Graphite Design International's YS-6 Shaft Model Used By Driving Accuracy Leader at Reno-Tahoe Open

Press Release

Posted 2006-09-02

Graphite Design International ("GDI") - maker of some of the most widely played graphite driver shaft models on the PGA TOUR - today announces its YS-6 model was used by the driving accuracy leader at the PGA TOUR's Reno-Tahoe Open while the winner of the Nationwide Tour's National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic played a GDI shaft throughout his victory.

Armed with a YS-6 in his driver at the Reno-Tahoe Open, the driving accuracy leader hit 94.6 percent of fairways over four rounds. That included all 14 fairways in round one and 13 in each of the final three rounds -- 53 of 56 overall. The player also averaged an impressive 316.8 yards per drive for the week at 7,473-yard Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nev.

On the Nationwide Tour, the winner of the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic used GDI's YS-8.1 shaft in his 3-wood en route to his first victory. The player tallied a 14-under-par total for the week at the 7,309-yard Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, W.Va.

"The distance and accuracy that GDI shafts deliver were on full display on the PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour this week," said Akio Karashima, CEO of GDI. "To excel on today's longer courses, players of all skill levels can rely on GDI shafts to provide great power without sacrificing accuracy."

On the Japan Tour, GDI led the graphite wood shaft brand count with 171 shafts in play at the Under Armour KBC Augusta tournament, 58 more than the nearest competitor.

Last year, GDI shafts were used by 18 winners on the PGA TOUR and 42 winners worldwide, helping them amass more than $75 million in earnings. They were also played by PGA TOUR leaders in Total Driving (distance plus accuracy), five of the top-10 players in Driving Accuracy Percentage, four of the top-10 money winners, and top-10 players in the World Golf Rankings.

On the Japan Tour, GDI shafts were victorious 16 times in 2005 and have been the most-played brand for a staggering 122 straight tournaments, an unprecedented streak dating back to 2002.