IRVINE, Calif. – Lydia Ko began playing Proto Concept irons earlier this year at the suggestion of her personal club fitter and immediately won the 2022 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio (Jan. 30).
Today, Proto Concept Golf, which is affiliated with Golf Partner USA, announced that the 24-year-old New Zealander and the No. 3-ranked player in the world has signed an endorsement agreement to play the company’s club for the rest of 2022.
“Proto Concept Golf and Golf Partner USA are thrilled that a player as accomplished as Lydia Ko has decided to play Proto Concept irons in her pursuit of playing the best golf she can,” said Yasufumi Kawasaki, Brand Producer of Proto Concept. “Lydia began playing Proto Concept irons because she is comfortable with them and believes they will help maximize her performance. We are happy to sign her to an endorsement contract after she made that decision.”
Ko will have the Golf Partner logo on her bag, umbrella and headcovers, and both companies will have the rights to her name, image and likeness, company officials said.
Ko is the winner of 29 tournaments worldwide, including 17 on the LPGA Tour, two of which were major championships, the Evian Championship and the ANA Inspiration, now known as the Chevron Championship.
Earlier this year, the new ultra-luxury Japanese golf club designer/manufacturer burst onto the scene by having three of its products named to the Golf Digest’s 2022 Hot List for the first time. The Hot List was released Jan. 25.
Proto Concept is a collaboration between Japanese-owned Golf Partner Japan – the largest golf retailer in the world with some 400 locations – and fellow Japanese golf behemoth Endo Manufacturing, the industry standard in precision club manufacturing that is used by many of the world’s best-known OEMs. Kawasaki also is a managing executive officer of Golf Partner (www.golfpartnerusa.com).
“With Proto Concept Golf, the goal of our design team at Golf Partner is to produce the highest quality golf clubs for avid golfers of all handicaps,” Kawasaki said. “The name Proto Concept is derived from the prototype-quality clubs that are developed for tour professionals.”
Proto Concept products may be ordered online at protoconceptgolf.com and through designated green grass club fitters nationally, which can found at https://protoconceptgolf.com/pages/store-locator.
Proto Concept was established in 2019 in Tokyo, Japan and is a part of Golf Partner Co. Ltd. www.golfpartnerusa.com. Yasufumi Kawasaki is Brand Producer for Proto Concept and is a managing executive officer of Golf Partner Japan.
