SAN DIEGO, California, – Oct. 27, 2004 – The two players who tied for second at the Funai Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. used Graphite Design International (“GDI”) shafts in their fairway woods and drivers, while the winner of the 2004 Charles Schawb Cup used GDI’s GAT shafts in his irons, according to Darrell Survey.
In just his fourth event playing GDI’s Tour AD shaft, one second place finisher took home $369,600 for the week. The Tour AD has emerged as one of the most popular shafts in Japan, and will soon be introduced to the U.S. market. The other second place finisher used GDI’s DO3 shaft in his fairway wood – the same shaft that has helped him collect over $9.8 million in winnings this year on the PGA Tour.
At the Bridgestone Open on the Japan PGA Tour, GDI won the brand and manufacturers counts by wide margins, as well as the brand count for graphite shafts, with 25 Prototype Models in play. The sweep marked GDI’s 73rd consecutive week holding the No. 1 brand and manufacturer count in the JPGA Tour dating back to the 2002 season.
On the Champions Tour, the winner of the Charles Schwab Cup used GDI’s GAT shafts for irons en route to collecting the season-ending cup bonus of $1 million. This supports the paradigm shift that GDI is setting within the golf-equipment industry: graphite-laden shafts in iron clubs (opposed to more traditional steel shafts).
Commonly known as the “Ultimate in High Performance,” GDI shafts are played weekly by:
- The No. 1 player in the World Golf Rankings
- The Top Two money leaders on the PGA TOUR
- The 2004 Masters and PGA Championship winners
- Two of the three winningest, active players on the PGA TOUR
Statistics related to GDI’s success on the 2004 PGA TOUR to date:
- Played by the leader in Driving Accuracy Percentage
- 19 wins in 42 weeks
- #1 Graphite Shaft Manufacturer (17 times)
- #1 Graphite Shaft Brand (15 times)
- #1 Graphite Shaft Model - YS-6, YS-7 (14 times)
- Players have won more than $56 million with GDI shafts in their golf clubs
“To experience this level of success on three high-profile professional Tours is exhilarating,” says Akio Karashima, CEO of GDI. “Our new product lines, like the Tour AD and PM models, continue to receive the Tour validation that will make them that much more appealing to the average golfer.”
GDI’s supremacy validates that the world’s best players – with their careers and livelihoods on the lines – prefer GDI shafts because their technologically-advanced design and construction help them realize greater distance and accuracy from their golf shots.
GDI shafts specifically promote “Accuracy and Distance.” The core components of the company’s “AD” logo, these key competitive advantages help pros and amateurs optimize their game after switching to GDI shafts.
The company’s new YS Power and PM shafts for drivers and fairway woods, as well as its multi-material GAT (Graphite Alloy Technology) 105 LB and 75 shafts for irons, also result in significant game improvement in the form of superior balance, control, trajectory and impact feedback.
For more information about GDI: 888.707.6132, info@gdintl.com; www.gdintl.com.
