Ben Hogan Apex Tour Golf Ball Proving As Successful As Its Legendary Namesake
Wins on Professional, Amateur Tours Bring High Hopes for 2003
Chicopee, MA, October 18, 2002

When the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball was introduced this summer, Spalding touted its new entry in the premium ball category as its ‘quest for perfection - a ball worthy of the legendary Ben Hogan name.’

That’s a bold statement from the company that introduced the multi-layer design which dominates weekly ball counts on every major professional golf tour and is credited with nearly every new golf ball technology developed in the last century.

“I’m not sure we could have scripted the early success of this ball any better, but we knew we were on to something special,” said Mike Ferris, vice president of marketing, Ben Hogan Golf Division. “Our immediate success on the PGA Tour and at the amateur ranks has been a great momentum-builder that has translated into sellouts in shops and created waiting lists for the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR ball.”

The result? Round-the-clock shifts at Spalding’s production facilities to support the rapid growth in the sales of the new BEN HOGAN APEX Tour ball. Add to that a steady stream of daily stories about career best rounds, holes-in-one, and hosts of consumers long loyal to other brands making a change to BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR.

In short, Spalding’s bold statement about BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR has been backed up by the best-of-the-best on the professional tours and better players at clubs and courses worldwide.

PGA Tour Successes

It took journeyman pro Len Mattiace 220 career starts on the PGA TOUR to capture his first win. It took only 13 more starts after that for Mattiace to chalk up win No. 2. His first - a one-shot victory at the Nissan Open in February - came during his initial outing with a prototype of the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR. Fittingly, his second came just days after Spalding introduced the new four-piece ball to the world at the Fed Ex St. Jude Classic in late June.

Playing the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR and its prototype this year, Mattiace for the first time in his career, passed the $1 million mark in earnings. He reached that mark back in May and now stands 17th on the money list with just over $2 million in winnings. For Mattiace, the ball has added distance and consistency to his game, as evidenced by his increased driving average, up nearly five yards over 2001. He has also made the cut in 22 of his 24 starts.

Craig Parry also waited a long time to savor the sweet taste of victory on the PGA Tour, but when he picked up his first win in the U.S. in his 236th career start, it was one of the best breakthrough stories of the 2002 golf season. Parry not only won the WGC-NEC Invitational, he and the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR did it in style by registering a four-shot win over an elite field. Parry rode a closing round of 66 to pull away from a group of contenders, including Tiger Woods, to claim the $1 million winner’s check.

The stellar play of Bernhard Langer with the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR at the 2002 Ryder Cup matches signaled that his return to an elite level is complete. Langer helped the victorious European team by capturing 3 ½ points, one of which came in a singles win over fellow BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR player, Hal Sutton.

Since Langer switched to the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball at the 2002 US Open, the two-time Masters champion has made 5-of-5 cuts on the PGA Tour - winning more per start than before the switch - and finished second at the BMW International Open. He’ll cap a great year in November by being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, still several years from even being eligible for the Senior PGA Tour.

Here are some other notes from the PGA Tour and European PGA Tour that underscore the impact the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball has had in golf’s toughest conditions:

· Luke Donald, before switching to the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR at the US Open, averaged $17,340 in earnings per event. Since making the switch, the rookie has made 9 of 11 cuts and averaged $28,791 per start in earnings.
· Mark Brooks exited a contract with Nike to play the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR at the MasterCard Colonial in late May. Before making the switch, Brooks managed to make only 4 of 12 cuts and earned $9,291 per start. Since putting the BHAT in play, Brooks has made 9 of 13 cuts and walked away with an average of $38,484 per start.
Dennis Paulson ranked 72nd in PGA Tour driving distance statistics at the end of 2001 with an average of 281.6 yards. So far in 2002, he ranks 5th with an average of 295.8 yards per blast from the tee.
· The European Tour’s John Bickerton switched in May to play the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR. In his 43 events prior to making that switch, he earned 14,822 Euros per event entered. In 13 events after his switch, Bickerton has come away with 35,221 Euros earned per event.
· Similar to Bickerton, Jamie Spence has bumped up his earnings since his switch to the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR, earning an average of 4,390 Euros in 35 events prior to teeing up the Hogan ball. Spence’s average has jumped 35,079 Euros per event in first 10 starts with the ball.

A Fast Start (On Tour) with Big Things Ahead

Spalding’s stated goal at the launch of the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR was to increase player presence on the professional tour, both in the United States and abroad. So far, so good. The phone lines have been busy.

“Several professionals have put the ball into tournament play without being contracted to do so,” said Nick Raffaele, Spalding’s Director of Tour Relations. “The ball is selling itself to the best players because they are seeing some of their peers doing things with the golf ball that defy logic - golf balls performing in a way once thought impossible.”

“I’m burning through cell phone batteries like you wouldn’t believe and that’s a good problem to have,” added Raffaele. “By 2003, you will see more top names playing the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR. You can count on it!”

Working Around The Clock

Spalding executives expected strong demand for the innovative product carrying the legendary name. As stories about waiting lists, amateur victories, career-best rounds by pros and amateurs at every level began piling up, it became clear ‘strong demand’ would soon become overwhelming demand.

“There was an immediate buzz around this ball and, frankly, the demand exceeded our initial production capabilities,” said Spalding CEO Jim Craigie. “Our manufacturing facilities are working 24 hours a day, seven days a week in order to supply our customers with sufficient inventory and keep up with demand.”

Finest Performing Ball Adds New Abrasion Resistant Technology

In its endless pursuit for perfection, the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball has recently implemented a proprietary process that improves abrasion resistance.

“There has been overwhelmingly positive feedback on the performance of the ball from golfers at all levels around the world,” said Ferris. “We slightly modified the ball to include an added element of durability without altering the performance attributes of the ball. It’s the evolution of executing our mission to make the best performing golf ball from tee to green.

The abrasion-resistant BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf balls, which began shipping October 16, can be identified by a repositioned the Apex Tour sidestamp which now reads south to north or down looking up to the left of the Hogan logo.

Can History Repeat Itself?

The overwhelming demand for the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR has challenged the Spalding sales staff to fulfill orders, and as 2003 fast approaches, expectations are high that the ball will continue its momentum and build on to its championship form from years past.

“In the early 1980‘s, the Ben Hogan golf ball challenged Titleist as the #1 money ball on the professional tour and we believe we can make a run of it in 2003,” added Ferris. “Ben Hogan Golf has only just begun to make noise and we are ecstatic with what’s ahead.”

For 50 years, the BEN HOGAN brand has been inspired by Mr. Hogan’s ability to grasp the mechanics of the game and translate them into the finest instruments. The Ben Hogan Company was formed in 1953, with a quest to make golf equipment “as close to perfect as modern tools and technology would allow.” Today the team of Ben Hogan craftsmen continue to build BEN HOGAN golf equipment one club at a time, ever mindful of Mr. Hogan’s vision of perfection for the equipment that bears his signature. Ben Hogan manufactures the BEN HOGAN APEX, APEX EDGE PRO, and APEX EDGE irons, and Special Wedges. In July 2002, the BEN HOGAN APEX TOUR golf ball was introduced. To find more information on Ben Hogan, visit our website at http://www.benhogan.com or call the Consumer Relations Department at 800-SPALDING (772-5346).