sorenstam were among the 30 golfers using Callaway Golf's new HX golf ball at the Ping Banner Health. The HX -- which was just introduced to the public last week -- features the proprietary Tubular Lattice Network for next-generation aerodynamic performance. Teske and Sorenstam each used the HX Red model to withstand the blustery conditions in Phoenix and finish regulation play tied at 7-under-par 281, three shots clear of their closest competitors.
Teske used 12 Callaway Golf(R) clubs at the Ping Banner Health, including a Big Bertha(R) Hawk Eye(R) VFT(R) Pro Series Titanium Driver, Big Bertha Steelhead(TM) III 3-wood, 5-wood and 7-wood, Steelhead X-14(R) Irons and an Odyssey(R) White Hot(R) "2-Ball" Putter. Sorenstam used 11 Callaway Golf clubs, including the new Big Bertha C4(TM) Driver, Steelhead X-14 Irons and an Odyssey White Hot "2-Ball" Putter. In all, 11 of the top 12 finishers at the Ping Banner Health had at least one Callaway Golf club in their bag. Callaway Golf was No. 1 in drivers, fairway woods, irons and putters in play at the Ping Banner Health.
Teske's win was the fourth pro win in as many weeks for the Odyssey White Hot "2-Ball" Putter. The streak began with Sorenstam's victories at the ANZ Australian Ladies Masters and LPGA Takefuji Classic and continued with Callaway Golf Staff Professional Steve Scott's win at the Texas Classic on the Canadian Tour. Teske switched to an Odyssey White Hot "2-Ball" Putter the day before the Ping Banner Health.
"I didn't putt that great in the first few tournaments I played this year. I was just struggling," said Teske, 29. "And then I picked up the '2-Ball' Putter this week and I've got a great roll with it. And when the greens are fast, you just want to get a feeling of rolling the ball. All you've got to do is make a couple putts and you feel confident with your putter, and that's what I did all week. I felt really good with it."
Also rolling to victory with an Odyssey Putter and a bag full of Callaway Golf clubs was Taniguchi, who surged to victory on the strength of an amazing final-round 61, blitzing the Kedohin Golf Club with 11 birdies over the final 18 holes. Taniguchi used 12 Callaway Golf clubs in his victory, including a Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Driver, Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Irons and an Odyssey White Hot 5 Putter, along with the CTU 30 Red ball. Callaway Golf was tied for first in golf ball usage at the Token Corporation Cup with 34 balls in play, including 14 CTU 30 models and 20 HX models.
Callaway Golf was also victorious on the Asian PGA Tour this week, where the champion used a Big Bertha ERC(R) II Forged Titanium Driver and Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Irons to win the Royal Challenge Indian Open. Rick Gibson finished second one week after winning the Philippine Open using the HX Red ball.
There were several other notable performances by Callaway Golf Staff Professionals using the Company's balls and clubs around the world. Rocco Mediate finished tied for third at the Bay Hill Invitational using a CTU 30 Red ball and 11 Callaway Golf clubs, including a Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series Titanium Driver and Steelhead X-14 Irons. At the Qatar Masters, Nick Dougherty and Eduardo Romero tied for second and fourth, respectively. For Dougherty, 19, it was the best finish to date of his first full season on the PGA European Tour. Dougherty used 12 Callaway Golf clubs, including a Big Bertha C4 Driver, ERC Forged Titanium Strong 3-wood, Steelhead X-14 Irons and an Odyssey White Hot 2 Putter, along with a HX Red ball. Romero used the HX Blue model and 12 Callaway Golf clubs, including an ERC II Forged Titanium Driver, Hawk Eye VFT Pro Series 3-wood, Steelhead X-14 Pro Series Irons and an Odyssey TriHot(TM) 3 Putter.
Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods and Irons, including Big Bertha C4(TM) Compression Cured Carbon Composite Drivers, Big Bertha ERC(R) II Forged Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha ERC Forged Titanium Fairway Woods, 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) Blue and HX Red balls, Rule 35(R) Firmfeel(TM) and Softfeel(TM) balls, the CTU 30(TM) Blue and CTU 30 Red balls, and the CB1(TM) Blue and CB1 Red balls. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our Web sites at www.callawaygolf.com and www.odysseygolf.com.
CONTACT:
Callaway Golf Company
Larry Dorman / Mike Galeski / Millie Speirs
760/931-1771
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