‘Fore Words’ from the Inbox …

Signings:

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FootJoy, the #1 Shoe in Golf and #1 Shoe on every Tour Worldwide, announced that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Padraig Harrington. Following a historic 2008 season in which he captured two major championships, was named PGA Tour Player of the Year and The European Tour Golfer of the Year, Harrington will add yet another “#1” to his resume when he laces up the #1 Shoe in Golf in 2009

Harrington will wear the new SYNR-G shoe, which debuts January 1. A perfect combination of comfort and stability, SYNR-G is engineered for players such as Harrington who possess higher swing speeds and demand additional support and motion control in their golf shoes.

“FootJoy is a brand that just about every golfer is brought up wearing, and I’m no different,” said Harrington. “The belief is, and you’ve got to have this, that you are playing the very best shoes you can get, and that gives you an edge over the field. The new SYNR-G shoes from FootJoy are fantastic. They support the foot well throughout the golf swing, which is so important to hitting solid, powerful shots.”

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Callaway Golf announced the signing of PGA Tour veteran Stuart Appleby to a multi-year contract. Appleby, winner of eight PGA Tour events, will endorse all Callaway Golf equipment and golf balls, carry a Callaway Golf branded bag, and feature the company’s logo on his headwear.

“Stuart is a quality person who embodies everything Callaway Golf looks for in a partner,” said Nick Raffaele, Vice President of Sports Marketing, Callaway Golf. “He’s a proven winner and we’re excited to have him on our staff as he pursues more success on the PGA Tour and ultimately, a major championship.”

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Interested in the on-going patent infringement litigation surrounding the PRO V1?

as per Acushnet >> TITLEIST PRO V1 LITIGATION FACT SHEET

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR MARKETS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Many questions have arisen in connection with the ongoing litigation between Acushnet Company and Callaway Golf regarding certain patents and Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x golf balls. To avoid any misunderstandings, below are some Frequently Asked Questions and Acushnet Company’s responses. Throughout this list, we refer to “Pro V1” golf balls. These responses apply equally to Pro V1x golf balls.

Does the court ruling apply outside the United States?
No. The court ruling does not apply outside the United States. The court order puts no restriction on the sale or use of any Pro V1 products outside of the U.S.

Can golfers play and purchase Titleist Pro V1 golf balls now and after January 1, 2009?
Yes. Golfers can play and purchase Titleist Pro V1 golf balls with confidence. All Pro V1 golf balls (those golfers might already own and any new purchases) conform to USGA and R&A rules and are legal for play and purchase. Golf Shops can continue to order and take delivery of Pro V1 golf balls now and after January 1, 2009.

Can Tour players play Titleist Pro V1 golf balls now and after January 1, 2009?
Yes. Tour players can play Titleist Pro V1 golf balls with confidence. Pro V1 is and will remain available to all Titleist golf ball players on the worldwide professional tours and can be played both before and after January 1, 2009. If the injunction is not put on hold, Tour events in the United States will be supplied with converted Pro V1 models that are outside of the scope of the patents in questions or New 2009 Pro V1 golf balls. The performance and quality of the converted production are indistinguishable from the current products and the converted products have been Tour validated.

Will New 2009 Pro V1 golf balls perform differently?
As Titleist has always done throughout its 75 year history, we introduce new and improved golf balls when we have a better performing product. We introduced new Pro V1 products in 2003, 2005, 2007 and will introduce new products in 2009. The New 2009 Pro V1 models will perform differently from and better than the current Pro V1 models. Titleist has tested prototypes extensively with Tour players this fall and player feedback has been extremely favorable. Players on the worldwide professional tours can put the New 2009 Pro V1 models into competitive play when most Tours resume their schedules in January 2009. The New 2009 models will feature different sidestamps and packaging and appear as different listings on the USGA and R&A Conforming Ball List.

When can golfers play New 2009 Pro V1 golf balls?
Titleist will launch New 2009 Pro V1 golf balls in early 2009. The technology and construction of New 2009 Pro V1 golf balls are outside the scope of the patents.

Does Callaway use the technology in these patents in its golf balls?
No.

What is this litigation about?
Pro V1
Titleist introduced the Pro V1 golf ball, based on its own technological advancements and research, in 2000. Pro V1 golf balls incorporate the combination of many Titleist technologies developed and accumulated over the past 20 years. Acushnet Company is the golf ball industry technology leader, with over 650 active golf ball patents – more than any other manufacturer. Over 65 of these patents cover the Pro V1 family.

The patents
Spalding received 4 patents in 2001 and 2003, well after the Pro V1 was developed and introduced. Callaway acquired these patents when they purchased Spalding in 2003. We believe these patents are invalid and should never have been issued in the first place. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office agrees with Acushnet. It has reexamined the patents and issued final actions that all 4 of these patents are invalid and should never have been issued.

The trial
Callaway filed suit in 2006, claiming that our Pro V1 golf balls infringe these 4 patents. In 2007, a jury found partially in favor of Callaway and partially in favor of Acushnet.

The appeal
We disagree with the trial court’s ruling, especially as the court did not permit the jury to consider very important evidence, including the fact that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued actions that all four patents are invalid. We believe that this resulted in the trial court coming to the wrong conclusion. We will appeal this case to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, who will consider this important evidence.

The injunction
Callaway asked the lower court for an order stopping Acushnet from selling golf balls covered by the patents. We believe that this was inappropriate for several reasons, including the jury’s “split decision”, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s actions that all 4 patents are invalid, Callaway’s years’ long delay in bringing suit, and the fact that Callaway does not use these patents. The lower court ruled that Acushnet may not sell Pro V1 golf balls covered by the patents after January 1, 2009. It is important to note that the court order does not apply to markets outside the U.S.

Litigation next steps
Acushnet will ask the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals to put the injunction on hold while the appeal is decided. We believe we have a very strong basis for that request, including the fact that the appeals court will consider the patent office decisions rejecting the four patents. If our request is granted, the injunction will not come into effect in the United States.

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The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) announces Canada’s 2009 National Amateur Team.

In all, eight players will comprise Team Canada including four on the women’s side and four on the men’s. Team Canada welcomes back five returning players, one rookie and a pair of former Development Team members graduating to the amateur ranks.

On the women’s side, Team Canada will have a veteran presence as all four members – Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., Kira Meixner of Richmond, B.C., Maude-Aimée LeBlanc of Windsor, Que. and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. – are returnees from last year’s squad.

All four players enjoyed tremendous success in 2008. Sherlock captured the Sun Belt Conference Championship as well as the CN Canadian Women’s Tour event in Winnipeg, while topping the 2008 National Women’s Order of Merit. Meixner claimed the 2008 B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship and also earned her DURAMED FUTURES TOUR card; Leblanc took home top-honours at the Quebec Women’s Amateur Championship and tied for fourth in the individual standings of the 2008 World Amateur Team Championship. Kim won a pair of CN Canadian Women’s Tour events en route to capturing the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year Award and also topped the 2008 CN Future Links Junior Girls Order of Merit.

Fresh off a solid 2008 season, Team Canada veteran Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., will anchor the 2009 edition of the Men’s National Amateur Team. Taylor reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Men’s Amateur; tied for second as an individual at the World Amateur Team Championships; tied for second at the NCAA Division 1 finals; finished 53rd at the RBC Canadian Open; and missed the cut by only three strokes at the U.S. Open. The lone holdover from the 2008 squad topped the Men’s National Order of Merit in 2008 and returns for his third year with the National Amateur Team.

Rejoining the National Team program after a year hiatus is Eugene Wong of North Vancouver, B.C., who won the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, as well as the B.C. Junior Boys and Men’s Amateur Championships last year. Wong also finished second at the 2008 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and topped the 2008 CN Future Links Junior Boys Order of Merit.

Matt Hill of Forest, Ont. graduates from the Development Team to the Amateur Team after a stellar season in 2008, while rookie Lindsay Renolds of Christina Lake, B.C. rounds out the men’s squad.

As part of Team Canada, the RCGA also named a 22-and-under Development Team featuring five male and four female athletes. The Development Team is designed to help facilitate the transition for Canada’s top young players from the junior to the senior amateur ranks.

The total number of athletes in the 2009 National Team Program was reduced from 26 to 17 in order to bring a more inclusive program with amplified support to each athlete. In 2008, the Men’s Amateur Team was comprised of six athletes while the Women’s Team featured five athletes. The Men’s Developmental Team’s was reduced from eight players in 2008 while the Women’s Developmental Team was reduced by three players for the 2009 season. One additional male Development Team member will be named to join the team by March 31, 2009.

“We are proud to welcome each of these athletes to Team Canada 2009,” said Jeff Thompson, the RCGA’s Chief Sport Development Officer. “With a concentrated focus on results, we’ve streamlined the size of the team for 2009 in order to deliver a more comprehensive program and increased coaching and sports science support to this collection of our country’s top athletes.”

The following athletes have been selected to the 2009 National Amateur Golf Team:

Women’s National Team

Sue Kim, Langley, B.C.
Maude-Aimée LeBlanc, Windsor, Que.
Kira Meixner, Richmond, B.C.
Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ont.

Men’s National Team

Matt Hill, Forest, Ont.
Lindsay Renolds, Christina Lake, B.C.
Nick Taylor, Abbotsford, B.C.
Eugene Wong, North Vancouver, B.C.

The following athletes have been selected to the 2009 National Development Team (22-and-under):

Women’s Development Team

Anne Catherine Tanguay, Quebec City, Que.
Jennifer Kirby, Paris, Ont.
Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Toronto, Ont.
Nicole Vandermade, Brantford, Ont.

Men’s Development Team

Julien Goulet, St-Roch de l’Achigan, Que.
Richard Jung, Toronto, Ont.
Mathieu Rivard, Granby, Que.
Mitch Sutton, London, Ont.

TBD (*March 31, 2009)

The 2009 coaching team remains intact with Henry Brunton returning as the men’s coach and Dean Spriddle returning as the women’s coach.

The National Amateur Team program is designed to offer athletes a year-round environment which incorporates state of the art coaching and sport science expertise. The intent of this aggressive program is to aid Canada’s top up and coming amateur players in all areas of their development to produce the best golfers in the world.

The program encompasses fitness, sports psychology, nutrition, technique development and exposure in international competition. Leaders in the field of sport science are an integral aspect of building and executing the program from the perspective of mental management, strength and conditioning as well as planning and periodization.

The RCGA’s Player Development programs have helped to foster the development of many Canadian players including; Jon Mills, Alena Sharp, David Hearn; Brad Fritsch; Chris Baryla; Richard Scott; James Lepp; Dustin Risdon; Jessica Shepley and Cindy Pacesnik.

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And on a lighter side, a little humour courtesy of Rick Newell

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