The four new golf balls (which don’t include the high end ProV1 range) are updated versions of the NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, DT SoLo and an all new Velocity distance ball.

Titleist says the range has been designed to deliver best in category quality, consistency and performance.

As an added innovation most also come in “optic yellow” as well as white.

In a statement this week Titleist said:

“New NXT Tour and NXT Tour S deliver the best scoring performance available with a non-urethane cover.  Trusted by golfers for over a decade, NXT Tour has been improved for 2012 to deliver even longer distance while retaining its commanding scoring shot performance.  New NXT Tour S offers NXT Tour-like performance with a softer compression feel.

The all-new Velocity provides explosive distance via the fastest solid core of any Titleist golf ball.

Titleist delivers the Softest DT yet in the New DT SoLo.  Both NXT Tour S and DT SoLo are offered in optic yellow. New Velocity is also available in double-digit play numbers.”

Bill Morgan, the Titleist Senior Vice President of Golf Ball Research and Development, said the development process of all Titleist golf balls was the same.

“It always starts with golfer testing where we identify performance improvements that will help golfers score better and determine what their preference options are,” Morgan said.

“New Titleist NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, Velocity and DT SoLo are the result of this process and deliver the best scoring performance and quality within their respective segment.”

The new Titleist golf ball range is due in Australian and New Zealand golf outlets from February 15.

Recommended Retail Prices for the range are: NXT Tour, NXT Tour S AUD $44.95 (per dozen); Velocity AUD $39.95; DT SoLo AUD $29.95.

For more details on the individual characteristics of the new golf balls check out this Titleist company article.

Fowler attempts to fathom the slick Killara greens

On a course only two other competitors were able to better on the day, Fowler shot a 3-under par 69 to be 5-under after two rounds.

The next best is round one leader David Hall who is on even. Hall struggled to recapture his first round form (68) and only managed a four over par round of 76.

Striking the ball crisply and scrambling for up and downs when needed, Fowler had a number of opportunities early but really hit his straps with three straight birdies on 9, 10 and 11. Another followed on the 14th.

His only blemish was a bogey on his last hole when a slightly offline drive restricted his approach to the green and he failed to sink his up and down putt. Others found bogeys and worse easy to come by on the tight Killara layout with slick greens and heavy fairway conditions making things difficult.

“I played okay today. I was pretty steady so I’m happy,” Fowler said after signing a card that contained one of only three sub-par rounds acheived on the day.

“I’ve played two solid rounds, nothing spectacular but it was pretty good. I’m just trying to be consistent and if the putts drop…great.”

John Clifford (73-72) and Michael Clayton (75-70) are in third position at one over par and still within striking distance. Other players of note include Rodger Davis (+4), Lyndsay Stephen (+5) and Wayne Smith (+6).

The final round of the 2011 Fiducian Legends PGA Senior Championship concludes on Saturday with the last group of Fowler, Hill and Clifford teeing off at 11am. Play will commence at 9am. Admission to the course is free.

Iconic golf brands Titleist and Footjoy have been sold to the Koreans but for all the dedicated Pro V1 golf ball users out there don’t panic, by all reports it will be business as usual for consumers.

It has been announced in the US that Fortune Brands has agreed to sell the Acushnet Company, makers of Titleist, Footjoy and Pinnacle golf products, to a partnership that includes sports clothing giant Fila Korea.

It has been known for some time that Fortune was planning to separate its three main businesses and a deal has been announced to unload Acushnet for a reported $US1.225 billion in cash to a consortium including Fila and Korean private equity giant Mirae Asset Private Equity.

Titleist’s Pro V1 golf balls are touted as the most successful ball of all time, selling more than 900 million balls in the past decade.

Fila believe they can flog even more Titleist products in Asia.

Gene Yoon, Chairman and CEO of Fila Korea, said, “With our extensive knowledge and reach in Asia, we believe that the Acushnet brands have incredible new opportunities for growth in the emerging markets in Asia.”

The good news is that industry commentators say there should be no adverse affect for golfers (47 percent of the Acushnet Company’s 2010 sales were outside the U.S).

The Acushnet Company will operate as a standalone entity and the worldwide headquarters will remain in the US.

Sources close to the proceedings say it will be  “business as usual” with critical barometers such as product development, product offerings, availability and pricing largely unaffected in the short term.

ADAM SCOTT is delighted with his performance with his new broomstick putter and believes it will be a big positive for him when he fronts at the 2011 US Masters in April.

“I think it’s going to be great for me,” Scott said in the midst of his impressive display at the WGC- Cadillac Championship in Miami on the weekend.

“It’s just more enjoyable to play golf feeling somewhat confident on putts from ten feet and in. It’s nice to see a ball rolling at the hole at a good speed. You know, I don’t feel like it’s that much of an effort for me to do it. So I’m really looking forward to seeing how it goes at Augusta.”

Over recent years, it has often been an out and out pleasure to watch Scott’s outstanding ball striking tee to green but when he gets on the putting surface it can be excruciating. And that’s not just for the spectators.

The 30 year old Queenslander admitted that his short putting has made him at times feel like not playing golf.

Talking about how in the past couple of years how he usually won or was “right up there” if he putted well from 10 foot in, Scott said:

“But you know, my short putting was really ruining my good golf, and it was very frustrating to the point where, you know, I just didn’t really feel like playing because every round I played, most likely I would leave two or three out there and that adds up to a lot at the end of a week. It was hard to have a good week.”

Scott has been using the broomstick putter for just under a couple of months and can’t see a change in the foreseeable future.

“I decided the week before the (WGC-Accenture) Match Play that I was going to use it. I was comfortable enough, and I had spent the five weeks previous working on it. Yeah, I spent a fair bit of time hitting putts with it. But, you know, this is certainly giving me a new bit of life out there, and I’ve enjoyed the last three weeks (in tournaments) putting with it.”

“I think there’s definitely going to be a carryover effect in the long term, certainly free up the long game. It’s going to free up chipping and the bunker play; that you don’t have to feel like you have to hit every chip stiff to feel like you’re going to make par.”

“It was hard work trying to get it around and not leave yourself 6 feet. And when you’re trying not to leave yourself 5 or 6 feet, inevitably you’re going to leave yourself 5 or 6 feet five or six times a round. Now I can just play. I don’t really worry about anything. I just deal with what’s out there.”

Scott was in real contention for the Cadillac title and finished at T6 with putting stats much better than normal.

Scott had a quick response to golf media who asked if there were changes he had to make with the broomstick putter.

“Well, you’ve got to extend your arm a lot longer to get it out of the bag,” he joked.

CALLAWAY GOLF has released a new line of Odyssey D.A.R.T. putters featuring a “groundbreaking” target alignment system to the Australian market.

Odyssey’s Direction and Realignment Technology (D.A.R.T.) utilizes a dart-like pattern on the top of the putter head to easily align the centre of the putter face with the target when addressing the ball.

“D.A.R.T. works via a two-step process,” said Austie Rollinson, Principal Designer for Odyssey. “First, the eyes align the putter to the target using the straight lines on the top of the putter head.

“From there, the mind’s eye completes the realignment by placing the apex of the D.A.R.T. design at the centre of the golf ball. This ensures that the face of the putter is in line with the target and promotes consistent contact with the centre of the face for greater distance control.

“The original 2-Ball putter was a revolutionary step in using the golf ball as an alignment aid, and D.A.R.T. is an evolution of that technology.”

Callaway says the D.A.R.T design is based on the brain’s ability to complete images that the eye doesn’t at first see. In this case, the mind completes the apex of the dart device in the centre of the ball, ensuring the most accurate alignment possible. Just a one-degree misalignment on a 12-foot putt is the difference between a make and a miss.

“The completion of the D.A.R.T device at the centre of the ball is the key component to this new alignment technology,” Rollinson added. “In designing the D.A.R.T. putters we examined the Gestalt Effect, which was developed in the late 1800s and is based on a theory that our senses have the capability to visually create whole forms rather than just a collection of simple lines and curves. The Odyssey D.A.R.T. putter utilizes this effect using multiple lines to create an image that refines alignment and helps golfers make more putts.”

Also featured in the D.A.R.T. line of putters is Odyssey’s newest multi-layer insert, White Ice, which has been fine-tuned to enhance sound, resiliency and consistency.

The new D.A.R.T line of Odyssey putters are now available in Australian golf outlets with a new product introduction retail price of AU$209.

Two models will be available featuring D.A.R.T technology—the D.A.R.T. standard model is a mallet with a double-bend shaft and full shaft offset, while the D.A.R.T Blade features a crank-neck hosel and full-shaft offset.

IN a world first for Callaway Golf, Callaway Golf South Pacific has announced the launch of a major anti-counterfeiting initiative to protect the authenticity and quality of its products and the Callaway brand.

The new initiative introduces a unique Certified Authentic label, which will feature on all genuine Callaway golf clubs released direct to the Australian and New Zealand markets, and has been designed to protect consumers from purchasing low quality counterfeit Callaway golf clubs.

Using an innovative image shift label that can only be viewed using a polarised filter, along with several other highly technical security features, the Callaway Golf Certified Authentic label can be used by retailers and consumers to validate authenticity from certified resellers of the Callaway brand.

“By holding such a strong position within the golfing market as a leading brand, and with products so highly demanded by consumers, Callaway Golf is unfortunately subject to the perils of counterfeiters,” Callaway Golf Australia General Manager Leighton Richards said.

“With an increase in consumer online purchasing behaviour, we believe Callaway Golf has the responsibility to protect golfers from being mislead or deceived into purchasing low-quality products under the disguise of authentic products.”

“By implementing the Certified Authentic label Callaway Golf South Pacific aims to support our local authorised retail partners by raising consumer awareness of the risks of purchasing online and from unauthorised retail stockists,” Richards said.

“Callaway golf has a proud history as an industry leader in innovation that traditionally has been showcased in our products, however, as a brand we are working with the industry to use our innovative talents in a more diverse way to continue to bring a premium brand experience to our loyal customers”.

The unique Certified Authentic label featured on serialised Callaway golf clubs released by Callaway Golf South Pacific from January 1st 2011, and includes all new drivers, #3 fairway woods, hybrids, putters and the #8 iron from complete Callaway iron sets.

Located on the inside of the shaft, just below the grip, the Callaway Golf Certified Authentic label is not featured on Callaway Golf clubs released outside of Australia and New Zealand.

As such, consumers purchasing Callaway products outside of Callaway Golf South Pacific’s authorised retailer network will not be guaranteed of their authenticity, nor will they be entitled to the benefits of Callaway Golf South Pacific’s warranty policy.

TITLEIST will be releasing its new 910 series drivers to the public next month and it will be interesting to see the reaction following the mostly very positive feelings toward the 909 series.

Titleist, of course, claims the new series is a significant improvement and had this to say in their product release statement:

“Building upon its successful history of high performance drivers for tour players, club professionals, competitive and aspiring golfers, Titleist takes driver performance and fitting to a new level with the introduction of the 910 series drivers. 

Boasting improved all around performance and an unrivaled level of fitting precision previously available only on the major professional tours, Titleist offers all serious golfers total driving performance through a more precise fit.

The revolutionary new Titleist 910D2 and 910D3 drivers feature the fastest, most stable head designs Titleist has ever created, as well as the new SureFit Tour (SFT) dual-angle hosel.  SFT is innovative, patented technology that allows the loft and lie to be independently adjusted and set.

“The new 910 drivers provide improvements in flight, fit, looks, feel and sound, and provide a new level of precision fitting to deliver total performance and driving confidence,” said Steve Pelisek, General Manager, Titleist Golf Clubs.  “Together, these advances put the Titleist 910 drivers in a class of their own, both on Tour and in the marketplace.”

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The new 910D2 and 910D3 drivers will begin shipping to golf shops on November 15, 2010, with a suggested retail price of US$499.

Read the full Titleist 910 series drivers release statement details here.

YES! Golf is trumpeting the fact that Jim Furyk won his $11.6 million pay cheque on the weekend with a battered, second hand US$39 YES putter.

In a just released statement, YES says they are once again in the winner’s circle but they got there in a rather unique way.

Furyk has confessed his multi million dollar final putt to take The Tour Championship and the FedEX Cup was with a 2nd hand YES! Sophia putter.

He purchased the putter from a local Boston golf retailer, Joe and Leigh’s Discount Golf Shop, during the second tournament of the FedEx Cup series, the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Furyk was asked about the putter after his final round on Sunday and he said: “It is a Yes! putter, same putter that Retief won his U.S. Opens with. Not the same putter, but the same company.”

As a Yes putter owner, I just happen to know that Goosen won his US Opens in 2001 and 2004 with the Tracy YES putter (named after his wife).

[I’ll have to remind “my” Tracy about the lofty traditions this weekend and suggest things haven’t really been up to scratch lately. Furyk’s two foot winning putt on Sunday seems to be about as much as she can manage of late.]

When asked if he would use the putter during the Ryder Cup, Furyk responded, “I putted with it in Chicago where I was struggling with the greens because they were slow and I liked it there, and these were very quick and I liked it here. It will go with me. It will be used either way.”

The Sophia putter is a heel-shafted, traditional blade putter made with 304 stainless steel head and a titanium-carbon finish. YES! Golf’s newest version of the Sophia is the Morgan putter, a multi-material head construction for high MOI. The Morgan was named to the 2010 Golf Digest Hot List.

The winner of the Tour Championship bought the 2nd hand Sophia for US $39. He said: “It’s got a nick on the back flange, it’s got a little ding in the top line and the way the grip is on it, it might be slightly off centre but that’s kind of how I like it anyway. I guess we were meant to be, who knows.”

Meant for each other is a huge understatement. Since the switch, he has earned more than US$1.5 million and an additional US$10 million in bonus.

This week, YES! Golf expects to have three putters in play during the Ryder Cup — Sophia, Callie and Mollie.

YES! Golf does not pay tour players to use its putters but they have several players on each tour using the putters.

On the European Tour, YES! averages about 15 putters in play each week and has recorded four wins this year on tour and one on the Nationwide Tour.

YES! putters were also in used at the U.S. Open, U.S Women’s Open, U.S. Senior PGA Championship and the NCAA Division I Men’s Championships.

For nearly 10 years, Yes! Golf C-Groove putters, based in Denver, Co., have been used by the winning professional golfer in over 100 tournaments in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa.

“C-Groove technology, multi-material head construction and cutting edge designs continue to help professionals and amateur golfers worldwide reach their highest playing performance. With over 40% of every golfer’s strokes being made on the green, the putter is the most important club in your bag,” the company said.

CARLSBAD, Calif.

The Burner ball promotes extraordinary distance through high launch and longer carry; the Burner Tour’s soft and thin cover promotes softer feel, higher spin and increased control.

“When we designed the Burner and Burner Tour, we developed core formulations that promote maximum velocity, which translates to maximum distance,” said Dean Snell, senior director of golf ball research and development.

“To achieve a significant improvement in greenside spin and performance in Burner Tour, we’ve employed the softest and thinnest two-piece cover of any TaylorMade ball. With the new Burner, the goal was to limit driver-spin and promote maximum carry, which could only be accomplished by combining a soft core and slightly firmer cover.”

 REACT^® Core for Phenomenally Fast Yet Incredibly Soft Performance

Both the Burner and Burner Tour golf balls incorporate TaylorMade’s proprietary REACT Core design to promote exceptionally fast ball speed while maintaining soft performance. Both employ soft core compressions, the Burner at 35 and the Burner Tour at 45. However, the Burner Tour’s thinner and softer cover reduces its overall compression below that of Burner. As a result, the Burner Tour delivers incredibly soft feel and added spin around the green.

LDP Dimple Technology Promotes Improved Lift for More Distance

TaylorMade’s Low-Drag Performance (LDP) aerodynamics have been incorporated into the premium 342 LDP dimple pattern used in both the Burner and Burner Tour, which promotes improved lift for more distance.

Softer Yet More Durable Iothane^TM Cover

Although the Burner and Burner Tour incorporate slightly different cover properties — the Burner employs an Iothane^TM 60D cover while the Burner Tour employs an even softer Iothane 57D cover — both are exceptionally soft and resilient while also offering outstanding durability and shear-resistance.

Pricing and Availability

The Burner and Burner Tour become available at retail starting on Friday, October 15. Street price is US$19.99 per dozen Burner and US$21.99 per dozen Burner Tour.

THE combination of distance and ease of use have made TaylorMade’s Burner irons very popular, especially with mid and higher handicap players, since their release some 18 moths ago.

The Burner irons have been amongst the overall best selling in golf and TaylorMade say they became the most successful irons in the company’s history.

Now TaylorMade have announced an upgrade, the Burner 2.0 irons, which the company says, are engineered to combine the celebrated distance with more feel and playability.

“We’ve succeeded at creating a better-performing iron with the Burner 2.0, which is just as long, easier to play and more refined in its feel and sound,” said Bret Wahl, senior director of research and development for irons, wedges and putters.

“Every Burner 2.0 iron is better than its predecessor and, when compared against the longest, best-selling iron we’ve ever made, that says something truly significant.”

The difference starts with the look with the Burner 2.0′s two-toned “Burner Black” PVD finish, which is more durable and resists glare.

But the stated improvements are more than skin deep, with multiple club properties in the Burner 2.0 irons enhanced to promote distance, uniform distance-gaps, improved playability and more satisfying feel and sound.

The result, TaylorMade claims, is that each Burner 2.0 iron outperforms the first-generation Burner.

“We applied innovative thinking and concepts to irons when we introduced the original Burner and created a club revolutionary in its performance,” said Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade manager of iron development.

“Now we’ve taken the best high-performance iron in golf and made it better with the Burner 2.0.”

Improved Weight Distribution to Optimize Ball Flight in Short-, Middle- and Long-Irons
Weight distribution varies in every Burner 2.0 clubhead to improve long-, middle- and short-iron ball flight.

In the long-irons, weight has been shifted toward the back of the head, to promote easy launch, and toward the toe and heel, to promote greater stability and forgiveness.

In the middle-irons, weight is distributed more evenly and slightly higher to promote workability while still providing forgiveness.

In the short-irons, weight is positioned even higher, to promote a lower, more controllable ball flight, and centered, to promote increased clubhead control.

Other features include:

• Differing face thickness in every iron to promote more speed and distance in the long-irons, more feel and control in the short-irons.
• Progressive topline thickness, improved multi-functional sole and taylormade’s renowned inverted cone technology
• Longer, easier to hit long-irons
• Improved Vibration-Management System
• New Flight-Control Shaft Design and “Burner Black” Finish
  
  

Set Makeup, Pricing and Availability
Burner 2.0 irons are offered in four shaft flexes – S, R, M, L. Ladies’ flex shafts will be offered in the 5-iron through pitching wedge, attack wedge and sand wedge.

The standard Burner 2.0 set includes eight irons offered at a street price of US$699 with steel shafts in the irons and US$899 with graphite shaft in the irons.

Availability begins at retail on Friday, October 8.