Orlando, FL – Thirteen-year-old phenom, Dakoda Dowd, has received one of the two sponsor’s exemptions to the inaugural Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open being held this weekend, April 24-30th at the Reunion Resort & Club in Orlando, Florida. The youngster from Palm Harbor, FL, will be playing her first professional tournament against an esteemed 144-player field, which includes the No.1-ranked LPGA Tour player Annika Sorenstam.
Dowd, searching for a little more confidence and consistency on the greens last November, asked her custom club builders, Golfing by Design, what they would recommend. They showed her a couple of putters from the only line they carry, Rife Putters. She fell in love with the new GR6 Aussie Blade putter, immediately put it into play, and has been winning with it ever since. At just thirteen years of age, Dowd is already an extremely accomplished player. Winning over 185 junior tournaments, she is the nation’s top-ranked female player in the 2011 graduating class. In 2005, as a sixth-grader, she was the No. 2 player on the golf team at Northside Christian High and helped her team win its first state title.
However, her success has come at a time when she is facing a heartbreaking and difficult family situation. Dowd’s mother, Kelly Jo, learned earlier this year that the breast cancer she beat three years ago has returned, invading more of her body and leaving her terminally ill. The disease has spread to bone and liver cancer. The chance for Dakoda to play in an LPGA event is one of her mother’s final wishes.
"This is so exciting for me and my family," said Dowd. "Since I was a kid, my mom has always dreamed of seeing me play with the really great golfers like Annika Sorenstam and Cristie Kerr. With this opportunity, she’ll finally have a chance to see this dream come true."
"All of us at Rife Putters are simply in awe of Dakoda," said Matthew Molloy, COO & CFO of Rife Putters. "Not just because of her talent, but more importantly because of her amazing ability to keep things in perspective despite all that is going on around her right now. She is an amazing young girl and we support her, KJ and Michael’s efforts to bring joy and lasting memories to those that suffer from terminal breast cancer and their families. I hope Dakoda’s story encourages people to visit the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation website at www.makingmemories.org, it’s a wonderful organization. The Dowd family’s courage and compassion is an inspiration to us all."
About Rife Putters
Rife Putters have found their way into the bags of several top Tour players on the PGA, LPGA, Champions, European and Nationwide Tours this season and their usage numbers continue to increase each week. Dana Quigley, The 2005 Champions Tour Player Of The Year, finished 1st on The Money Leaders List 2nd on The Charles Schwab Cup Points List with his Rife Two Bar putter in hand last season.
Rife Putters, LLC is the true innovator behind horizontal grooved face putter technology with a patent on specifically sized grooves since 1997. These precisely spaced grooves allow the putter to gently press into the cover of the ball and grip and lift it into an instant forward roll. Guerin Rife states, "just as grooves in irons help control spin so do grooves in a putter face." Other companies are now trying to imitate this patented technology but the spacing of the grooves is the true key to the gripping and lifting effect of grooved face putter technology. Horizontal RollGroove faced putters create the truest "no skid" roll in golf no matter where you hit the ball on the putter face.
For more information on Rife Putters or their product lineup for 2006 visit their website at www.guerinrife.com.
Media members interested in testing a Rife putter for an editorial review should contact Joe Wieczorek: joe@themediagroupinc.com or Bart Henyan: bart@themediagroupinc.com of The Media Group at (847) 956-9090.
Contact:
Joe Wieczorek
The Media Group, Inc.
(847) 956-9090
E-mail: joe@themediagroupinc.com
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