New Host, New Approach
Tune in for a whole new format on The GOLF CHANNEL’s The Approach with Callaway Golf. The Player, Andrew Magee, and Stats Guy, Alex Miceli, make their picks for each week’s events and look back at the previous winners, while new host Kraig Kann keeps ‘em both honest and on their toes. You’ll get insightful commentary and straightforward opinion that’s spiced with plenty of attitude. Watch The Approach With Callaway Golf every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET.
Sorenstam Schools the Next Generation
This spring, Callaway Golf Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam spent part of her practice time at the Safeway International with Pontus Widegren and Louise Larsson, two top junior golfers from Sweden. The women are 2008 recipients of the Annika Sorenstam Golf Scholarship, launched five years ago to inspire young golfers to improve their games and prepare for the future as players and individuals. Each year, recipients come to the Safeway International, practice with Sorenstam and experience an LPGA event up-close. This year, they even played in the pro-am event. Recipients also visit a few colleges in the U.S. to get an idea of what college level golf is like – Widegren and Larsson both looked at the University of Arizona and Arizona State University. Sorenstam, an ASU alum, said she was pulling for the Wildcats!
Callaway Golf and St Andrews Logo Accessories
Callaway Golf has teamed with St Andrews Links to develop a dual-branded line of golf accessories. The groundbreaking partnership puts the world famous St Andrews Links logo on a range of Callaway Golf products. Your purchase of official merchandise will contribute directly to the preservation and maintenance St Andrews Links, including the historic Old Course. Official St Andrews Links products by Callaway Golf include golf balls, putters, wedges, golf bags, headcovers, umbrellas, golf towels, divot tools, headwear and luggage. Look for them worldwide, in your favorite pro shop and, of course, at St Andrews, the Home of Golf.
Fit for You and The King!
If you’re anywhere near New Jersey on June 3, here’s your chance to see Arnold Palmer in person. Callaway Golf plans to double the number of state-of-the-art Callaway Performance Centers (CPCs) from nine to 20 by the year 2010 – and golf legend Arnold Palmer is lending his famous face and swing to the effort. Palmer, a longtime Callaway Golf staff professional, will be at the newly refurbished Callaway Performance Center at Neshanic Valley Golf Course in Neshanic Station, NJ, on Tuesday, June 3 to greet fans and media.
No two golf swings are the same, and Callaway Performance Centers offer each golfer an opportunity to have their equipment personalized to fit their individual needs. The patented Callaway Performance Analysis System, used to custom fit Tour Professionals like Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Annika Sorenstam, employs two high-speed cameras and ball-flight simulators, while a computer monitor displays an analysis of each golfer’s launch conditions—ball speed, launch angle and spin rates. In addition, the system measures the path angle and the golfer’s angle of attack to the ball, utilizing 3D imagery and precision software designed by Callaway Golf’s world-renowned R&D department.
Callaway Golf’s proprietary OptiFit Fitting System technology allows golfers to test a myriad of shaft and clubhead combinations quickly and efficiently. Never before have everyday golfers been able to employ such high-tech equipment to improve their performance and enjoyment on the golf course.
Throughout his legendary career, Palmer shaped his own unique swing into a force that ultimately led to seven major championships, including four Masters titles. Along the way he worked tirelessly to improve his skills as a player and as a club maker, constantly crafting the perfect clubs to match his evolving game. “If I had access to Callaway Golf’s high-tech equipment during my competitive career, there’s no telling what I could have accomplished,” Palmer says.
In May, Callaway Golf opened another Performance Center at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club with the help of Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam. "This is where you come down to the numbers, when you see your efficiency," she says. "In my profession, when you choose a driver, it's coming down to yards. You really want to make sure you get the most out of it and you want to make sure it's going to be precise. If I don't hit fairways, I cannot play."
See for yourself how innovative, advanced fitting technology can change your game. Formerly known as “Authorized Performance Centers,” a listing with locations of Callaway Golf’s Performance Center locations can be found at www.callawaygolf.com/fitting.
Speaking of winning and Arnold Palmer …
David Thomas of Midland Country Club has won the 2008 Arnold Palmer Award presented by Callaway Golf or NJCAA Division I Golf. The award is presented each year to the national championship medalist in men’s golf in NCAA Divisions I, II, III and NAIA and NJCAA Divisions I and II. Thomas claimed his individual title by four strokes and led Midland to an eight-stroke victory for the team title.
A Number to Shoot For
You’ve heard that golfers are a superstitious lot. Some insist on maintaining the same routine and eating the same meals every tournament day, and many carry good luck talismans, or mark their golf balls in a distinct way. What about Callaway Golf Staff Pro Annika Sorenstam? She does pack a lucky horseshoe around in her golf bag, but there’s no need to mark her golf balls. As the only woman to have shot 59 in a professional tournament round of golf, the rare and magical numeral is stamped on each of Sorenstam’s Tour i Series Golf Balls. “I’m the only one,” Sorenstam says. “That’s the beauty of it.”
Golf Opportunities for Women
The Executive Women’s Golf Association Championship Presented by Callaway Golf puts your game to the test and creates an opportunity for personal growth in a competitive yet fun environment. Members of all skill levels with an official USGA handicap index are encouraged to participate. There are three stages:
- One 18-hole qualifying event at the local Chapter level
- One 18-hole District Semi-Final Championship held at 15 venues across the United States.
- 2008 Championship Finals: A two-day, 36-hole event September 26-27, 2008 at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Ore.
The Championship offers two different competitive formats: Stroke Play and Inter-Chapter Team Scramble Competition. You can select the competitive format that best fits your game, personality and skill level. To learn more, log on to www.ewga.com.