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Callaway Golf
reports that Jim Thorpe used new Hawk Eye VFT Tungsten Injected Titanium
Irons in his win on the Senior Tour last week, as well as a Callaway Rule
35 golf ball. Dean Wilson, who won in Japan, used the ERC II Forged Titanium
Driver and the same ball in his victory. Straight 8 Golf
introduces a 310cc-head titanium driver with an octagonal shaft that helps
reduce torque and enables a 5 percent faster swing speed with the same
effort. The driver is currently available for purchase. More players wore
CHAMP golf spikes more than any other at the LPGA's State Farm
Classic, according to Darrell Survey. CHAMP golf spikes were worn by 62
golfers while the closest competitor had 49 spikes in play.
Lloyd Miller
joins shaft-maker Aldila's Board of Directors. He replaces Vincent
Gorguze, who retired at age 84. Deere & Company
names David M. Purvis as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology
Officer. Purvis is the company's first CTO.
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Commentary As 17-year-olds, Ty Tryon and Kevin Na are excellent golfers. Both have done well, though not dominated, in high school and junior competition. And now both boys have decided to jump into the world of professional golf feet first, before earning so much as a high school diploma. College coaches and current professionals have weighed in on that decision -- almost all shaking their heads and lamenting the missed opportunities of the college experience. Phil Mickelson called it "an immature and ill-advised decision" to turn pro without playing in college. John Cook, who's helped coach Tryon, said he thinks no 17- or 18-year-old can handle the emotional pressure. And there are even calls to set an age limit on PGA Tour Qualifying School participants. The LPGA Tour already makes being 18 years old a prerequisite for holding a Tour card. But golf doesn't need an age limit. No physical barrier prevents a teen-ager from competing, such as exists in rough-and-tumble sports like football and basketball. No one can predict which personalities can stand up to the grind of life on tour, no matter how old or young. No one should be preventing these players from earning a paycheck, if they have the talent to do so. Perhaps parents play a key role in sending a golfer out on Tour at such a young age. But in golf, with no multi-million dollar contracts for participation, the golfer has to have the desire and determination to make it work. And an outside person, even a parent, can't force that inner passion for the game that great champions have all boasted. Tryon may or may not play his way to a PGA Tour victory. Na probably won't best Tiger Woods' accomplishments anytime soon. But both golfers deserve a chance to play with the pros, regardless of whether they are emotionally mature enough to handle the rigors of the Tour. It's a decision each individual should be allowed to make.
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