JUPITER, Florida (March 23, 2016) – Golphin Ltd. (www.golphin.com), an award-winning Scottish-based company which designs and manufactures specialized golf equipment for children, has partnered with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). The new partnership will enhance the junior-golf instructional initiatives provided by LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (LPGA T&PC) and will offer Golphin a unique opportunity to support junior golf in concert with the LPGA.
“As we continue to expand our commitment to children’s golf in the U.S. and worldwide, we are pleased to announce our partnership with the LPGA and its outstanding instructional programs,” said Calum McPherson, founder and managing director of Golphin.
Golphin will display its specialized lines of junior-golf equipment at the LPGA Regional Pro-Am, Stroke Play and Conference to be held in Las Vegas Oct. 28-31. Golphin clubs will be utilized during LPGA Tour Junior Clinics, beginning at the Kia Classic, in Carlsbad, Calif., on Saturday, March 26, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Golphin clubs have been provided to select LPGA T&CP members who specialize in teaching children, with excellent results.
“We are excited to utilize the Golphin line of golf clubs for juniors three to twelve years old,” said LPGA Chief Teaching Officer Nancy Henderson. “The Golphin products will assist us as we encourage young juniors at LPGA tour clinics and at several LPGA T&CP events this year to learn the sport.
“When teaching young juniors, it is critical for them to see immediate success when they first attempt to learn to play. This positive response ultimately will affect the chances of them returning to learn more and engaging with the sport for life.”
About the LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association is one of the longest-running women’s professional sports associations in the world. Founded in 1950, the organization has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of golf. The LPGA Tour and the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals (T&CP) comprise the backbone of what has become the premier women’s professional sports organization in the world today. The LPGA maintains a strong focus on charity through: it tournaments; its grassroots junior and women’s programs; and the formation of the LPGA Foundation. The LPGA is under the guidance of Commissioner Michael Whan and is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla.
About Golphin
Golphin, founded in 2012 in Scotland, the Home of Golf, was inspired by Calum McPherson having observed his son’s difficulty playing golf with cut-down clubs and having set a goal to make golf more enjoyable for juniors. Research and development in 2012 led to the design of prototype equipment in 2013, and Golphin was launched officially in 2014 at the Scottish Golf Show.
Golphin clubs, designed to benefit children ages three through 12, were developed in partnership with PGA Professionals and the biomechanical department at Strathclyde University, in Glasgow, using technology transfer from the aerospace industry. They are 22% lighter and 35% larger than most junior golf clubs, making it easier for players to swing, control and hit. A radial profile was added to the sole of the clubs to provide greater forgiveness for differing lie angles and to accommodate children’s various address positions and heights.
The GFK line of Golphin product selections is based on the height of each individual child. The model numbers correspond to the appropriate age ranges (i.e., “GFK324″ corresponds to children ages three to four, approximately). GFK 324 clubs are for children 39-43.5″ tall; GFK 526 clubs are for children 43.5-48″ tall; GFK 728 clubs are for children 48-52.5″ tall; and GFK910 clubs are for children 52.5-57” tall.
The Golphin Coaches Pack, designed for teaching professionals to provide equipment for potential new golfers at clinics and lessons, consists of 14 clubs: four high-loft drivers, six 7 irons, two “Swedgers” and two putters – including several left-handed clubs. Individual GFK sets include one driver, one 7 iron, one “Swedger” and one putter.
Golphin has a powerful strategy known as “Beginners to Winners,” with GFK specifically designed for beginners and Golphin Advanced (to be launched in May 2016) designed for junior golfers who aspire to elite performance. Golphin Advanced clubs will be for children ages seven through 12.
Recognized for its outstanding concept and designs, Golphin won two prestigious awards in 2015: the inaugural Scottish Sports Business Innovation Awards, presented in March in Glasgow, Scotland; and the 2015 HSBC Golf Innovation Award, presented at the HSBC Golf Business Forum in November in Shanghai, China. Also, Golphin was selected by the R&A for inclusion in its Swingzone area at the 2015 Open Championship, played at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland.
Duncan Weir, director of golf development for the R&A, said, “The high quality and versatility of the Golphin GFK range is very impressive. It is certainly well geared for getting youngsters into golf and helping to address the undoubted participation issues the sport is currently facing.”
The McPherson family has a rich heritage in golf-club design and manufacturing, with over 50 years of experience, spanning back to the 1960s when the family business manufactured club heads for various brands, including John Letters, Wilson and Ryder. Its latest innovation is a hybrid of golf and aerospace technologies – hence Golphin’s capability of helping kids get the ball airborne quickly.
For more information, see www.golphin.com.
Contact:
Sally J. Sportsman
407-248-1144
sjsport@earthlink.net
