New Driver Uniting Flight Control Technology and Movable Weight Technology Catches Fire Fast with Tour Pros; TaylorMade Pushes Retail Delivery Date to March 6
CARLSBAD, Calif. (February 3, 2009) – TaylorMade Golf’s newR9™ driver ranked as the No. 1 driver at the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic last week with 28 in play. That, combined with the 13 in play at the PGA Tour’s FBR Open made for a total of 41 R9 drivers in play on the PGA and European tours last week.*
“The immediate acceptance of the R9 driver by tour pros in the United States and Europe is further validation of its remarkable performance,” said Chuck Presto, TaylorMade-adidas Golf’s senior vice president of sports marketing. “To have 28 drivers in play in Dubai during the R9’s first full week on the European Tour tells you that this club is something special.”
In his post-round press conference on Friday, TaylorMade-adidas Golf Tour Staff pro Sergio Garcia noted “This new driver I have, the R9 driver, it’s just amazing how well it goes. I’m not only hitting it straight, but I’m hitting it farther than I was before…”
The R9 driver debuted on the PGA Tour two weeks ago at the Bob Hope Classic, where it also ranked No. 1, with 13 in play.** Among those 13 players was TaylorMade-adidas Golf Tour Staff pro Pat Perez, who won the event.
Interest in the R9 driver, which is not yet available to the public, has spurred TaylorMade to move the retail launch date forward from March 20 to March 6. “Our early tour success has sparked quick and strong demand from consumers and retailers for the R9 and its Flight Control Technology, so much so that we’ve pushed our production schedule to get this driver to market two weeks sooner than originally planned,” said David Abeles, Senior Vice President & General Manager, TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
* Sports Marketing Surveys driver model count, Dubai Desert Classic; Darrell Survey driver model count, FBR Open
** Darrell Survey driver model count, Bob Hope Classic
About Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. dba TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company
TaylorMade Golf has led the golf industry’s technological revolution since the company was founded in 1979. TaylorMade metalwoods, irons and putters have been used to win hundreds of professional golf tournaments around the world. In 1998, TaylorMade became a wholly owned subsidiary of the adidas Group. adidas Golf creates high-performance, technology-infused golf apparel and footwear worn by hundreds of professional golfers around the world. Ashworth, which became a brand of the TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company in 2008, creates relaxed, lifestyle-oriented golf apparel synonymous with authenticity and quality. Learn more about TaylorMade-adidas Golf and its brands at (866) 530-TMAG (8624) or www.tmag.com, www.taylormadegolf.com, www.adidasgolf.com, www.ashworthinc.com, and www.taylormadegolfpreowned.com.
About the adidas Group
The adidas Group is one of the global leaders within the sporting goods industry, offering a broad range of products around three core segments such as adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade-adidas Golf. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the Group has more than 33,000 employees and sales of ?10.3 billion.
Contact:
TaylorMade-adidas Golf
Public Relations Department
Christa McNamara
Tel: 760.918.6466
email: christa.mcnamara@tmag.com
