Graphite Design Shafts Power Fifth Consecutive Nationwide Tour Winner, Champions Tour Victor

Graphite Design Shafts Power Fifth Consecutive Nationwide Tour Winner, Champions Tour Victor
Press Release

Graphite Design - maker of some of the most widely played graphite driver shaft models on the PGA TOUR - today announces that the winners of the Nationwide Tour's LaSalle Bank Open and the Champions Tour's Boeing Championship at Sandestin played its shaft models, according to the Darrell Survey.

Utilizing Graphite Design's YS-6 shaft model in his driver, YS-7 in his 3-wood and YS-Hybrid 85 in his hybrid club, the LaSalle Bank Open winner claimed the biggest check in a full-field Nationwide Tour event with a 17-under par total for the week. It marked the fifth consecutive Nationwide Tour event won by a player using Graphite Design shafts, and the seventh overall this season. During the current streak, winners wielding Graphite Design shafts have combined to post a 79-under-par total while earning $535,500.

On the Champions Tour, the winner of the Boeing Championship at Sandestin used Graphite Design's YS-8.1 in his driver en route to victory. The player found 74.4 percent of fairways in firing a three-round total of 16-under-par 197, good for a three-shot win.

"Graphite Design's reputation continues to grow on the Nationwide Tour, where the competition is as fierce and the margin for error as slight as any professional tour in the world, while Champions Tour veterans consistently turn to our shafts to deliver increased distance and accuracy," said Graphite Design Vice President of Sales and Marketing Victor Afable. "Designed with today's technologically enhanced equipment in mind, Graphite Design shafts can optimize any golfer's performance regardless of their age or swing profile."

Also this week, Graphite Design dominated the graphite wood shaft brand count on the Japan Tour for the 141st consecutive tournament. At the JCB Classic, a total of 169 Graphite Design shafts were in play, 67 more than the nearest competitor. That figure included 34 Tour AD Quattro Tech shafts, recently introduced in the United States.

In 2006, Graphite Design shafts were played by 41 winners of professional tournaments worldwide. Players using Graphite Design shafts amassed more than $90 million in PGA TOUR earnings in 2006 while the company earned more graphite wood-shaft model count victories on the PGA TOUR (16) than any other manufacturer. On the Japan Tour, Graphite Design shafts were in the bags of 18 winners in 2006 while the company extended its win streak in the wood-shaft brand count to 134 consecutive tournaments - an unprecedented string dating to 2002.

Graphite Design is the graphite shaftmaker of choice for Hank Haney, coach to the world's top-ranked player. The company recently introduced the Tour AD Quattro Tech ultra-premium shaft in the U.S. and launched its G-TECH combination-flex custom clubmaker series of wood and iron shafts, designed for exceptional playability throughout the bag.