CHICOPEE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 12, 2005--When it comes to distance, nobody on the PGA Tour was consistently as long as Hank Kuehne was last season with his big, booming drives. And now the player ranked No. 1 in driving distance in 2004 is set to further outdistance the competition by joining forces with the manufacturer of THE LONGEST BALLS. Under an agreement announced today by TOP-FLITE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY), Kuehne, 29, will wear a TOP-FLITE(R) hat, play the new TOP-FLITE(R) TL Tour Golf Ball, carry a TOP-FLITE(R) bag, play CALLAWAY GOLF(R) or BEN HOGAN woods, and play BEN HOGAN(R) irons.

"Hank is just the kind of golfer we want representing the new face of Top-Flite," said Bob Penicka, President and COO of The Top-Flite Golf Company. "He hits it a mile, and that's always fun to watch. But he's also a determined, hard-working young man who is strong as an ox and has a Texas-size smile -- with personality and heart to boot. He comes from a great family of golf, which fits nicely with our history as the first U.S. manufacturer of golf balls and our future as part of the Callaway Golf family of brands. Hank's career is really taking off, and Top-Flite is happy to be in his bag to help him achieve his goals as a golfer."

Kuehne, a native of Dallas, Texas, played his way onto the PGA Tour in 2003, finishing tied for second at the Shell Houston Open and tied for third at the BellSouth Classic. He had already made a name for himself as the 1998 U.S. Amateur Champion and on the Canadian Tour, where he won the 2002 Texas Challenge and the 2002 TELUS Quebec Open and introduced professional golf to his big Texas-style play and friendly, easy nature. This past August, it wasn't so much Kuehne's monster drives that impressed fans at the made-for-TV Battle at the Bridges as his two clutch birdies that helped Tiger Woods and him take the $1 million prize -- a high-pressure performance that made it clear he's got game.

Great golf runs in the Kuehne family -- his little sister, Kelli Kuehne, is an LPGA Tour player and Callaway Golf staff pro who won the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in 1996 before turning pro. Older brother Trip Kuehne narrowly lost the 1994 U.S. Amateur title to Tiger Woods. Kuehne makes his debut as the newest Top-Flite staff professional on January 9th, at the Sony Hawaiian Open.

"Teaming up with the TOP-FLITE brand is just a great thing for me," Kuehne said. "I couldn't be happier with my new golf ball -- the TL Tour gives me great trajectory, amazing stability and insane distance. I can't wait for the 2005 season to get underway."

The Top-Flite Golf Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Callaway Golf Company and is the world's largest golf ball manufacturer. It is the first US manufacturer of golf balls, dimpled golf balls, two-piece golf balls, multi-layer golf balls, and American-made golf clubs. Under The Top-Flite Golf Company umbrella are the TOP-FLITE(R) and BEN HOGAN(R) brands. To find more information on The Top-Flite Golf Company, visit our website at http://www.topflite.com/ or call Consumer Relations at TFGOLFCO (866-834-6532).

CONTACT: The Top-Flite Golf Company
Dennis Blake, 413-322-2188

email: dennis.blake@topflite.com
SOURCE:
Callaway Golf Company