Phil Mickelson had been raving about
Titleist's new solid-construction ball since he first tested it in July. When the ball finally made its debut, he wasn't alone.
Nearly one-third of the field at the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas used the Pro V1 392 ball, which features an unusually large core and extra thin cover. That made Titleist not only the No. 1 solid ball (47 players) on the PGA Tour last week, but also tops in wound ball (41).
"It goes to show you that we can take appropriate action to
respond to changes in product performance warranted by the best
players in the game," Titleist chief Wally Uihlein said.
It also was a response to Nike, Callaway, and Spalding, which
have touted trends away from the wound ball, of which Titleist has
always been the leader.
Uihlein points out that 55 percent of Titleist's sales are
non-wound balls, so the company is hardly a newcomer to solid-
construction technology.
He also said the patent on the technology for the new ball was
issued in 1997, after two years of research. So what took so long
to bring it to market?
Uihlein cited an old IBM strategy -- let everyone take their best
shot, then answer.
"In a competitive environment, it's better to know what you're
shooting at than shooting in the dark," he said. "We watched
everyone launch their ships, then we responded."
Greg Norman practiced with the new ball today at the
Presidents Cup, and as many as half of the 24 players at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club are expected to use it. Uihlein said he expects at least 50 players to switch at the Tampa Bay Classic.
LPGA Q SCHOOL
U.S. Women's Amateur champion Marcy Newton, NCAA champion Jenna Daniels, and European Solheim Cup member Patricia Meunier-Lebouc are among the 129 players trying to get 14 available exempt spots on the LPGA Tour.
The four-round qualifying tournament started today at LPGA International. The 14 open slots is the lowest number of exempt cards available since the LPGA began an annual qualifying system in 1984.
The field will be cut to 70 players and ties after the third round.
Also in the field is Beth Bauer, an All-American from Duke who turned pro after playing in the U.S. Women's Amateur and the Curtis Cup.
JACK'S LAST STAND
When Jack Nicklaus suggested that 2000 would be the right year for him to play all four majors for the last time, television producer Terry Jastrow figured it would be
the right time to capture the occasion on video.
On Sunday after The Presidents Cup, CBS Sports will broadcast
"Nicklaus: A Final March Through the Majors," with Jim Nantz and
Jim McKay as the hosts.
"We felt this was the best way to tell the story of Nicklaus,
because his golf career centered on the major championships, and
his performances in those majors is arguably the aspect of his
career for which he will be most remembered," Jastrow said.
It was a perfect time to end because of the venues. Nicklaus won
six Masters at Augusta National, a U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach, two
of his British Opens at St. Andrews, and he designed Valhalla Golf
Club, host of this year's PGA Championship.
Nicklaus said this year "was the right year for me -- maybe
actually a couple of years too late because my golf game wasn't up
to it."
He briefly contended at The Masters at age 60 until a third-round 81, his worst ever at Augusta. He missed the cut in the final three majors, but not without some unforgettable moments.
He played the first two rounds of The Masters with Arnold Palmer and Gary Player. On his final hole of a U.S. Open, he reached the par-5 18th at Pebble Beach in two. He made a historic pose on Swilken Bridge at St. Andrews. And he played the first two rounds of the PGA Championship with Tiger Woods.
Nicklaus loved the idea of a documentary, and even thought about doing it himself for his own library until Jastrow approached him.
"I just wish we had gotten more weekend golf," Nicklaus said.
FINCHEM AWARD
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem will receive the 2001 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America for lifetime contributions to the game.
Along with being a four-time British Open champion, Old Tom Morris was greenskeeper at the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
"The PGA Tour is arguably the most successful professional sports league in the world, but that status came by no accident," GCSSA president R. Scott Woodhead said. "Tim Finchem's vision, commitment and passion for the game are rivaled by few."
MONEY RACE
The best money race in golf for the moment is on the LPGA Tour, for career earnings. Juli Inkster and Karrie Webb became the third and fourth players to go over $6 million for their
careers last week at the Samsung World Championship.
Inkster earned $152,000 for winning and now has $6,034,776 for her career. Webb, who finished fourth, now has $6,029,095. The career leader is Betsy King, with just over $6.8 million, while Annika Sorenstam is at $6,129,096.
Then again, Tiger Woods went over $6 million this season after playing just 15 events.
DIVOTS
Fred Couples and Mark O'Meara were the two "Tiger picks" for the Williams World Challenge, the $3.5 million tournament at Sherwood Country Club the week after Thanksgiving. The Tiger
Woods Foundation is in charge of the two sponsor's exemptions. The 12-man field features 10 of the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking. ... Phil Mickelson's younger brother, Tim, will make his professional debut at the first stage of Q-school next week. He finished his
college career at Oregon State, placing second in the Pac-10 Championship. ... The Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge will be played Oct. 24 at Reflection Bay Golf Club outside Las Vegas, and will be televised Dec. 23-24. The PGA Tour team is Notah Begay, Rocco Mediate, and Phil Mickelson. The LPGA is represented by Juli Inkster, Dottie Pepper, and Karrie Webb, while the Senior Tour will have Tom Watson, Tom Kite, and Hale Irwin.
STAT OF THE WEEK
Billy Andrade won at Las Vegas using the new Titleist solid construction ball. The last time Titleist introduced a premium ball on the PGA Tour, Andrade used it to win the 1998 Bell Canadian Open.
FINAL WORD
"Tiger ... is obviously not the heir apparent. He is the heir." - Jack Nicklaus.
