Callaway recruits young Tour stars
Colsaerts, Woodland and Ishikawa put pen to paper
Callaway Golf has snapped up the services of big-hitting duo Nicolas Colsaerts and Gary Woodland, as well as Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa.
European Ryder Cup hero Colsaerts, who topped the 2012 European Tour driving distance stats on a gigantic 318.3 yards, will be aided with the new Callaway RAZR head driver, Callaway prototype Dynamic Gold X-100 irons and Odyssey Black Series 1 Tungsten putter.
“I’m so glad to have Callaway as partners,” said the 30-year-old Belgian, who won the 2012 Volvo World Matchplay.
“As a Callaway Tour player now, we will bring a lot of attention on building a new driver. We have already found a great combination with an 8.5-degree head and a UST Mamiya Atta3 BK7 shaft.”
Colsaerts has indicated he will still use a Titleist ball and glove and wear FootJoy shoes.
Fellow bomber Woodland, known for his athletic background, strength and enormous driving prowess, ranked second on the PGA Tour last year in both clubhead speed and ball speed, and his 450-yard poke at the Tournament of Champions ranked the longest of 2012.
And the 28-year-old American has already been won over by the new X Hot driver and fairway woods.
“The ball speed off the X Hot is unreal,” he said. “I literally put it straight in the bag after hitting it for the first time.”
Callaway now enjoys the luxury of owning five of the world’s biggest hitters on the PGA Tour with Colsaerts and Woodland joining the brand already associated with Alvaro Quiros, JB Holmes and Tommy Gainey.
The company has also confirmed the signing of 21-year-old Ishikawa, a ten-time winner on the Japanese Tour.
“I’m very happy to join the Callaway team,” he said. “I believe the wonderful innovation and support Callaway gives to its many great staff players will help me grow as I compete on the PGA Tour this year.”
In May 2007 when Ishikawa was just 15 years and eight months old, he became the youngest golfer to win a men's tournament on the Japan Golf Tour, winning the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup.
Since then his rise to golf stardom inJapanhas been swift and steady. Ishikawa turned professional in 2008 and by the end of that season; he became the youngest player to break into the world’s top-100.
He then went on to dominate the 2009 season inJapan. With four wins on Tour, he was showered with accolades, including the leading money winner on Tour and the Japan GTO MVP.
In September of that year, Ishikawa became the youngest golfer to ever reach the top-50 in the world.
Elsewhere, Callaway has also penned deals with Andres Gonzales and Chris Kirk.
This is what Colsaerts will be using:
Driver: Callaway RAZR (8.5-degree; UST Mamiya Atta3 BK7)
Fairway wood: Titleist 910Fd (15-degree)
Irons: Callaway prototype (Dynamic Gold X-100)
Wedges: Titleist Smokey Design Spin Milled (53 and 59-degree)
Putter: Odyssey Black Series 1 Tungsten
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Glove and shoes: FootJoy
And here’s Ishikawa’s bag:
Driver: Callaway RAZR Fit Xtreme
Fairway wood: Callaway X Hot
Utility iron: Callaway X proto
Irons: Callaway X Forged
Wedges: Callaway X Forged
Putter: Odyssey Versa #9
Follow @Golfmagic and join us on Facebook for all the latest equipment news.
��
Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
