August 24, 2010; Phoenix, Arizona: A win at the Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour is the fifth worldwide victory in seven weeks for the new PING® S56™ irons, PING Chairman & CEO John Solheim announced today.
It marked the S56’s fourth title since being used by Louis Oosthuizen to win last month’s British Open. Since its introduction on the various tours around the world, more than 20 players have switched to the new irons. In five of the last six PGA Tour events, it has been PING’s most-used model.
“The S56 iron is off to a remarkable start,” said Solheim. “To have this many wins, including a major championship, so soon after its introduction is the ultimate in product validation. It has really caught on with the players and continues to do so as other players witness the success it’s having. We’re seeing a steady transition to the S56 irons from a lot of players around the world.”
The players-style iron was introduced at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where three players put it in play immediately, including PING pro Gregory Havret, who finished runner-up, one shot off the winning score. Two weeks later at the Alstom Open de France, PING pro Miguel Angel Jimenez earned the distinction of being the first player to win with the new S56 irons.
Following Oosthuizen’s major victory at St. Andrews, PING pros Hunter Mahan and Bill Lunde relied on the new irons to sweep a pair of PGA Tour events on the same weekend, with wins at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the Turning Stone Resort Championship, respectively.
The blade-style iron features a 17-4 stainless steel body with variable tungsten toe weighting to optimize the center of gravity in each iron for added control. Stabilizing bars in each iron vary in width to improve overall performance and versatility. They are narrower in the long irons for faster ball speeds and wider in the mid- and short-irons to generate more penetrating and controlled trajectories.
The S56 irons (3-9, PW) will be available at golf shops worldwide in mid-September.
Contact:
Pete Samuels (602) 687-5487
