Three U.S. winners last week - Angela Stanford on the LPGA Tour, Chris Tidland on the Nationwide Tour, and R.W. Eaks on the Champions Tour - all had something in common. They each carried four Ping wedges.
Stanford had Ping Tour wedges, Tidland used Ping's Tour W wedges, and Eaks had a mix of i5 and i3 O-size wedges. All three also carried Ping i5 irons. Both Stanford and Tidland are Ping staff players.
Ping's Rapture V2 driver and woods also fared well for the week. The new offering from Ping, which will be available to consumers in the fall, earned a first win for the driver from Tidland and for the fairway woods from Stanford.
MIZUNO SIGNS LEWIS: It's official - Stacy Lewis will become the first LPGA Brand Ambassador for Mizuno.
"I've used Mizuno clubs ever since my freshman year at Arkansas and have enjoyed success with them throughout my collegiate career," Lewis said. "As a professional, there was really no reason to play any other club."
Lewis had been playing Mizuno equipment and carrying a staff bag since she began her professional career. This announcement for a multi-year contract makes the relationship official.
Lewis finished in a tie for 28th at last week's Bell Micro LPGA Classic. She is trying to make enough money playing on sponsor's exemptions that she will not have to go to Qualifying School. So far, she has made $31,942 and needs to get to $120,000 to make her goal. The money she won at the U.S. Women's Open - $162,487 - does not count toward the total to earn her LPGA Tour card.
"(I'm) just trying to get the word out there about what I'm trying to do and to get the sponsors to give me the invitations to play and earn my Tour card," Lewis said.
Fans can follow Lewis' progress - and find out what events are considering giving her an exemption - at www.stacysback.com.
HYBRID SWITCH LEADS TO WIN: Nationwide Tour player Chris Tidland does have a few clubs in the bag not made by Ping. One of those was new last week: an 18-degree Adams Idea Pro Gold Boxer hybrid.
The Idea Pro Gold Boxer's shaft was a Graphite Design Tour AD YSQ model, new for this year. The shafts use a special method of weaving the graphite material, called Axial Composite Interlace (ACI) for increased stability and distance.
Adams, which has been tops on the Champions Tour hybrid count for years, now has 46 percent of all the hybrids in play on the Nationwide Tour.
SCRATCH KEEPS IT GOING: Champions Tour runner-up Tom Jenkins carried Scratch Golf forged wedges in his bag at the Greater Hickory Classic, giving the small Oregon-based company its highest-ever finish on that Tour.
Tag Ridings also carried three Scratch wedges in his T6 finish at the Boise Open for another top 10 on the Nationwide Tour.
Scratch Golf makes custom grinds from 1018 carbon steel. They are the No. 1 forged wedge on the Nationwide Tour, on the strength of wins from Kris Blanks and Rick Price this season.
