Spalding Expands Its Research & Development Team To The PGA Tour
Hal Sutton, Len Mattiace & Bernhard Langer Head List Of Tour Players To Take Part Ownership Of Golf Ball Development & The New Ben Hogan Apex Tour Golf Ball
Chicopee, MA, June 25, 2002

They helped design and test it; now they’re playing it. Hal Sutton, Len Mattiace and Bernhard Langer, along with other PGA tour professionals and a growing number of European PGA players, have literally helped bring the new BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball into play.

“Mechanical testing is necessary in the development stages of a product, but an iron Byron machine cannot tell you how a golf ball feels off a driver, an iron or a wedge,” said Nick Raffaele, director of tour relations for Spalding. “The ultimate test of a golf ball product is under the gun in competitive play by the world's best players under the toughest of conditions, and the ultimate compliment to your product is when those great players come back to you with, 'I cannot believe you made it this good!’”

Joining Sutton, Mattiace, and Langer to play the new BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball is Mark Brooks, who recently signed a new contract with the Ben Hogan brand. Luke Donald, Craig Parry, and Dennis Paulson round out the PGA Tour players using the new golf ball. All put the ball into play for the first time at the 2002 U.S. Open, and they also wore Ben Hogan hats and carried Ben Hogan golf bags featuring a gold sunburst. Jim Furyk, who was instrumental in the prototype and testing of the ball and will remain under the Strata brand, is currently testing a new ball for the Strata Tour line.

“We don’t go on tour just to make great products, we use the tour as our living laboratory to produce great golf balls for everyone,” said Tom Kennedy, vice president of research and engineering development for Spalding. “One hundred percent of our tour guys got involved on this project and all were eager and willing to be a part of the development process. They are integral to our R&D team.”

Last October, the players joined Spalding’s team of scientists and engineers to begin extensive testing using a blend of machine and on-site player tests. They played the prototype products using proprietary launch monitors to measure launch angles, ball velocity, spin rate, and computer algorithms with a variety of clubs.

Data was then gathered and analyzed before more prototypes were produced. The processes were repeated and included on-course testing with every possible shot (chip, flop, rough, bunker, into the wind, downwind, and crosswind). Players then played the prototypes on their own courses.

“In my 20 plus years on the PGA Tour, I have never been more intimately involved in the development of a product,” said Hal Sutton. “I was into it from Day One, and after extensive testing of this ball, I am convinced it is the most complete ball - providing the most spin and distance - in the industry today.”

Credited for the multi-layer technology, which is now being used by 95 percent of the PGA Tour players, Spalding believes the introduction of the four-piece construction of the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball will once again redefine golf ball technology. The ball consists of an exclusive, patented soft energy transfer core for improved distance and feel, an outer resilient super core for consistency, a high velocity inner cover for superior distance, and a HC350 urethane cover (the thinnest TPU cover) for exacting spin and control.

Spalding will officially unveil the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball on July 3, 2002, when it reaches on and off-course golf shops and stores carrying Ben Hogan products.

The PGA tour players will also be part of an extensive $20 million marketing campaign to begin during the British Open.

Spalding Sports Worldwide is the nation's first full-line sporting goods company. Its leadership and innovative products have led to revolutionary breakthroughs in virtually every major sporting goods product category. Under the Spalding umbrella are the STRATA, TOP-FLITE, ETONIC, BEN HOGAN and DUDLEY brands. To find more information on Spalding, visit our website at http://www.spalding.com or call the Consumer Relations Department at (800) 772-5346.

What the PGA Tour Players are Saying About the new

BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball . . .

Len Mattiace:
“I’m 15 to 20 yards, sometimes even 40 yards longer than guys I used to be even with. The BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball is the best ball out there on tour.”

Bernhard Langer:
“I’m amazed at what this ball can do and believe it’s way ahead of the technology curve. I've been searching for extra distance for a while, but I hadn't been able to find it until now."

Hal Sutton:
“After extensive testing of this ball, I am convinced it is the most complete ball - providing the most spin and distance - in the industry today.”

Dennis Paulson:
“It’s no small coincidence that I’m driving the ball farther than I ever have with this ball, and I feel like I have a real advantage over guys who don’t play this ball. It does things it shouldn’t be able to do. The proof is in the pudding when you look at how my ranking for driving distance has dramatically improved (61 spots from 72nd to 11th) with the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball.”