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TaylorMade Tour Staff Professionals to Use Special Edition Hats and Bags at British Open; Hats Available at Retail
Contact John Steinbach
TaylorMade-adidas Golf
760-918-6330
john.steinbach@tmag.com
CARLSBAD, Calif. (July 8, 2003) - TaylorMade Tour Staff professionals
participating at this year's British Open Championship at Royal St. George's
will each wear a special edition hat and use a special edition staff
bag. Both items feature a felt patch onto which is embroidered a distinctive
icon inspired by the British Open and Royal St. George's. Designed by
TaylorMade's Global Design Department, this icon reflects the rich history
of both the Open Championship and Royal St. George's by incorporating
the following elements:
- The colors red and white, which figure prominently in Royal St. George's club flag.
- Three tones of gray, representing the area's frequently overcast skies and rainy weather.
- A crown, which represents the United Kingdom.
- A red cross on a white field, which pays tribute to an old club flag that has hung from the same pole on the golf course for so long that the coastal elements have worn away the outer end, so that now the cross appears closer to the frayed edge.
- The number "5," because Sandwich is one of what became known in Roman and Saxon times as the "Confederation of Cinque Ports" (cinque is the French word for five) and which were the first line of defense against invaders from the mainland of Europe.
- A castle tower, which represents the region in which Royal St. George's is located.
- The icon also includes the TaylorMade logo, as well as the number 8624 which, on a telephone keypad, corresponds to the letters TMAG - TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
Hats include a woven tab on the back featuring a broken bottle, a ball and the number "1949," references to the 1949 Open Championship, won by South Africa's Bobby Locke in a 36-hole playoff over Ireland's Harry Bradshaw. Bradshaw might have won had he not, during regulation play, encountered his ball lying within the remnants of a broken bottle that had apparently held whiskey. Bradshaw played the ball rather than wait for a ruling, and dropped two shots on the hole. Hats are available to the public in limited quantities through TaylorMade's worldwide retail partners, and are offered in vintage red. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $20.
"The Open Championship is an event like no other," says Craig Barez, Creative Director for TaylorMade. "Golf lives there; you can breathe it and feel it. This special icon is a way for us to express our admiration and respect for what we consider to be one of the greatest sporting events in the world."
TaylorMade's special edition staff bags combine three colors - vintage red, cream and black -- and include TaylorMade's British Open icon embroidered onto a large felt patch sewn onto the front. Two bags have been manufactured for each participating TaylorMade Tour Staff member, who will keep the bag that he uses in the tournament, and autograph the other. The autographed bags will be donated to The Golf Foundation, an English charity to whom TaylorMade-adidas regularly contributes equipment, autographed products and player appearances. The Golf Foundation, which is also the nominated charity of the Royal & Ancient, intends to auction the bags at various charity events to be staged during the rest of the year. Money raised is intended to be invested back into golf development programs in which The Golf Foundation is involved.
Players using TaylorMade's special edition bags and wearing the hats at Royal St. George's will include Fred Couples, Mike Weir, Darren Clarke, Rich Beem, Justin Rose, K.J. Choi, Sergio Garcia, Kenny Perry, Peter Lonard, Paul McGinley and Tom Lehman.
About Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. dba TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company
TaylorMade Golf has led the golf industry's technological evolution since being founded in 1979. In 1998 the company joined with adidas Golf, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of adidas-Salomon AG. Dedicated to being the best performance golf company in the world, consumers can find more information on TaylorMade-adidas Golf at (800) 888-CLUB or www.tmag.com, www.taylormadegolf.com, www.adidasgolf.com, www.maxfli.com or www.rossaputters.com.