Callaway Golf Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam Wins Safeway; Uses New X-Tour Irons, Prototype Fusion Driver, HX Tour Golf Ball to Notch 2nd Consecutive '05 Win, 4th Straight on LPGA Tour

March 21, 2005 at 9:06 AM EST

CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2005--Annika Sorenstam continued her amazing start to the 2005 season yesterday. The Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) Staff Professional came back from three strokes behind with four holes to play to defeat Lorena Ochoa on the first hole of a sudden death playoff in the LPGA's Safeway International at the Superstition Mountain Course in Phoenix.

Sorenstam, who shot 11-under-par 277 to successfully defend her Safeway title, has now won her first two starts of the 2005 season and her last four on the LPGA Tour. Among the many keys to her victory in the Safeway was her consistently sharp iron play - she hit 76 percent of the greens in regulation with her new X-Tour(TM) Irons, the uniquely designed, blade-style clubs Callaway Golf(R) is introducing to the market today. She also had another strong week driving the ball with her prototype Fusion(R) Driver from Callaway Golf.

"I feel like everything is working tremendously well right now," said Sorenstam, whose career LPGA win total is now 58, tying her for fourth on the all-time list. "My irons, like I said after the first win, are really dialed in. I love them. And I am driving the ball very long and straight."

A long, straight drive followed by a sensational 4-wood shot to the final hole ultimately turned the tournament Sorenstam's way. She blasted her drive on the 513-yard, par-five hole nearly 300 yards with her prototype Fusion FT3 Driver, leaving just 217 yards to the hole. Her soaring approach with her Big Bertha(R) Strong 4-wood stopped 22 feet from the cup, and she barely missed the putt for eagle, tapping in for the birdie that set up the playoff.

In addition to her X-Tour Irons (4-9), her 8.5-degree prototype Fusion FT3 Driver, the HX(R) Tour Golf Ball and the Big Bertha Strong 4-wood, Sorenstam also carried a Big Bertha 7-wood, an Odyssey(R) White Hot(R) 2-Ball Blade Putter and wore Callaway Golf Footwear featuring the Big Bertha Spike.

In other tour highlights for the Callaway Golf family of brands, it was a big week for Odyssey Golf putters on three major U.S. professional tours. In addition to Sorenstam's win with the Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Blade putter, the winner of the Bay Hill Invitational used a Rossie(R) 1 putter by Odyssey, his fourth victory in three years with that putter, and the rookie winner of the Toshiba Senior Classic on the Champions Tour used a DFX(R) 2-Ball Blade putter for his first victory on that circuit.

Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods, Irons and Hybrids including, ERC(R) Fusion(R) Drivers and Fairway Woods, Great Big Bertha(R) II 415 Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha Titanium 454 Drivers and Big Bertha Stainless Steel Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Heavenwood(R) Hybrids, Big Bertha Stainless Steel Irons, Big Bertha Fusion Irons, X-18(R) and X-18 Pro Series Irons, X-Tour(TM) Irons, the Game Enjoyment System(R) of GES(R) Golf Clubs, Callaway Golf Forged+ Wedges, Callaway Golf Tour Blue(R) Putters and Callaway Golf I-Trax(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, HX Hot 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), Strata(R) and Ben Hogan(R) brands and Bettinardi(R) Putters. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our websites at www.callawaygolf.com, www.topflite.com and www.odysseygolf.com.

CONTACT: Callaway Golf Company
Larry Dorman / Mike Galeski, 760-931-1771
SOURCE: Callaway Golf Company