(BW)(CA-CALLAWAY-GOLF-CO)(ELY) Odyssey Golf Putters Dominate World of Professional Golf; Used by 5 of 6 Winners in Major International Tour Events
Business Editors/Sports Editors/Golf Writers
CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2005--Putters made by Odyssey(R) Golf, a brand of Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY), were used by five of the six professional tournament winners in events concluded yesterday on the six recognized major international tours.
The winning percentage of 83% further solidified Odyssey's position as the dominant putter in golf.
The five victories were on:
-- The PGA Tour, where the winner of the Bank of America Colonial used a Rossie(R) 1 Putter;
-- The Champions Tour, where the winner of the Bruno's Memorial Classic used a White Hot(R) 2-Ball Blade Putter;
-- The LPGA Tour, where the winner of the Sybase Classic also used a White Hot 2-Ball Blade Putter (and where 6 of the top 10 finishers used an Odyssey putter);
-- The European PGA Tour, where the winner used a DFX(R) 2-Ball Blade Putter (and where, in addition, 6 of the top 12 finishers used an Odyssey putter);
-- The Nationwide Tour, where the winner of the Henrico County Open used a White Hot 2-Ball Putter;
Last weekend, Odyssey putters racked up nearly $2 million in winner's earnings ($1,920,821), or more than 91 percent of the total first-place purse money.
Twenty-five of the 68 golfers who finished in the Top 10 and ties (37 percent) used an Odyssey putter
Year to date, Odyssey has been a tournament winner's putter of choice 33 times, representing 43 percent of the total victories on the six major tours.
Week after week, nearly one in three professional golfers uses an Odyssey putter
The only major professional tour on which the winner used a putter other than an Odyssey this past week was the Japan Golf Tour, an Odyssey stronghold where 55 percent of all pro golfers have used an Odyssey putter this season
Sources: Sports Marketing Survey, Ltd. and Darrell Survey Company Callaway Golf Company manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf accessories, under the Callaway Golf(R), Top-Flite(R), Odyssey(R) and Ben Hogan(R) brands.
Odyssey is driven to be the #1 putter brand in the world by pushing and challenging putter convention to create magic on the green.
For more information visit www.callawaygolf.com
CONTACT: Callaway Golf Larry Dorman/Mike Galeski, 760-931-1771
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA Sports
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SPORTS PRODUCT
SOURCE: Callaway Golf Company