Callaway Golf Staff Pro Phil Mickelson's Five-Stroke Win Highlights Super Week for Fusion Driver, Hx Tour Golf Ball

Press Release

Posted 2005-02-16

Callaway Golf (NYSE:ELY) Staff Professional Phil Mickelson roared to a five-stroke victory at the FBR Open yesterday, drawing Super Bowl like cheers from the throngs that flocked to the TPC at Scottsdale to watch their former hometown hero win his first PGA Tour event of 2005 and his first official event since the 2004 Masters.

Mickelson's 17-under-par 267 gave him his second FBR title and his 24th PGA Tour victory. His five-stroke win over fellow Callaway Golf Staff Pro Scott McCarron and 21-year-old pro Kevin Na was the largest winning margin of his career, and was set up by his course-record round of 60 on Friday and a very solid 65 Saturday that gave him a four-stroke lead going into the final round. He added a 68 to complete the last 54 holes with 19 birdies and an eagle against just two bogeys.

Mickelson used a prototype Fusion(R) Driver and prototype HX(R) Tour Golf Ball, the Company's prototype forged X-Tour Irons, Forged+ Wedges and a prototype Odyssey(R) PM Putter.

"This was the first week I've used this particular Fusion Driver prototype, and honestly I knew going in I was driving it better than I ever have," said Mickelson, who averaged nearly 308 yards off the tee. "I drove the ball a lot longer than I have in years. My driver was going 330 or 340 this week. At the 14th hole, I thought, `I want to chip a driver; I don't want to hit it that hard, just want to take 40, 50 yards off of it and get it out there about 290.'

"I've been using the prototype HX Tour ball since I shot 59 with it in Hawaii at the PGA Grand Slam, and it performed exactly the way I've come to expect. It is no coincidence that I have now shot the two lowest rounds of my life since putting the HX Tour ball in play."

Veteran Craig Parry, who captured the Heineken Classic in a sudden-death playoff at Royal Melbourne in his native Australia yesterday, also had a bag full of Callaway Golf clubs and was using the original HX Tour Golf Ball.

"I owe a lot to the HX Tour Golf Ball," he said. "I have such tremendous control with it. All week I had my distances right with my irons, and it's by far the best golf ball I've ever seen for consistent trajectory in the wind."

Parry's 1-under-par 70 in the final round earned him a spot in a two-man playoff, during which he made three straight par-saving putts before draining a 12-footer for birdie and the win on the fourth extra hole. It was Parry's second playoff win since joining the Callaway Golf staff, with his first coming in stunning fashion as he holed a 6-iron from 176 yards for eagle to win the Ford Championship at Doral last March.

In addition to the HX Tour Golf Ball, Parry also played the Great Big Bertha II 415 Driver, the Big Bertha Heavenwood 2H Hybrid, ERC Fusion 3+ Fairway Wood, X-Tour Irons, Forged Vintage Wedge and an Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Putter.

In other highlights for Callaway Golf equipment, the prototype HX Tour Golf Ball was used by the winner of the Wendy's Champions Skins Game at Wailea, Hawaii, this past weekend. The winner, who had his 65th birthday last month, won 11 straight skins and a career high $340,000 at the event.

Callaway Golf Company makes and sells Big Bertha(R) Metal Woods, Irons and Hybrids including Heavenwood(R) Hybrids, ERC(R) Fusion(R) Drivers and Fairway Woods, Great Big Bertha II 415 Titanium Drivers, Big Bertha Titanium 454 Drivers and Big Bertha Stainless Steel Fairway Woods, Big Bertha Heavenwood(R) Hybrids, Big Bertha Stainless Steel Irons, X-18(TM) and X-18 Pro Series Irons, the Game Enjoyment System(TM) of GES(TM) Golf Clubs, Callaway Golf Forged+ Wedges, and Callaway Golf Tour Blue(TM) Putters. Callaway Golf Company also makes and sells Odyssey(R) Putters, including White Steel(R), White Hot(R), TriHot(R), DFX(R), Dual Force(R) and 2-Ball Putters. Callaway Golf Company makes and sells the Callaway Golf(R) HX(R) Tour Balls, HX Blue and HX Red Balls, HX Hot Balls, Big Bertha(TM) Blue and Big Bertha Red Balls, and the Warbird(TM) Balls. Callaway Golf also owns and operates The Top-Flite Golf Company, a wholly owned subsidiary that includes the Top-Flite(R), Strata(R) and Ben Hogan(R) brands and Bettinardi Putters. For more information about Callaway Golf Company, please visit our websites at www.callawaygolf.com, www.topflite.com and www.odysseygolf.com. Tour results are through the week ending 02/06/05 and reflect data from the PGA, European PGA, LPGA, Champions, Nationwide and Japan Golf Tours. Source: Sports Marketing Survey, Ltd. and Darrell Survey Company.