Tour success for the #1 putter in golf continues as winner uses Odyssey White Hot XG #7
CARLSBAD, Calif., May 30, 2012 – Odyssey®, the #1 Putter in Golf®, announced today that the popular Odyssey White Hot XG #7 model was used to win the prestigious BMW PGA Championship in Surrey, England on Sunday by four shots. Odyssey now leads all putter manufacturers with nine victories on the European Tour in the 2012 season, three times the amount of wins by the nearest competitor. Odyssey putters have been put in play more than 1,043 times on the European Tour this season, accounting for 45.3 percent of overall player usage-more than double that of the nearest competitor. In addition, Odyssey putters have won 48.5 percent of the total prize money handed out on the European Tour, also more than double the closest competitor.
“The #7 model has been in our lineup since 2006 and its success on the world’s tours and in the marketplace is symbolic of who we are as a company,” said Chris Koske, Global Director of Odyssey Golf. “Our designers are asked to push the envelope of convention and innovation to create putters that perform. That performance is paid off every Sunday with a model that has quickly become the favorite among Odyssey users across the world, both on tour and at your local golf course.”
In 2012, Odyssey Golf, the putter brand for Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY), continues to build on its legacy of resounding success on professional tours around the world. At the BMW Championship, an Odyssey putter was in the hands of not only the winner, but 68 of the 150 players in the field (or 45 percent). In fact, Odyssey putters won 61.2 percent of the prize money at Wentworth Club.
This week, 11 players in England chose to play a model from Odyssey’s new Metal-X™ line of putters, which feature a lightweight aluminum face in front of a urethane backer layer. The Metal-X putter line has caught on quickly since its launch on tour in late 2011. From January 1 – May 28, 2012, Metal-X models have been put in play 343 times across all six major professional golf tours. On the PGA Tour alone, a Metal-X model has been used in tournament play 65 times since the year began.
Ten of the top-25 players in the PGA Tour’s new statistical category Strokes Gained – Putting are using an Odyssey putter. (Strokes Gained – Putting was introduced in 2011 and takes into account putting proficiency from various distances, computing the difference between a player’s performance on every green-the number of strokes needed to hole out-against the performance of the other players for each round.) This season Odyssey has racked up another four victories on the PGA Tour, including a win by longtime Odyssey staffer Phil Mickelson at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. At this week’s first major of the season on the Champions Tour, the Senior PGA Championship, 47 players had an Odyssey putter in their bag. No other putter manufacturer had more than 35 putters in play.
“When you have products as successful as Odyssey putters have been in terms of design, function and results with players across global tours, it’s easy to understand why tour professionals continue to rely on them,” said Nick Raffaele, VP, Global Sports Marketing, Callaway Golf. “Odyssey putters are designed to deliver better alignment, consistent speed and pace of the putt, which all add up to strokes gained in putting. It doesn’t take much to convince tour professionals to use Odyssey putters when the product is backed up with results like No. 1 in usage, No. 1 in Top-10s, and No. 1 in wins.”
Since 2005 Odyssey putters have been the world’s leader in tour wins, tour usage and top tens around the globe. Odyssey insert putters-such as Metal-X-have captured 35 percent of the world’s majors, 30 percent of the world’s wins, 30 percent of its usage and 30 percent of its top tens.
References: Darrell Survey Co. and Sports Marketing Surveys, Inc.
About Callaway Golf
Through an unwavering commitment to innovation, Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) creates products and services designed to make every golfer a better golfer. Callaway Golf Company manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories, under the Callaway Golf® and Odyssey® brands in more than 110 countries worldwide. For more information please visit www.callawaygolf.com or shop.callawaygolf.com.
Contact:
Tim Sweeney
Callaway Golf Company
Tim.Sweeney@CallawayGolf.com
760-804-4017
