Callaway Golf Wins Ball Count On Senior PGA Tour, Continues Momentum Surge Across World's Professional Tours

July 31, 2002 at 8:43 PM EDT

CARLSBAD, Calif., Jul 31, 2002 (BW SportsWire) -- Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) won the golf ball usage count at last week's FleetBoston Classic, marking the fifth time the Company has led or tied for the ball usage count on the Senior PGA Tour over the last two years. Callaway Golf is the only ball manufacturer other than Titleist to win a ball count on the Senior PGA Tour, according to numbers from the Darrell Survey Company. Callaway Golf has also led or tied for the ball usage count in each of the last four weeks on the Japan Golf Tour as the Company's golf balls gain momentum on the world's professional tours.

A total of 38 golfers used Callaway Golf(R) balls at the FleetBoston Classic in Concord, Mass., compared with 36 Titleist golf balls in play. No other manufacturer had more than three balls in play at the event. Three of the top four finishers used Callaway Golf balls -- including Callaway Golf Staff Professional John Mahaffey, who finished second using the HX(R) Blue golf ball.

There were 44 Callaway Golf balls in play at the NST Niigata Open in Nakajo, Japan, tying the Company with Titleist for the ball usage lead. Callaway Golf has won or tied for the ball usage lead at half of the Japan Golf Tour's 14 events this year. Callaway Golf is also the leader in golf ball wins in Japan this year, as the CTU 30(R) Red golf ball has been used to win eight of 14 events to date.

Callaway Golf continues to lead all golf ball manufacturers with four major championship victories this year. Annika Sorenstam, Jim Thorpe, Don Pooley and Stewart Ginn have all won major titles using Callaway Golf balls this year. No other ball manufacturer has won more than two major championships this year. With just two majors remaining -- the Women's British Open and the PGA Championship -- Callaway Golf is assured at least a tie for most majors won this year.

Callaway Golf is a strong second on the world's six major professional tours combined in wins and usage this year -- and the Company's ball usage numbers are getting stronger as the year goes on. Callaway Golf's overall ball usage across the six major professional tours combined has climbed from 19.4 percent at the end of April to 22 percent at the end of July. The Company has 33 golf ball wins this season, compared with just nine for the next nearest competitor.

Callaway Golf's HX and CTU 30 balls are Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, in usage by model. The HX Blue and Red balls combined account for 12.2 percent of all balls in play across the six major professional tours combined, while the CTU 30 Blue and Red balls represent 9.5 percent of all balls in play across those same tours.

Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods and Irons, including Big Bertha C4(TM) Compression Cured Carbon Composite Drivers, Big Bertha ERC(R) II Forged Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha ERC Forged Titanium Fairway Woods, 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, and Callaway Golf Forged Wedges. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey(R) Putters, including White Hot(R), TriHot(R), 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(TM) 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

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