CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 13, 2003--Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) started the 2003 tour season with a strong showing at the PGA European Tour's South African Airways Open. Callaway Golf won the driver count at the event with 72 drivers in play, compared with 61 for the nearest competitor, according to data from Sports Marketing Survey Ltd. Callaway Golf's new Great Big Bertha II Titanium Drivers were used by 69 of the golfers in the event, with 22 using the standard version of the driver and another 47 opting for a Great Big Bertha II Pro Series Titanium Driver. In all, 46 percent of the drivers in play at Erinvale Golf Club near Cape Town were made by Callaway Golf.

Callaway Golf also led the way in fairway woods and putters in play at the South African Airways Open. There were 101 Callaway Golf fairway woods in play at the event, compared to 57 for the nearest competitor. Callaway Golf's Big Bertha Steelhead III Fairway Woods were the No. 1 fairway wood model with 49 in play. Callaway Golf's putter brand, Odyssey Golf, dominated the putter count with 83 putters -- covering more than half the field -- including 34 Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Putters. The nearest competitor had just 32 putters in play.

Callaway Golf irons and golf balls also had a very strong showing at the South African Airlines Open. The Company was No. 2 in the count in both those categories, with 31 sets of irons in play, including nine sets of the new Steelhead X-16 Irons. There were 23 players using Callaway Golf balls -- 15 chose the next-generation aerodynamics of the HX golf ball, while eight used the thin-covered CTU 30 golf ball.

Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods and Irons, including Great Big Bertha(R) II 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-16(TM) and Steelhead X-16 Pro Series Stainless Steel Irons, and Callaway Golf Forged Wedges. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey(R) Putters, including White Hot(R), TriHot(R), DFX(TM) and Dual Force(R) Putters. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells the Callaway Golf(R) HX(R) Blue and HX Red balls, the CTU 30(R) Blue and CTU 30 Red balls, the HX 2-Piece Blue and HX 2-Piece Red balls, the CB1(R) Blue and CB1 Red balls, and the Warbird(TM) golf 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