Nike Golf has new irons - three new varieties, in fact. And three of the company's athletes put the new sticks in the bag for The Barclays last week.
Paul Casey, Trevor Immelman and Stephen Ames all used the new Nike Victory Red irons, which ocome in a forged blade, a forged split cavity and a full cavity option.
Casey did the best with the new clubs, finishing tied for seventh for the week. He tied for sixth in greens in regulation, hitting 73.6 percent of greens for the week.
"For me, they go about two to three yards further than my old set," Casey said of his new Victory Red Forged TW Blades. "I very rarely change equipment. I've got the same driver I've been using for two years and the same wedges. I wouldn't put something in if I wasn't comfortable with it."
The new irons have a traditional muscleback design and are made of 1025 forged carbon steel with a CNC milled face. They have a bit more backpad and thicker toe than Nike's previous blades.
The addition makes a full set of 14 Nike clubs for Casey, who first tried the new irons at Bridgestone.
"For me it wasn't a big transition, same shaft and loft and lie and profile," Casey said. "Mike Taylor who grinds my irons... does a great job. So it's just a case of putting them in, trying them in two practice rounds and I take a leap of faith and put them in play."
A new putter helped Casey to finish T15 in putts per GIR for the week (1.717).
"(The putter has a) sort of slight insert with grooves kind of combined which allows me to roll the ball better than I've rolled it before," Casey explained. "If I can get a small performance gain out of something, that's why it goes in."
Nike will make the Victory Red irons available at retail in November. Suggested retail price is $999.99 for a set of 3-iron through pitching wedge.
LIMITED DRIVER FINDS WAY TO WEIR: Besides growing a "playoff beard" for a new look, Mike Weir changed his driver. He put one of TaylorMade's new r7 Limited drivers in his bag and ended the week in a tie for seventh.
Weir, who relied on a TaylorMade r7 Quad for more than three years, has also experimented with a new Tour Burner this season.
In addition to Weir, David Toms, Brandt Snedeker, Charles Howell III and Shane Bertsch used the r7 Limited last week. Word from the TaylorMade tour van is that Snedeker thought the Limited was hotter and had better dispersion than his previous driver, while Bertsch thought the ball came off the face hotter.
CHOI GOES TO YES!: After winning earlier this season with an Odyssey putter, K.J. Choi has turned to Yes! Golf's Callie putter for the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Choi finished tied for 12th at The Barclays, where he averaged 29.8 putts per round and 1.679 putts per green in regulation - fourth best in the field.
One thing that hasn't changed - Choi's oversized grip. The story behind the Super Stroke grip that Choi has used since last year is that he saw a late-night infomercial on Golf Channel and ordered one. Since then, he has begun to endorse the grip, which helps reduce tension in the hands and prevent the wrists from breaking down.
BACK AND FORTH: While he didn't make the cut at The Barclays, two-time major winner Padraig Harrington did go back to the new Wilson Staff Smooth driver for the week.
Harrington has used both the Smooth and the Dd6+ drivers in recent weeks. He had the Dd6+ driver in the bag for both major wins.
Last week was the first time Harrington started the week with the Smooth driver. The new offering from Wilson Staff adds speed off the clubhead and distance. It will be available in stores later this year.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Ping introduces new driver, putter at The Barclays
Ping staff players sported new equipment to kick off the FedEx Cup, starting with The Barclays.
Runner-up Kevin Sutherland had a new Ping Rapture V2 driver in the bag for the week. He averaged 287 yards off the tee (18th best in the field) and hit 64.3 percent of fairways (T21).
Sutherland said that while the course didn't seem to fit his eye off the tee, he felt good about how he played.
"I played well all week, really consistent," he said on Sunday. "I shot four solid rounds, and unfortunately I just didn't make the birdie on last hole here in this playoff." The Rapture V2 driver is one of several products that Ping announced at its recent sales meeting and which will be available at retail in late September. Ping will also introduce Rapture V2 fairway woods, hybrids and irons, as well as the S57 irons that have already seen some success on tour.
The driver incorporates tungsten weights in the back, heel and toe of the titanium clubhead to create lower spin and higher launch while limiting clubhead twisting. The variable thickness face is taller and the crown, which features a new "Double-Rapture" alignment aid, tapers.
"Each of the new designs combines key properties of its various materials to optimize performance," said John Solheim, Ping Chairman and CEO. "The common material throughout all of the new products is tungsten."
Ping also has a new putter that uses tungsten in its construction. Hunter Mahan used the new iWi putter with interchangeable weight inserts to finish in a tie for 31st at The Barclays, highlighted by a first-round 62.
"I put it in after the PGA, so I've been using it for two weeks now," said Mahan after his round Thursday. "As soon as I grabbed it, put it down, it just looked good to me. I liked the feel and just been using it the last couple of weeks and been feeling great.
"I love the feel, love the setup and it's rolling great for me," he said.
The iWi is available in six models: Anser, Zing, B60, D66, Craz-E and 1/2 Craz-E. Mahan used the D66 model.
Each putter comes with two 12-gram steel weights on the sole - one near the heel and one near the toe. Golfers will be able to buy an optional weight kit with 20- and 28-gram tungsten weights to modify the putter to best fit their strokes.
"From the driver to the putters, we've utilized the density of tungsten in strategic locations to optimize weight distribution and maximize performance," Solheim said. "Plus, they all offer multiple fitting variables to ensure golfers can be properly fit for every club in their bag."
The drivers will retail for $500 when available in September. The iWi putters will cost $190 for five models, $220 for the Craz-E and $70 for the weight kit.
Runner-up Kevin Sutherland had a new Ping Rapture V2 driver in the bag for the week. He averaged 287 yards off the tee (18th best in the field) and hit 64.3 percent of fairways (T21).
Sutherland said that while the course didn't seem to fit his eye off the tee, he felt good about how he played.
"I played well all week, really consistent," he said on Sunday. "I shot four solid rounds, and unfortunately I just didn't make the birdie on last hole here in this playoff." The Rapture V2 driver is one of several products that Ping announced at its recent sales meeting and which will be available at retail in late September. Ping will also introduce Rapture V2 fairway woods, hybrids and irons, as well as the S57 irons that have already seen some success on tour.
The driver incorporates tungsten weights in the back, heel and toe of the titanium clubhead to create lower spin and higher launch while limiting clubhead twisting. The variable thickness face is taller and the crown, which features a new "Double-Rapture" alignment aid, tapers.
"Each of the new designs combines key properties of its various materials to optimize performance," said John Solheim, Ping Chairman and CEO. "The common material throughout all of the new products is tungsten."
Ping also has a new putter that uses tungsten in its construction. Hunter Mahan used the new iWi putter with interchangeable weight inserts to finish in a tie for 31st at The Barclays, highlighted by a first-round 62.
"I put it in after the PGA, so I've been using it for two weeks now," said Mahan after his round Thursday. "As soon as I grabbed it, put it down, it just looked good to me. I liked the feel and just been using it the last couple of weeks and been feeling great.
"I love the feel, love the setup and it's rolling great for me," he said.
The iWi is available in six models: Anser, Zing, B60, D66, Craz-E and 1/2 Craz-E. Mahan used the D66 model.
Each putter comes with two 12-gram steel weights on the sole - one near the heel and one near the toe. Golfers will be able to buy an optional weight kit with 20- and 28-gram tungsten weights to modify the putter to best fit their strokes.
"From the driver to the putters, we've utilized the density of tungsten in strategic locations to optimize weight distribution and maximize performance," Solheim said. "Plus, they all offer multiple fitting variables to ensure golfers can be properly fit for every club in their bag."
The drivers will retail for $500 when available in September. The iWi putters will cost $190 for five models, $220 for the Craz-E and $70 for the weight kit.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tour Van Notebook: Rife Putters on a Roll
By now, winning Champions Tour majors is a bit ho-hum for Rife. The putter manufacturer earned a third major title in 15 months Sunday when Fred Funk used a Barbados model to win the Jeld-Wen Tradition.
It was the seventh time a Champions Tour player has used a Rife putter to win this year - including Funk's win with a different Rife model (Mr. Beasley) at the MasterCard Championship in Hawaii.
During the final round, Funk sunk birdie putts on holes 3, 4 and 6 to take a sizable lead. He also sunk a tricky sidehill putt on the final hole after a rain delay to clinch the title.
Altogether, there were 21 Rife putters in play at the Jeld-Wen - four more than the next most popular putter. It was the 13th time the company has won the putter count on the Champions Tour in 2008.
On the LPGA Tour, Australian Katherine Hull used a Rife 2 Bar Hybrid Mallet to win the CN Canadian Women's Open. Hull has used a Rife putter since last year, when the company's tour rep, Scott Behle, introduced her to the line.
SMALLER SPIDER WORKS FOR LAIRD: Scotsman Martin Laird was first in putts per round (26.8) and first in putts per green in regulation (1.560) at the Wyndham Championship.
Laird, who finished in a tie for fourth in Greensboro, used TaylorMade's Itsy Bitsy Spider, a smaller version of its popular Rossa Monza Spider putter, for the week. It was the first time he'd used the putter for all four rounds of a tournament, although he had used the larger Spider for a handful of tournaments during the season.
"Nice off week last week to kind of recharge and my putter, I switched to the new putter the last two rounds of Reno and... I made everything," he said.
It matched Laird's best PGA Tour finish of the season. He also tied for fourth at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, where he first put the Spider putter in play.
GRIPS DOMINATE NATIONWIDE: Golf Pride grips are often the grip of choice on the PGA Tour. But it's less common to think about the grips used on other tours. Especially this week, Golf Pride dominated on the Nationwide Tour.
Ninety percent of the field used some variety of Golf Pride grip - 92 players in the 156-person field choose Tour Velvet and 13 picked the brightly colored New Decade MultiCompound hybrid grip.
"We are pleased to see that Golf Pride is the No. 1 grip for golfers on the Nationwide Tour, as well as on the PGA Tour and other professional tours globally," said Jeff Fiorini, general manager for Eaton's Golf Grip Division.
It was the seventh time a Champions Tour player has used a Rife putter to win this year - including Funk's win with a different Rife model (Mr. Beasley) at the MasterCard Championship in Hawaii.
During the final round, Funk sunk birdie putts on holes 3, 4 and 6 to take a sizable lead. He also sunk a tricky sidehill putt on the final hole after a rain delay to clinch the title.
Altogether, there were 21 Rife putters in play at the Jeld-Wen - four more than the next most popular putter. It was the 13th time the company has won the putter count on the Champions Tour in 2008.
On the LPGA Tour, Australian Katherine Hull used a Rife 2 Bar Hybrid Mallet to win the CN Canadian Women's Open. Hull has used a Rife putter since last year, when the company's tour rep, Scott Behle, introduced her to the line.
SMALLER SPIDER WORKS FOR LAIRD: Scotsman Martin Laird was first in putts per round (26.8) and first in putts per green in regulation (1.560) at the Wyndham Championship.
Laird, who finished in a tie for fourth in Greensboro, used TaylorMade's Itsy Bitsy Spider, a smaller version of its popular Rossa Monza Spider putter, for the week. It was the first time he'd used the putter for all four rounds of a tournament, although he had used the larger Spider for a handful of tournaments during the season.
"Nice off week last week to kind of recharge and my putter, I switched to the new putter the last two rounds of Reno and... I made everything," he said.
It matched Laird's best PGA Tour finish of the season. He also tied for fourth at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, where he first put the Spider putter in play.
GRIPS DOMINATE NATIONWIDE: Golf Pride grips are often the grip of choice on the PGA Tour. But it's less common to think about the grips used on other tours. Especially this week, Golf Pride dominated on the Nationwide Tour.
Ninety percent of the field used some variety of Golf Pride grip - 92 players in the 156-person field choose Tour Velvet and 13 picked the brightly colored New Decade MultiCompound hybrid grip.
"We are pleased to see that Golf Pride is the No. 1 grip for golfers on the Nationwide Tour, as well as on the PGA Tour and other professional tours globally," said Jeff Fiorini, general manager for Eaton's Golf Grip Division.
Toms on Track with New TaylorMade Driver
TaylorMade debuted its new r7 Limited driver at the Wyndham Championship last week, and David Toms may be glad they did.
Toms, who has struggled with his distance off the tee in recent years, used the new driver to average 301.3 yards (46th best in the field) for the week on a tight course. His season average is 278.4 yards, which is 169th best on Tour.
Toms is looking for an answer to his slipping distance. In 2005, he averaged 287.8 yards. In 2006 his yardage averaged 285.4 and in 2007 it was 282.5.
Along with Toms, John Daly and NCAA Champion Kevin Chappell put the driver into play for the week. Brandt Snedeker also used the driver, but was listed by the Darrell Survey as using a different driver on Thursday.
The r7 Limited is the newest driver from TaylorMade to feature Movable Weight Technology. By moving weight in the clubhead, golfers can change the trajectory of their shots to best suit their individual games.
Unlike the r7 SuperQuad, the new Limited is neutral and does not promote a draw. The club uses three weights - one at 16 grams and two at 1 gram each - which can be positioned to bend shots left, right or hit straight.
The Limited has a more triangular clubhead shape and is longer from front to back than the SuperQuad to further move the center of gravity (CG) back and promote a higher ball flight.
On Tour, TaylorMade officials hope to target players who are not using the company's Tour Burners - primarily staffers in lower CG drivers like the 460 models. Company spokesman Scott Leightman said Tour Van staffers built Limited drivers for several players last week, including Pete Lonard, John Rollins, Eric Axley and Vaughn Taylor.
"We saw increases in ball speed on the launch monitor. With the Movable Weight Technology, we were able to find the right weight distribution to reduce launch and spin for the players who had too much spin," Leightman said in an email message.
Leightman also said that the players liked the look of the r7 Limited and gave good feedback on the sound and feel.
The r7 Limited driver will be available at retail on September 15 and will sell for a suggested $500.
Toms, who has struggled with his distance off the tee in recent years, used the new driver to average 301.3 yards (46th best in the field) for the week on a tight course. His season average is 278.4 yards, which is 169th best on Tour.
Toms is looking for an answer to his slipping distance. In 2005, he averaged 287.8 yards. In 2006 his yardage averaged 285.4 and in 2007 it was 282.5.
Along with Toms, John Daly and NCAA Champion Kevin Chappell put the driver into play for the week. Brandt Snedeker also used the driver, but was listed by the Darrell Survey as using a different driver on Thursday.
The r7 Limited is the newest driver from TaylorMade to feature Movable Weight Technology. By moving weight in the clubhead, golfers can change the trajectory of their shots to best suit their individual games.
Unlike the r7 SuperQuad, the new Limited is neutral and does not promote a draw. The club uses three weights - one at 16 grams and two at 1 gram each - which can be positioned to bend shots left, right or hit straight.
The Limited has a more triangular clubhead shape and is longer from front to back than the SuperQuad to further move the center of gravity (CG) back and promote a higher ball flight.
On Tour, TaylorMade officials hope to target players who are not using the company's Tour Burners - primarily staffers in lower CG drivers like the 460 models. Company spokesman Scott Leightman said Tour Van staffers built Limited drivers for several players last week, including Pete Lonard, John Rollins, Eric Axley and Vaughn Taylor.
"We saw increases in ball speed on the launch monitor. With the Movable Weight Technology, we were able to find the right weight distribution to reduce launch and spin for the players who had too much spin," Leightman said in an email message.
Leightman also said that the players liked the look of the r7 Limited and gave good feedback on the sound and feel.
The r7 Limited driver will be available at retail on September 15 and will sell for a suggested $500.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Tour Van Notebook: Notebook: Faithful Wilson Staff driver helps Harrington to Victory
Thank goodness for old friends. A week after using a Wilson prototype driver at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and finishing in a tie for 20th, Padraig Harrington put his old Wilson Staff driver back in the bag.
The Dd6+, a European version of the Dd6 driver sold in the U.S., was in Harrington's bag when he won The Open Championship last month. But ever the tinkerer, Harrington decided to put it aside to try the new Smooth driver. The Smooth is completely made of titanium, but other details about its characteristics and release date are not yet available.
Harrington, who is known for having a hands-on approach to working with Wilson on new club offerings, decided to go with the driver he has used in the past for the week, then shot 66-66 in the final two rounds to win his third major by two shots.
"We continue to be energized by Padraig's performance and are thrilled to play a role in his historic achievement," said Wilson's General Manager, Tim Clarke.
HOLMES HITS NEW COBRA: J.B. Holmes, who led the PGA Championship at the halfway point, put a new Cobra driver in the bag for Oakland Hills. The L4VX is designed for players with high swing speeds and can help those heavy hitters to create more launch and less spin.
Holmes' new big stick was a 9-degree clubface. He used an Aldila Voodoo XVS8 shaft.
"Hitting it straight it's a big advantage," Holmes said after the second round. "You got to hit it right down the middle and you can't really attack these greens from the rough. I was lucky to hit most of the fairways today. So it's a big advantage if you can hit it in the fairway."
Holmes also uses two Cobra Speed LD-X Pro fairway woods (13 and 18 degrees) and Cobra Pro CB irons.
CURTIS USES NEW TITLEIST 3-WOOD: Ben Curtis may not have earned his second major at last week's PGA Championship, but he did get a spot on the Ryder Cup team, thanks to a bag full of Titleist equipment.
Curtis used a new 909 fairway wood at 13.5 degrees. Also in his bag: 907D2 driver (8.5 degrees), 585.H hybrids in 17 and 21 degrees, AP2 irons, Vokey Design wedges (52 and 60 degrees).
Armed with a Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 putter and Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, Curtis had 16 birdies for the week to shoot 1-under and tie for second at Oakland Hills.
Titleist's 909 driver has been in the bags of two recent PGA Tour winners. The fairway woods, 909F2 and 909F3, are successors to the popular 906F4 and F2, respectively. The F2 offers a mid- to high launch with mid-range spin, while the F3 has mid-launch and lower spin. Both have a slightly open face and are made of 17-4 stainless steel in the body and 275 steel face. The 909 fairways will be available at retail in October for an expected $199 each.
ACE HELPS JACOBSON: Did you think the par-3s at Oakland Hills seemed long? So did the pros, who were typically taking long irons off the tees at the course's so-called "short" holes.
But Swede Fredrik Jacobson managed to do quite well by the 193-yard 13th hole Sunday. Jacobson used his Callaway X-Forged 4-iron to ace the hole - the only hole-in-one of the week.
"It was into a stiff breeze," he said, explaining why he made his club selection.
"There was a lot of people around that green, and funny enough, I called it out when it was in the air, as well," he said. "It had a long ways to go, but it looked good all the way."
For his trouble, Jacobson finished in a tie for 24th with a 9-over total for the week.
"I didn't make a birdie all week on the back nine," he said.
The Dd6+, a European version of the Dd6 driver sold in the U.S., was in Harrington's bag when he won The Open Championship last month. But ever the tinkerer, Harrington decided to put it aside to try the new Smooth driver. The Smooth is completely made of titanium, but other details about its characteristics and release date are not yet available.
Harrington, who is known for having a hands-on approach to working with Wilson on new club offerings, decided to go with the driver he has used in the past for the week, then shot 66-66 in the final two rounds to win his third major by two shots.
"We continue to be energized by Padraig's performance and are thrilled to play a role in his historic achievement," said Wilson's General Manager, Tim Clarke.
HOLMES HITS NEW COBRA: J.B. Holmes, who led the PGA Championship at the halfway point, put a new Cobra driver in the bag for Oakland Hills. The L4VX is designed for players with high swing speeds and can help those heavy hitters to create more launch and less spin.
Holmes' new big stick was a 9-degree clubface. He used an Aldila Voodoo XVS8 shaft.
"Hitting it straight it's a big advantage," Holmes said after the second round. "You got to hit it right down the middle and you can't really attack these greens from the rough. I was lucky to hit most of the fairways today. So it's a big advantage if you can hit it in the fairway."
Holmes also uses two Cobra Speed LD-X Pro fairway woods (13 and 18 degrees) and Cobra Pro CB irons.
CURTIS USES NEW TITLEIST 3-WOOD: Ben Curtis may not have earned his second major at last week's PGA Championship, but he did get a spot on the Ryder Cup team, thanks to a bag full of Titleist equipment.
Curtis used a new 909 fairway wood at 13.5 degrees. Also in his bag: 907D2 driver (8.5 degrees), 585.H hybrids in 17 and 21 degrees, AP2 irons, Vokey Design wedges (52 and 60 degrees).
Armed with a Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 putter and Titleist Pro V1x golf ball, Curtis had 16 birdies for the week to shoot 1-under and tie for second at Oakland Hills.
Titleist's 909 driver has been in the bags of two recent PGA Tour winners. The fairway woods, 909F2 and 909F3, are successors to the popular 906F4 and F2, respectively. The F2 offers a mid- to high launch with mid-range spin, while the F3 has mid-launch and lower spin. Both have a slightly open face and are made of 17-4 stainless steel in the body and 275 steel face. The 909 fairways will be available at retail in October for an expected $199 each.
ACE HELPS JACOBSON: Did you think the par-3s at Oakland Hills seemed long? So did the pros, who were typically taking long irons off the tees at the course's so-called "short" holes.
But Swede Fredrik Jacobson managed to do quite well by the 193-yard 13th hole Sunday. Jacobson used his Callaway X-Forged 4-iron to ace the hole - the only hole-in-one of the week.
"It was into a stiff breeze," he said, explaining why he made his club selection.
"There was a lot of people around that green, and funny enough, I called it out when it was in the air, as well," he said. "It had a long ways to go, but it looked good all the way."
For his trouble, Jacobson finished in a tie for 24th with a 9-over total for the week.
"I didn't make a birdie all week on the back nine," he said.
Adams Earns Top Spot in Major Hybrid Count
Paid to play? Not so much, when it comes to smaller club companies. While the biggest manufacturers can pay players to use their equipment, many companies can only pay a couple of players or are unable to pay at all.
Adams falls into the former category, having added players like Aaron Baddeley and Rory Sabbatini in the last year, to complement a roster of Champions Tour players that includes Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer. But by the big companies' standards, Adams doesn't have a huge tour staff.
So Adams has a bit to brag about with its recent conquest of the hybrid count on the PGA Tour. (Adams has won every hybrid count for two years on the Champions and Nationwide Tours, where it's enjoyed even more popularity.) Last week, company officials were able to say that they'd won the hybrid count (according to the Darrell Survey) at all four majors in 2008.
"Having the No. 1 hybrid played at all four majors is a tremendous accomplishment for our company," said Max Puglielli, director of tour operations for Adams Golf, in a statement. "Having the No. 1 hybrid played on tour is something we're very proud of and we hope to continue building upon the momentum."
At last week's PGA Championship, Adams had 37 hybrid clubs in play - 10 more than their nearest competitor. At all four majors, Adams has had 113 hybrids used, compared to second-place TaylorMade's 70 hybrids.
"In 2006 we had 24 hybrids in play at all four majors, combined," said Adams spokesman Jeff Wood. "This is the first year we've won the count at a major - let alone all four."
Adams has also earned the top place in the hybrid count in 28 of the 36 PGA Tour events this year. Eight winners have used the Idea hybrids in 2008.
Positively, Adams is seeing a benefit in retail sales from the increased tour use.
"Our success in the hybrid category has resonated, not only with an increasing number of tour pros asking to play our clubs each week, but also with the average golfer as he or she shops for new equipment," Puglielli said.
Plus, as more pros see the Adams name in the bags of their competitors, the company name is building up a reputation for being one of the top hybrid clubs.
"It's also helping expose our brand and equipment performance to many of the pros on tour that have realized we're a serious player now," Wood said.
Some of the players who have chosen to put an Adams hybrid in the bag at Oakland Hills: Stuart Appleby, Woody Austin, Daniel Chopra, Anthony Kim, Vijay Singh and Henrik Stenson.
Others include Tommy Armour III, Mark Brooks, John Daly, Todd Hamilton, Anders Hansen, Charles Howell III, Richard S. Johnson, Zach Johnson, Steve Lowery, Steve Marino, Tom Pernice Jr., Carl Pettersson, Chez Reavie, Rory Sabbatini, Heath Slocum, Nicholas Thompson and Johnson Wagner.
Adams falls into the former category, having added players like Aaron Baddeley and Rory Sabbatini in the last year, to complement a roster of Champions Tour players that includes Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer. But by the big companies' standards, Adams doesn't have a huge tour staff.
So Adams has a bit to brag about with its recent conquest of the hybrid count on the PGA Tour. (Adams has won every hybrid count for two years on the Champions and Nationwide Tours, where it's enjoyed even more popularity.) Last week, company officials were able to say that they'd won the hybrid count (according to the Darrell Survey) at all four majors in 2008.
"Having the No. 1 hybrid played at all four majors is a tremendous accomplishment for our company," said Max Puglielli, director of tour operations for Adams Golf, in a statement. "Having the No. 1 hybrid played on tour is something we're very proud of and we hope to continue building upon the momentum."
At last week's PGA Championship, Adams had 37 hybrid clubs in play - 10 more than their nearest competitor. At all four majors, Adams has had 113 hybrids used, compared to second-place TaylorMade's 70 hybrids.
"In 2006 we had 24 hybrids in play at all four majors, combined," said Adams spokesman Jeff Wood. "This is the first year we've won the count at a major - let alone all four."
Adams has also earned the top place in the hybrid count in 28 of the 36 PGA Tour events this year. Eight winners have used the Idea hybrids in 2008.
Positively, Adams is seeing a benefit in retail sales from the increased tour use.
"Our success in the hybrid category has resonated, not only with an increasing number of tour pros asking to play our clubs each week, but also with the average golfer as he or she shops for new equipment," Puglielli said.
Plus, as more pros see the Adams name in the bags of their competitors, the company name is building up a reputation for being one of the top hybrid clubs.
"It's also helping expose our brand and equipment performance to many of the pros on tour that have realized we're a serious player now," Wood said.
Some of the players who have chosen to put an Adams hybrid in the bag at Oakland Hills: Stuart Appleby, Woody Austin, Daniel Chopra, Anthony Kim, Vijay Singh and Henrik Stenson.
Others include Tommy Armour III, Mark Brooks, John Daly, Todd Hamilton, Anders Hansen, Charles Howell III, Richard S. Johnson, Zach Johnson, Steve Lowery, Steve Marino, Tom Pernice Jr., Carl Pettersson, Chez Reavie, Rory Sabbatini, Heath Slocum, Nicholas Thompson and Johnson Wagner.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Tour Van Notebook: Scandium works for Singh
Vijay Singh began using Eagle One Scandium shafts from Element 21 at last year's Bridgestone Invitational. This year, he earned a win with them.
"I struck the ball really well, especially with my irons," Singh said. "My iron play was really better than the rest of the -- my driver or my putting. My iron game was about one of the best weeks I've had for a long, long time. It was good to see and good to know that it's happening at the right time. We've got some good tournaments coming up, and I'm just looking forward to playing next week now."
Element 21 uses a 25-step process to make the seamless shafts, which use a vibration dampener called ShockBlok. According to Dr. Nataliya Hearn, President and CEO of Element 21 Golf, the shaft can help protect golfers from the shock to their bodies that happens when they practice for hours and hit lots of golf balls.
"The medical benefits of scandium engineering are being confirmed on Tour," Hearn said.
According to the company's research, scandium produces 270 percent better shock absorption than steel shafts. Their reports also show the shafts produced as much as 16 yards more distance and plus or minus 1.33 feet dispersion from the target zone on center hits.
The material was originally developed for use in jet fighters. Element 21 also makes fishing equipment that uses the material.
USING A ONE: Brad Bryant is one of the few, the proud - who still carries a 1-iron.
Bryant uses a Cleveland CG4 1-iron, which he used to win the U.S. Senior Open last year. As defending champion last week, he was asked about the club.
"I hit it off the last tee at the Senior Open last year. I hit the ball, I hit a 1-iron off the last tee and just hit a really beautiful shot and then hit a 3-iron to the green," Bryant said. "That's the one thing about this golf course that's sort of redeeming or that does fit my game is my 1-iron fits down the fairways here nicely."
For the rest of his bag, Bryant was trying out new prototype Adams irons.
"These are something they've just come out with, and I'm really enjoying them. So that's been a real good thing," he said.
But Bryant indicated he wouldn't be giving up his trusty 1-iron any time soon.
"I've been playing the 1-iron since -- it would be 1978," he said. "I think the only two players left in the game of golf that play 1-irons that were playing together this week, me and Joey Sindelar."
NEW DRIVER WINS AGAIN: It's been a good couple of weeks for Titleist's new 909 driver. Chez Reavie used it for his first PGA Tour win two weeks ago, and Parker McLachlin got a victory at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open with the driver last week.
McLachlin used the 909D2 model, and also had a new 909F2 fairway wood in his bag.
And, by using the Titleist Pro V1x (as did WGC Bridgestone Invitational winner Vijay Singh), McLachlin made it six consecutive weeks that the ball has won on the PGA Tour.
TOUR EDGE SIGNS PRAMMANASUDH: Playing Tour Edge equipment translated into a tie for fourth place, her best of the season, for LPGA Tour pro Stacy Prammanasudh.
Prammanasudh, who left Ping Golf after signing an endorsement deal with a brand of Thai beer (Ping prefers their staff players not endorse alcoholic beverages), signed with Tour Edge before the State Farm Classic two weeks ago.
"I am very excited to represent Tour Edge Golf, which is one of the best companies in the game," Prammanasudh said. "The proof of anyone's products is in the results they produce. The fact that I just enjoyed my best tournament of the year - and shot all four rounds in the 60's for the first time this season - by using their irons and fairway woods says it all."
Prammanasudh will play Exotics EX-1 irons and Exotics CB2 3- and 5-woods from Tour Edge. She'll also carry a Tour Edge staff bag.
"I struck the ball really well, especially with my irons," Singh said. "My iron play was really better than the rest of the -- my driver or my putting. My iron game was about one of the best weeks I've had for a long, long time. It was good to see and good to know that it's happening at the right time. We've got some good tournaments coming up, and I'm just looking forward to playing next week now."
Element 21 uses a 25-step process to make the seamless shafts, which use a vibration dampener called ShockBlok. According to Dr. Nataliya Hearn, President and CEO of Element 21 Golf, the shaft can help protect golfers from the shock to their bodies that happens when they practice for hours and hit lots of golf balls.
"The medical benefits of scandium engineering are being confirmed on Tour," Hearn said.
According to the company's research, scandium produces 270 percent better shock absorption than steel shafts. Their reports also show the shafts produced as much as 16 yards more distance and plus or minus 1.33 feet dispersion from the target zone on center hits.
The material was originally developed for use in jet fighters. Element 21 also makes fishing equipment that uses the material.
USING A ONE: Brad Bryant is one of the few, the proud - who still carries a 1-iron.
Bryant uses a Cleveland CG4 1-iron, which he used to win the U.S. Senior Open last year. As defending champion last week, he was asked about the club.
"I hit it off the last tee at the Senior Open last year. I hit the ball, I hit a 1-iron off the last tee and just hit a really beautiful shot and then hit a 3-iron to the green," Bryant said. "That's the one thing about this golf course that's sort of redeeming or that does fit my game is my 1-iron fits down the fairways here nicely."
For the rest of his bag, Bryant was trying out new prototype Adams irons.
"These are something they've just come out with, and I'm really enjoying them. So that's been a real good thing," he said.
But Bryant indicated he wouldn't be giving up his trusty 1-iron any time soon.
"I've been playing the 1-iron since -- it would be 1978," he said. "I think the only two players left in the game of golf that play 1-irons that were playing together this week, me and Joey Sindelar."
 Stacy Prammanasudh has signed a deal to play Tour Edge clubs and carry a Tour Edge staff bag. |
McLachlin used the 909D2 model, and also had a new 909F2 fairway wood in his bag.
And, by using the Titleist Pro V1x (as did WGC Bridgestone Invitational winner Vijay Singh), McLachlin made it six consecutive weeks that the ball has won on the PGA Tour.
TOUR EDGE SIGNS PRAMMANASUDH: Playing Tour Edge equipment translated into a tie for fourth place, her best of the season, for LPGA Tour pro Stacy Prammanasudh.
Prammanasudh, who left Ping Golf after signing an endorsement deal with a brand of Thai beer (Ping prefers their staff players not endorse alcoholic beverages), signed with Tour Edge before the State Farm Classic two weeks ago.
"I am very excited to represent Tour Edge Golf, which is one of the best companies in the game," Prammanasudh said. "The proof of anyone's products is in the results they produce. The fact that I just enjoyed my best tournament of the year - and shot all four rounds in the 60's for the first time this season - by using their irons and fairway woods says it all."
Prammanasudh will play Exotics EX-1 irons and Exotics CB2 3- and 5-woods from Tour Edge. She'll also carry a Tour Edge staff bag.
TaylorMade Kicks Off 'My TP Ball' Promotion at PGA
TaylorMade staff players Darren Clarke and Justin Rose will be among 12 pros in the field at this week's PGA Championship to use personalized TP golf balls.
The TaylorMade TP Red and TP Black golf balls will sport one- or two-digit numbers as chosen by the players.
"Justin Rose is 99 because his wife's lucky number is 9, and he figured it was double the luck," said Scott Leightman, TaylorMade's Director of Public Relations. "Darren Clarke is number 60, because that's the lowest score he's ever shot - he's done it twice."
In addition to Rose and Clarke, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Sean O'Hair and Jim Estes - as well as six club pros - will use personalized balls. During PGA week, each professional with a customized "My TP Ball" will carry a staff bag with the number embroidered on it.
Eric Dugas has chosen #11 because it was his jersey number in every sport he played growing up. Rick Leibovich likes seeing "00" on his ball. Eric Manning uses #74 because his daughter was born on July 4. PGA club pros Kyle Flinton, Peter Hedblom and Jeff Martin also are using customized numbers.
The balls provided to players for use on the range will also be customized.
"It's going to launch this week at the PGA Championship," Leightman said. "The balls on the range this week are number 90, in honor of the 90th PGA Championship."
While the company will roll out its "My TP Ball" program to pros at Oakland Hills, golfers of all levels the chance to get TaylorMade TP Red and TP Black golf balls with the number of their choosing. There are 110 combinations possible - from 0 to 99 and 00 to 09.
At the mytpball.com web site, which will go live this week, golfers can order a minimum of three dozen balls with their preferred number. Then, consumers print and take their order to a designated retailer. TaylorMade will create the customized balls within seven days of receiving the order.
The web site will feature stories from other customers, celebrities and professionals about the numbers they have chosen and why.
The TaylorMade TP Red and TP Black golf balls will sport one- or two-digit numbers as chosen by the players.
"Justin Rose is 99 because his wife's lucky number is 9, and he figured it was double the luck," said Scott Leightman, TaylorMade's Director of Public Relations. "Darren Clarke is number 60, because that's the lowest score he's ever shot - he's done it twice."
In addition to Rose and Clarke, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Sean O'Hair and Jim Estes - as well as six club pros - will use personalized balls. During PGA week, each professional with a customized "My TP Ball" will carry a staff bag with the number embroidered on it.
Eric Dugas has chosen #11 because it was his jersey number in every sport he played growing up. Rick Leibovich likes seeing "00" on his ball. Eric Manning uses #74 because his daughter was born on July 4. PGA club pros Kyle Flinton, Peter Hedblom and Jeff Martin also are using customized numbers.
The balls provided to players for use on the range will also be customized.
"It's going to launch this week at the PGA Championship," Leightman said. "The balls on the range this week are number 90, in honor of the 90th PGA Championship."
While the company will roll out its "My TP Ball" program to pros at Oakland Hills, golfers of all levels the chance to get TaylorMade TP Red and TP Black golf balls with the number of their choosing. There are 110 combinations possible - from 0 to 99 and 00 to 09.
At the mytpball.com web site, which will go live this week, golfers can order a minimum of three dozen balls with their preferred number. Then, consumers print and take their order to a designated retailer. TaylorMade will create the customized balls within seven days of receiving the order.
The web site will feature stories from other customers, celebrities and professionals about the numbers they have chosen and why.
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