Pre-Tournament Adjustment to RAZR Fit Driver Leads to First Professional Win
CARLSBAD, Calif., April 30, 2012 – Callaway Golf Company (NYSE: ELY) Staff Professional Luke List used his remarkable driving distance to blow by the field and win his first career professional title on Sunday at the Nationwide Tour’s South Georgia Classic Presented by First State Bank and Trust Company. List, a 27-year-old graduate of Vanderbilt University who uses a full bag of Callaway equipment, won by two shots while averaging 329 yards off the tee with his Callaway RAZR Fit driver and HEX Black Tour golf ball. He shot 67-68-69-68 to finish the tournament at 16-under-par. Over the final two rounds, he averaged an unbelievable 346 yards off the tee on the Nationwide Tour’s longest course (7,781 yards). “It feels fantastic,” List said after his win. “It’s hard to describe. People always say it hasn’t really sunk in yet and I think that’s the case.”
In addition to his RAZR FIT driver (8.5 degrees) and HEX Black Tour golf ball, List uses a RAZR Fit 3-Wood, an X-Tour 2-iron, RAZR X Muscle Back irons (4-9), X-Forged Wedges (48, 52, 56 and 60 degrees), and the Odyssey White Hot XG #7 belly putter.
“I made an equipment change leading into this year, and to drive the ball as far as I have been driving it and get the scoring around the greens with the golf ball that I’m using, I really feel that I have an advantage on other players,” List added. “When you make these changes during your career and have the results of solid play and a win, it makes you feel good about your progress.”
Prior to the tournament, List worked with Callaway’s Nationwide Tour Rep to make a slight change to his RAZR Fit driver-Callaway’s first fully adjustable driver, which features an adjustable cog that allows players to adjust the face angle and movable weights that alter ball flight characteristics. List asked the Callaway rep to open the face of his driver slightly, so the two made a small cog adjustment prior to his practice round early in the week. The results were obvious; with List’s caddie reporting back that Luke was bombing the driver.
For the season, List is using his RAZR Fit driver to lead the Nationwide Tour in average driving distance at 323 yards, 10 yards longer than the next longest hitter. With the win, he moved into second place on the Nationwide Tour’s Money List.
“Since Luke joined the Callaway family at the beginning of the 2012 season, we’ve worked hard to complement his impressive talent with the right clubs to fit his game,” said Nick Raffaele, Vice President, Global Sports Marketing, Callaway Golf. “He has tremendous upside as a young professional and this win demonstrates that Callaway and Luke have the right game plan for more future success.”
List is one of a handful of young players on the Callaway tour staff that has shown impressive results in 2012. Just last week, the Company announced the signing of reigning U.S. Amateur Champion Kelly Kraft, who made his professional debut at the Valero Texas Open. In recent years, the Callaway PGA Tour staff has added 25-year-old rookie Sang-Moon Bae from Korea, 2008 U.S. Amateur Champion Danny Lee, 2011 Nationwide Tour Money List winner J.J. Killeen and 2007 U.S. Amateur Champion Colt Knost.
In Europe, 23-year-old Callaway staff pro Branden Grace picked up his third title of the season last weekend at the Volvo China Open, becoming just the second player to win three times in a season after graduating through Qualifying School. The South African is joined on Callaway’s European Tour staff by 20-year-old Argentine Emiliano Grillo, the second-youngest player on the European Tour, and 22-year-old Italian Andrea Pavan, a former Texas A&M standout.
Also on Sunday, Ernie Els nearly made it a two-win weekend for the Callaway tour staff. The Big Easy finished second at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He carded rounds of 66-68-68-67 to finish the week at 19-under-par and earn his way into a playoff that he lost on the second extra hole. In his last five PGA Tour starts, Els has finished tied for 12th or better four times, including three top-five finishes.
Like List did in his Nationwide Tour victory, Els used the RAZR Fit Driver (8.5 degrees) and the HEX Black Tour golf ball. He also used the X-Tour 15-degree fairway wood, X 5-wood, RAZR X Muscle Back irons (3-PW), X-Series JAWS Wedges (52 and 60 degrees), and the Odyssey White Hot XG #1 Belly putter. As he has done all season, Els wore the Callaway Del Mar shoes.
About Callaway Golf
Through an unwavering commitment to innovation, Callaway Golf Company (NYSE:ELY) creates products and services designed to make every golfer a better golfer. Callaway Golf Company manufactures and sells golf clubs and golf balls, and sells golf apparel, footwear and accessories, under the Callaway Golf® and Odyssey® brands in more than 110 countries worldwide. For more information please visit www.callawaygolf.com or shop.callawaygolf.com.
Contact:
Tim Sweeney
Callaway Golf Company
Tim.Sweeney@CallawayGolf.com
760-804-4017
