PHOENIX (June 5, 2013) – South African sensation Brandon Stone, who finished T2 in the 2013 NCAA Division 1 men’s championship before turning pro, has signed an agreement to play PING equipment, PING Chairman & CEO John A. Solheim announced today.
Stone, 20, will play his first event as a professional at the European Tour’s BMW International Open in Germany on June 20th. He turned pro after a distinguished freshman season at the University of Texas. He was the 2013 Big 12 Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year, the NCAA Freshman of the Year, the Big 12 Conference individual champion, and a PING First Team All American. He was the #2 collegiate men’s golfer, as ranked by Golfweek magazine. In the past four years, in his native country and the U.S., he has amassed 18 victories.
“Brandon is a wonderful example of a young man coming up through PING’s amateur program, which reaches into every corner of the world to identify and develop talent,” Solheim said. “Our South African distributor, Doug Vilas, has had a connection with the Stone family for many years, so there’s a comfort level with Brandon that we feel contributes to his success. He has incredible skills, but on top of that he has a great work ethic, and his determination makes him very tough to beat. Yet with all of his early success, he has a good head on his shoulders. He’s well-grounded. We look forward to continuing our relationship and giving him what he needs to achieve his goals.”
Stone, a 5’11” native of Pretoria, South Africa said PING is the only brand of clubs he’s ever played, so to be an official staff player feels like a natural step. “Becoming a pro golfer is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a young boy, but to be honest I know the next year is going to bring a lot of change for me,” he said. “So the more stability I can have, the better off I’ll be. PING has supported me for years and I know they’ll help make the transition as smooth as possible. I’m excited to compete with the best players in the world and to be an official member of the PING family.”
As part of a multi-year agreement, Stone will wear a PING hat, carry a PING staff bag and play a minimum of 11 PING clubs, including a PING driver and PING putter. Financial terms and the length of the agreement were not disclosed.
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