Callaway Golf Magazine
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CALLAWAYISSUE 18 • WINTER 2008 • WWW.CALLAWAYGOLF.COM GOLF MAGAZINE TAKING ITS DESIGN LEAD FROM A LAMBORGHINI AND A FIGHTER JET, THE NEW FT-IQ DRIVER DELIVERS BLISTERING BALL SPEED AND UNBEATABLE ACCURACY DRIVE YOUR LIFE > ANNIKA SORENSTAM WHY THE TIME IS RIGHT TO WALK > JOHNNY MILLER AWAY FROM COMPETITIVE GOLF GOLF DESERVES A SHOT AT AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WELCOME EDITor’s letter rom day one, Callaway Golf has always been committed to doing whatever it takes to be the best. In 1993, Ely Callaway recognized a similar quality in a 23-year-old by the name of Annika Sorenstam. Although she was shy and soft spoken, Ely Callaway saw a steely determination in the young woman’s eyes and instantly signed her as a Staff Professional. Within a year, Sorenstam had won the U.S. Women’s Open. F Callaway Golf and Sorenstam have been inseparable partners ever since. After a stellar career that has seen her win 10 major championships and more than 70 tournaments worldwide, Sorenstam retires at the end of this year. But that doesn’t mean you’ve seen the last of her in Callaway Golf Magazine. On the contrary, Sorenstam will remain a Staff Professional and the Company will continue Flying Phil Air to support her new life and business ventures, including her ANNIKA Academy in During the week of the Barclays Scottish Open, Orlando, Fla. In an exclusive interview on page 16, Sorenstam talks candidly about Callaway Golf Staff Professional Phil Mickelson was scheduled to have lunch with 10 lucky sweepstakes how she’s preparing for her exciting new life away from the fairways. winners at the prestigious Loch Lomond Golf Club in Like great athletes, successful companies never stand still either. It would have Scotland. On late notice, Lefty received an invitation been easy for Callaway Golf’s engineers to rest on their laurels after building the to play a practice round at Royal Birkdale. What to pioneering FT-i Driver, but that’s not in the Company’s DNA. Taking its design lead do? He dispatched his shiny, new 14-seat Gulfstream from the sleek contours of a Lamborghini sports car and the F-22 fighter jet, the new jet to Glasgow Airport to pick up his guests and FT-iQ Driver incorporates the ground-breaking Fusion and Hyperbolic Face whisked them down to Liverpool for the day. Technologies in one powerful package, making it the After a 40-minute VIP flight in “Phil Air,” the guests Company’s best performing driver ever. We take you met Mickelson on the first tee and received a chipping and wedge lesson. They later enjoyed lunch with behind the scenes to see the development of this new Mickelson, his caddie, Jim “Bones” McKay and golf club on page 26 and introduce you to the key short-game guru Dave Pelz. designers, each of whom shares Ely Callaway and “The surprise trip on Phil’s private jet made a special Annika Sorenstam’s desire to be the best. day even more memorable,” said Neil Howie, managing director of Callaway Golf Europe. “If these golfers were wondering what it was like to live the jet-set lifestyle of a top tour pro, they have a pretty good idea now.” The sweepstakes winners also received a set of NICK WRIGHT Editor-in-Chief custom-fit Callaway Golf clubs, including an FT-5 or FT-i Driver, two fairway woods, a golf bag and a cap. Honoring Helmstetter Richard C. Helmstetter, designer of the original Big Bertha Driver, was recently honored for his contributions to the Pro Kids organization, founded in 1994 to help positively impact the lives of inner-city kids through golf, education, character development and life skills. The Callaway Golf Foundation made the founding grant to initi- ate the program and is pledging a further $2 million to support the opening of a second site in Oceanside, Calif. Helmstetter has been instrumental in the Callaway Golf Foundation’s partnership with the group. These days, the man known around the Callaway Golf campus simply as “RCH” puts his innovative mind to work as president of a private charitable foundation and consults Pacific Rim companies on cultural literacy. WINTER 2008 CALLAWAY GOLF 3 LETTERS YOUR LETTERS Write to Callaway Golf Magazine, 2180 Rutherford Road, Carlsbad, Calif., 92008-7328, or to [email protected]. Submissions should include your full name, address and daytime phone number. All submissions become the property of Callaway Golf and will not be returned. Please do not send creative ideas, original materials, or suggestions relating to products or marketing plans. believe how they performed. given me this type of confidence. how far I am now hitting my Children like Ben face enormous and The Mack Daddy Grooves I’m now wondering what the drives. This driver definitely perform better than rest of Callaway Golf’s products keeps you in the fairway! often insurmountable challenges. They any other wedge I’ve can do for my game! Callaway Golf is the only choice need and deserve all the attention and played – and I’ve LUC MIRON for me – and always will be. tried them all. CARPENTERSVILLE, IL ART BUCCINO support we can give them. I didn’t think ST. PETERSBURG, FL it was possible to HYPER X TO spin the ball that THE RESCUE! HOME IS WHERE much around the I have been playing golf for THE HEART IS ERNIE SPEAKS Ball! I have noticed a great green. I’ve trusted 10 years, and I still use my It was great to see that family FOR AUTISM improvement in my game your products for original X-12 Irons. I recently is important to Phil Mickelson Thanks to Callaway Golf and around the greens, and my over 15 years. noticed I was struggling to hit in last issue’s “The Next One’s Ernie Els for shining a spotlight shots are tracking and holding I can’t wait to see what my drives 200 yards. I play 36 for Dad” feature. My youngest on these kids who can’t speak better, too. Thanks for your you come up with next. holes every Friday, so I needed son has been interested in golf for themselves. The adorable great technology in this lower ROBERT ALLEN to figure out the problem.T hat’s since he started taking lessons pictures of Ernie and Ben from compression ball. BRANDON, MS when my pro let me demo a at age 13. your last issue (left) tell JOE LOWREY ThE INCREDIBLE 9.5-degree Hyper X Tour Driver Over the years, he played on America that this disability is PHOENIXVILLE, PA X-FORGED WEDGE! JUST PERFECT for my afternoon round. his high school golf team and an invisible one. Children like I’ve been a proud owner of FOR MY STROKE On my third drive, my ball has now entered the career field Ben face enormous and often X-Tour Irons for three years, so When I started looking at buying finished 70 yards farther than of golf course management. He insurmountable challenges when the new X-Forged Wedges a new putter, I realized that as my morning round tee shot. serves as assistant superinten- A LITTLE LOB WEDGE Pre-Owned. I went home and every day. They need and were launched, I just had to try a lefty my options were limited. I continued to clobber the ball dent at the site for this year’s GOES A LONG WAY! ordered a set of Great Big Bertha deserve all the attention and them. As a left-handed, single- Then I saw Phil Mickelson win on all the driving holes. I bought BMW tournament in St. Louis, Last year I needed a new lob Tungsten-Titanium Irons. support we can give them. digit handicap, it can be a with his new Odyssey White Hot the driver online that night and Mo. I’m sure he looks forward wedge, so I went to my local golf I just won my Club Champi- JAYNE THURBER-SMITH challenge finding the equipment XG #9 Putter. had my new stick in three days. to running into Phil Mickelson shop and found a used Great Big onship with these wonderful CHESAPEAKE, VA I need, especially wedges. I purchased an XG #9, and its I would not part with this on his course in the future. Bertha Tungsten-Titanium irons. My victory came on the The first time I played with soft feel and weight are perfect club for anything and my MIKE PRANGE 60-degree lob wedge and headed first hole of sudden death with a MY FIRST the X-Forged Wedges, I couldn’t for my stroke. No putter has ever playing partners can’t believe FLORISSANT, MO out onto the green. birdie from the greenside bunker HOLE-IN-ONE! After a few rounds, I thought with, you guessed it, my For over 20 years, I played I would check to see if I could Callaway Golf lob wedge! Titleist golf balls, until recently PRIZE LETTER pick up the rest of the set. That’s MarK STILLINGS when I had my first hole-in-one when I found Callaway Golf SAVANNAH, GA with a Callaway Golf Big Bertha FEELS GREAT, PLAYS GREAT really allow the club to do its job. After my sixth knee operation, my surgeon I immediately saw awesome results. I am ISSUE 18 WINTER 2008 suggested a change in equipment to help me now swinging slower, hitting the ball straighter ART DIRECTOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS get back to pain-free golfing. I was surprised, and with much more consistency.