Kuchar and Couples rely on Bridgestone en route to 2010 honors and awards
COVINGTON, GA – The 2010 professional golf season will be one to remember, as the world welcomed a new #1, saw a crop of rising young stars challenge for some of the most prestigious titles in golf, and witnessed a decline like none other before it. Amidst all this, fan favorites and Bridgestone Tour Team members, Matt Kuchar and Fred Couples achieved career years on the PGA TOUR and Champions TOUR, respectively.
Relying on Bridgestone’s TOUR B330-S prototype golf ball and J38 driver, irons and wedges, Kuchar displayed unparalleled scoring consistency throughout the season carding 20 Top 25 finishes (11 Top 10s) in the 26 events in which he played. Kuchar’s incredible play netted him his first-ever Byron Nelson Award for lowest scoring average on TOUR with an impressive season-long scoring average of 69.61. Perhaps equally as extraordinary, Kuchar’s #1 ranking in the 2010 PGA TOUR stats’ All-Around ranking, helped propel him to #1 on the Money List with $4,910,477 in earnings, securing his first ever Arnold Palmer Award. Kuchar’s awesome season left him #2 in the FedExCup standings and #11 in the Official World Rankings.
“For me to go from a guy that just wanted to keep his card a few years ago, to winning the Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer Awards, along with a chance to win the FedExCup, is pretty overwhelming,” said Kuchar. “I owe credit to so many people, but certainly a great deal of it goes to my instructor, Chris O’Connell. Since we started working together in 2006, I’ve only gotten better. “My new swing and my new Bridgestone equipment had me knocking the stew out of the ball this year. I was hitting it longer and straighter and as a result I was able to be more aggressive on the weekends. I can’t wait to see what 2011 brings. It will be hard to duplicate 2010, but I sure look forward to trying.”
Couples Creates Sonic Boom with All-Time Record on Champions Tour
On the Champions Tour, the Bridgestone Golf Tour Team racked up additional accolades, as Fred Couples utilized his first full-season on the over 50 circuit to set the all-time record for single season low scoring average with an unfathomable 67.96 over 48 rounds, garnering his first-ever Byron Nelson Award. The previous low-scoring average on the Champions Tour was 68.58, set by Hale Irwin in1998.
“With all of the great players out here, you just can’t come out and expect to dominate from the get go, so I am excited to have had a great first year on the Champions Tour,” said Couples. “This year was awesome, but next year, I already have my sights set on the Charles Schwab Cup trophy. My swing feels great, so now I am looking forward to a little break, and then starting 2011 off on the right foot. ”
In 2010, Couples won an incredible 4 times in 17 tries, and recorded a mind-blowing 13 Top 10 finishes on the Champions Tour. Couples’ performance with Bridgestone’s TOUR B330 golf ball and J38 Dual Pocket Cavity irons earned him 2nd place in the 2010 Charles Schwab Cup Standings with $2,344,894 in earnings.
“Between the success of Fred and Matt, I can honestly say the Bridgestone Golf tour team has never had a season like this ever before,” said Dan Murphy – Vice President of Marketing, Bridgestone Golf, Inc. “Better yet, we believe these guys are just getting started. We can’t wait to see what 2011 has in store for Kuch and Fred. We’re honored to have played a small part in their career seasons and look forward to many great things to come.”
For information on all of the Bridgestone equipment Kuchar and Couples have relied on in their career best 2010 seasons, visit www.bridgestonegolf.com.
About Bridgestone Golf
Bridgestone Golf, Inc., based in Covington, GA, manufactures and markets premium golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Bridgestone and Precept brand names. Bridgestone is represented on a world stage by a number of internationally famed golfers including Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Nick Price and Brandt Snedeker. Bridgestone Golf, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., whose headquarters are in Tokyo. For more information visit http://www.bridgestonegolf.com.
Contact:
Jared Kelowitz
jaredk@jdpr.com
JDPR
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