Callaway Golf Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam Wins Her 10th Worldwide Tournament of 2004; Uses ERC Fusion Driver, HX Tour Golf Ball to Compile the Best Record on Any Tour This Year
CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 22, 2004--Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) Staff Professional Annika Sorenstam closed the books on another landmark season yesterday, recording her tenth worldwide win of 2004, a playoff victory in the ADT Championship in West Palm Beach. The victory was her third in the season-ending ADT Championship, her eighth official win on the LPGA Tour this year and boosted her '04 earnings to more than $2.5 million -- nearly $1 million more than her nearest LPGA competitor.
Sorenstam ends the year with her fourth consecutive LPGA money title -- her seventh in the last 10 years -- and also led the LPGA Tour in Greens in Regulation, Scoring Average, Rounds under Par (86%), and Top 10 Finishes (89%). A Hall of Fame member and the game's #1 player, Sorenstam has won 33 tournaments in a remarkable four-year run that began in 2001. This latest victory moved Sorenstam just ahead of Betsy Rawls into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time LPGA win list. It was her 56th LPGA victory, her 68th worldwide win.
Sorenstam shot 3-under-par 69 on Sunday to get into a two-way playoff, which she won with a bogey on the first hole.
"I'm thrilled to be sitting here and holding the trophy," Sorenstam said. "This has been a great week and a great year. To have a year like this, everything has to come together. Obviously, you have to be playing well, your equipment has to be just right and you have to get some good breaks, too. That's the kind of year that it's been."
As she did in each of her 2004 starts, Sorenstam used the ERC(R) Fusion(R) Driver and HX(R) Tour Golf Ball. This win gave the powerful ERC Fusion Driver-HX Tour Ball combination its 20th worldwide professional title since the two products were introduced late last year. For this final event, Sorenstam tied for third in driving distance (253.1-yard average) and fourth in fairways hit, with 48 of 56 fairways. She also had her irons dialed in, hitting 61 of 72 greens-in-regulation -- tied for first in the field.
In addition to her driver and golf ball, Sorenstam again utilized an impressive array of Callaway Golf equipment, including a Big Bertha(R) Strong 4-wood and 7-wood, Steelhead(R) X-14(R) Irons, 48- and 54-degree Callaway Golf(R) Forged+ Wedges and an Odyssey(R) White Hot(R) 2-Ball Blade Putter. She also wore Callaway Golf Footwear featuring the Big Bertha Spike.
Tour results are through the week ending 11/21/04 and reflect data from the PGA, European PGA, LPGA, Champions, Nationwide and Japan Golf Tours. Source: Sports Marketing Survey, Ltd. and Darrell Survey Company. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Woods, Hybrids and Irons, including ERC(R) Fusion(R) Drivers and Fairway Woods, Great Big Bertha(R) II Titanium Drivers and Fairway Woods, Great Big Bertha II 415 Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha Titanium Drivers and Big Bertha Stainless Steel Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Heavenwood(R) Hybrids, Big Bertha Fusion Irons, Hawk Eye(R) VFT(R) Tungsten Injected(TM) Titanium Irons, Big Bertha Stainless Steel Irons, Steelhead(R) X-16(R) and Steelhead X-16 Pro Series Stainless Steel Irons, the Game Enjoyment System(TM) of GES(TM) Golf Clubs, Callaway Golf Forged+ Wedges and Callaway Golf Forged Wedges, and Callaway Golf Tour Blue(TM) Putters. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey(R) Putters, including White Steel(TM), White Hot(R), TriHot(R), DFX(R), Dual Force(R) and 2-Ball Putters. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells the Callaway Golf(R) HX(R) Tour Balls, HX Blue and HX Red Balls, Big Bertha(TM) Blue and Big Bertha Red Balls, and the Warbird(R) Balls. Callaway Golf also owns and operates The Top-Flite Golf Company, a wholly owned subsidiary that includes the Top-Flite(R) and Ben Hogan(R) brands and Bettinardi Putters. The Trade In! Trade Up!(TM) program is owned and operated by Callaway Golf Company. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our websites at www.callawaygolf.com, www.topflite.com, www.odysseygolf.com and www.tradeintradeup.com.
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SOURCE: Callaway Golf Company