CARLSBAD, Calif., Nov 15, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY), today announced two additions to the growing family of Odyssey(R) White Hot(R) Putters. The new Odyssey White Hot "2-Ball" and White Hot Rossie(R) Putters join the existing 11 White Hot models marketed by Odyssey Golf, a brand of Callaway Golf. The White Hot "2-Ball" Putter is a unique mallet design with innovative alignment aids, while the White Hot Rossie Putter combines one of the most popular putter designs of the past five years with Odyssey's White Hot insert technology. Both putters are scheduled to hit golf shops in January 2002.

The Odyssey White Hot "2-Ball" Putter has a large mallet head with two golf ball-sized alignment aids positioned directly behind the center of the face on the top of the putter. At address, golfers will see their ball with the "2-Ball" alignment system immediately behind it, providing an accurate preview of the true aim of the putter. This helps ensure the putter is square to the target, and also helps golfers to better see the line their ball will travel after impact. The White Hot "2-Ball" Putter also has a unique design that lowers the center of gravity and pulls weight away from the face of the putter, helping eliminate skidding and skipping for better roll characteristics.

"We think the Odyssey White Hot '2-Ball' Putter is unlike any other putter on the market," said Richard C. Helmstetter, senior executive vice president of research and development and chief of new products for Callaway Golf. "In our testing, the vast majority of golfers who used the White Hot '2-Ball' Putter increased their accuracy compared with their previous putter. Improved accuracy is a function of seeing the line better, and that leads to golfers feeling more comfortable -- which results in a more confident putting stroke on a regular basis."

Paul Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion, was the first touring pro to win a tournament with the Odyssey White Hot "2-Ball" Putter. Lawrie's 40-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews, Scotland, in October provided an emphatic and instant validation for the new putter. "For many years I have had a problem in lining my putter up, but the new Odyssey White Hot '2-Ball' Putter suddenly changed all that," Lawrie said. "I am able, for the first time, to feel confident in where I'm aiming. The putter really helps me keep control of my swing path. It feels easy. Because of that I am able to also control the pace I want to swing the putter."

The Odyssey White Hot Rossie Putter retains the smooth, rounded lines of the Odyssey Dual Force(R) Rossie II Putter -- still one of the most popular mallet putters on the world's tours and winner of multiple major championships. The face-balanced mallet head and double-bend shaft helps to keep the putter stable throughout the stroke, and substantial perimeter weighting helps increase accuracy on off-center putts.

Both new putters feature the Odyssey White Hot insert. This soft, resilient insert is made from a urethane blend similar to the covers of Callaway Golf's CTU 30(TM) and Rule 35(R) golf balls. Unlike some soft inserts, the White Hot insert provides consistent distance control regardless of the type of golf ball used. Putters featuring the White Hot insert have been used to win dozens of professional tournaments since the beginning of 2000.

"Odyssey Golf is the No. 1 putter brand in golf - both at retail and in usage on the world's five major professional tours combined this year," said Ron Drapeau, president, CEO and chairman of Callaway Golf. "We are pleased with that success, but we are not going to rest on those laurels. We will continue to strive to bring innovative putters to market, and we believe that the Odyssey White Hot '2-Ball' and White Hot Rossie putters reflect that philosophy and that they will be embraced by golfers of all skill levels around the world."

The Odyssey White Hot "2-Ball" Putter has a suggested retail price of $215, and the Odyssey White Hot Rossie Putter has a suggested retail price of $140. Both putters will be available in right-handed and left-handed models in lengths from 33 to 36 inches.

Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods and Irons, including Big Bertha ERC(R) II Forged Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha C4(TM) Compression Cured Carbon Composite Drivers, 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) Red and HX Blue balls, Rule 35(R) Firmfeel(TM) and Softfeel(TM) balls, the CTU 30(TM) Red and CTU 30 Blue balls, and the CB1(TM) Red and CB1 Blue balls. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our Web sites at www.callawaygolf.com and www.odysseygolf.com.

SOURCE Callaway Golf Company

CONTACT: Larry Dorman, Mick McCormick, or Millie Speirs of Callaway Golf Company, +1-760-931-1771