Black Widow Cleats By Softspikes Open PGA Tour Season On Top Again

Contact Kelly Elbin
VP of Communications
Softspikes, Inc.
KElbin@softspikes.com

(January 4, 2002) -- The best players trust the best cleat once they have used it. So it only follows that Black Widow cleats by Softspikes have started the 2002 campaign in the same spot they held throughout 2001 -- as the No. 1 cleat on the PGA Tour.

According to figures from the independent Darrell Survey, more than 53 percent of the field at the season-opening Mercedes Championships in Hawaii are wearing Black Widow cleats by Softspikes. Champ, the next-closest cleat competitor, has just one cleat in play at the Mercedes.

In all, Black Widow cleats account for 85 percent of the non-metal spikes being worn at the Mercedes Championships.

Here are the Darrell Survey figures for the Mercedes Championships:

Softspikes Brand (all Black Widow) 17 (53.1 percent of the field)
Metal spikes 12
adidas 1
Champ 1
Nike 1

It should be noted that on the 2001 PGA Tour:

* More players wore Black Widow cleats than all other non-metal spikes combined at all 44 of the events at which the independent Darrell Survey conducted surveys on cleats and spikes.

* At 36 of those 44 events, including the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship, more players wore Black Widow cleats than metal spikes.

* Eighteen (18) official events were won by players wearing Black Widow cleats, compared to 16 "wins" last year. No other plastic cleat posted a "victory" in 2001. Since 1997, a total of 76 PGA Tour events have been won by players wearing Softspikes brand cleats.

* The winner of the PGA Championship wore Black Widow cleats. Since 1997, five major championships (one per year) have been won by players wearing Black Widow cleats.

* Upwards of 13 times as many players wore Softspikes brand cleats than the next-closest cleat competitor, Champ, in an event.

The best players in the world wear Black Widow cleats because of the ultimate traction and comfort Black Widow cleats provide them. Softspikes encourage all golfers to maximize their performance by checking their cleats every 10 rounds. They just may need a change.

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