November 17, 2010; Phoenix, Arizona — Two more wins last weekend on the LPGA and Sunshine Tours gave the new PING® S56™ irons 12 victories worldwide since the players’ style model first arrived on Tour in late June, the company announced today.
The wins have come in eight countries, including the United States (4 wins), France (2), Switzerland (1), Scotland (1), Spain (1), South Africa (1), Mexico (1) and Singapore (1).
“We’ve never seen such instant acceptance and success for a new product on Tour,” said PING Chairman & CEO John Solheim. “We’re extremely pleased so many players have switched and seen immediate results. Our Tour reps are getting a lot of requests for the S56 irons right now from players all over the world. We’re more than happy to accommodate all the requests.”
PING pro In-Kyung (I.K.) Kim was the first to win on the LPGA Tour with the S56 irons last week at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. The 22-year-old South Korean fired a final-round 64 for a record-setting 19-under total. The winner of the BMG Classic on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa last weekend also relied on the new irons, putting them in the bag for the first time only hours before the first round.
In a remarkable gesture, Kim donated her $220,000 winner’s check to two charities, including $110,000 to the Lorena Ochoa Foundation.
“When I read that I.K. had donated all of her winnings, I was touched by her incredible generosity,” said Solheim. “She was inspired to make the donation after meeting some of the children who attend a school set up by Lorena and her foundation. We’re proud to be associated with players like I.K. and Lorena who recognize the opportunity they have to give back to the game.”
More than 40 Tour players worldwide have switched to the S56 irons since they debuted at Pebble Beach during the U.S. Open. Three PING professionals, including Gregory Havret and Louis Oosthuizen, put the new irons straight in the bag that week. Havret went on to place second, finishing one shot back. A month later, Oosthuizen dominated the British Open, winning by seven shots using the S56 irons. Three of the victories have come on the PGA Tour, where the new irons became the most-used model of any PING iron by the end of the season.
Contact:
Pete Samuels (602) 687-5487.
