News
2009 Callaway Golf Apparel
Callaway has introduced new apparel products for the Spring 2009 season. I was able to get information and pictures about the new offerings and had a chance to correspond with the company president.
Callaway Golf Apparel – Performance Center/X-Core
Performance Center is the technical performance area that houses all X-Series 100% Polyester and X-Series C-Tech (Cotton/Polyester) product ranges. Technical apparel is still the key ingredient to Callaway’s success and by adding more cotton based tech products such as C-Tech they are able to cover a broader-based consumer who remains loyal to the brand. C-Tech was launched in Spring 2008 to compliment the X-Series line and sold out without any advertising. Fashion Classics pave the way in the Performance Center line for Spring 2009. Great new key items are styled with stripes and paired up with fresh new solids look new and exciting in both X-Series and C-tech fabrications. New wrinkle-free performance cotton bottoms match up nicely with the popular Hex utility pocket short and also the X-Tour Pant and Short. Also, to round out the groups is a terrific selection of outerwear that will surely satisfy the needs of all weather conditions (Rain, Wind, Warm)
Callaway Golf Men’s Collection – Country Club
The Spring 2009 season has a terrific color palette of great jewel tones such as Nantucket, Centennial, Coral Rose, Evergreen, and Summer Blue, cut with Nautical Navy and White to round out the offering. The FT-Performance range of Luxury Knitwear, which has been very well received due to its high performance and luxury look and feel for Fall 2008, has been expanded into a larger offering for the Spring 2009 season. To compliment FT is a new range of collection knitwear that is mercerized cotton/polyester blend for the traditionalist looking for a performance knit but enjoys the hand feel of cotton. They call this product CT Performance and it is the value driven performance product within the Callaway Men’s Collection. Also on the tee box is the new easy care wrinkle free 50’s 2-ply Supima Cotton bottoms (CT-Tour) that shares the spotlight and matches up nicely with the FT Performance and CT Performance knits. Color is the key element here and the cuts of the shirts are very classic and meticulously detailed as a true collection product should be.
Callaway Golf Women’s Collection – Elements
Based on the success of the Callaway Women’s technical fashion apparel they are introducing a new C-Tech range in the new Women’s category named “Elements“. The Callaway Women’s apparel business has grown over 100% in the last 2 years and they see this as an opportunity to expand once again and promote the brand by expanding the range in this dynamic lifestyle area. The key ingredient is in the fabric which is comprised of Micro Pima/Polyester blends that wick and have that a soft luxury hand feel. Fashion bright colors cut with Nautical Navy and White in Sporty Sleeveless looks, micro stripes/tonal color block polos, and ¾ sleeve length polo set the tone here. The look is rounded out with new polyester microfiber mechanical stretch twill bottoms that come in a Metropolitan length that has a 22” out seam, a casual 20” short, and also a new hip looking 18” button front skort. Elements is a core performance basic offering of women’s products that will complement the popular performance tech collections.
A Word With Steve Pena, President of Callaway Golf Apparel
I had the opportunity to ask the President of Callaway Golf Apparel, Steve Pena, a few questions about the new 2009 clothing line.
With the new clothing line, is Callaway looking to be the dominant presence in apparel as it is on the equipment side?
"Of course we always strive to mirror the efforts and success of the Callaway Golf Co, but with apparel it is more of a on and off the course situation. "Beyond the Fairway", so to speak. We try and mirror some of the technical marketing and technology aspects of the hard goods side into apparel. Fusion Technology, which has been the high end technology at Callaway, has been introduced as FT Performance in the Men’s Apparel Collection. This special fabric in the FT Performance line was developed by scratch using Tencel and a polyester microfiber core yarn. The final result is a very rich, luxurious “easy care“ product that looks like mercerized shirts but performs miles above normal cotton fabrics due to the nature of the yarn. No pilling, no shrinkage, non fading are the key benefits to this product range. Having new technologies such as FT Performance in the line creates a leadership position."
What sets Callaway apart from other golf apparel lines?
"Technology, style, fit, comfort, and performance just to name a few key elements. I am not interested in looking at other brands too much as that can be a distraction. If you are looking for innovation (being that my background is in high end better sportswear market) I always look to the luxury brands for inspiration along with my own ideas that has given us over the last 3 years a nice foundation. And it has created a nice following in the marketplace. It’s nice to have a label like Callaway on the product, but the product must be superior first before the logo goes on the garment."
What is the main goal of the 2009 Men’s line? 2009 Women’s line?
"To continue pushing innovation, balance, and good fit. I think the next big push you are going to see is better fitting Men’s apparel. The oversized, relaxed fit is not as important anymore to the market. With the surge of the some of the younger guys on tour, the 40+ guy now is in the gym and taking better care of himself and he want to wear apparel that compliments him without having him looking like he is trying too hard to look young. I never use the words "slim fit" as this can be misinterpreted, however I like the term "Comfort Performance ".
Women’s to me is all about being special and creating a unique feel that has its own identity. We have a loyal following right now that has really bought into our stylized tech performance products. I like using Prints a lot and we have a matte jersey fabric in the line that prints beautifully. The Women’s Callaway Collection line is sexy, spirited, and has a high level of sophistication to it that set us apart from the masses."
What can we expect for the line in the future? What sort of evolution do you see? Do you plan to keep the "traditional golf look" or venture into other progressive golf designs?
"Being that Callaway is a global brand, the customer base ranges from 18-70 and that is my target goal when approaching the line. We do have traditional golf looks but have a twist to them to make them modern. The lines for both Men’s and Women’s are very modern, but not too directional as we find through market surveys that the 40+ customer tends to be more loyal to the brand and has grown up with the brand as opposed to a younger demographic. We have a younger male following 20 – 30 years of age that has emerged over the last few years and they are the ones that we want to keep entertained with new products without losing sight of those who are already loyal enthusiasts. It’s a balancing act in the end, keeping consistent and forward thinking. I would like everyone who enjoys Callaway products to wear our apparel, and those who don’t use the equipment to become believers in the brand."
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
News
Morning 9: Tiger confirms playing schedule | Player: This caused Tiger’s downfall
|
- LIKE1
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL1
- IDHT1
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
GolfWRX is on site this week in McKinney, Texas, at the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (FKA the AT&T Byron Nelson).
Last year at TPC Craig Ranch, Jason Day ended a five-year winless streak. J-Day is in the field again, as are Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Will Zalatoris.
We have our usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums for your perusal. As always, we’ll continue to add links to additional albums as they make their way to us from the Lone Star State.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Monday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #1
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #2
- 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Pierceson Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kris Kim – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- David Nyfjall – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Jarred Jetter – North Texas PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Richy Werenski – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Wesley Bryan – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Parker Coody – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Peter Kuest – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Blaine Hale, Jr. – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Kelly Kraft – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Rico Hoey – WITB – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Pullout Albums
- Adam Scott’s 2 new custom L.A.B. Golf putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Scotty Cameron putters – 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Ben Griffin playing Maxfli golf ball
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
- LIKE10
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
News
Vincenzi’s 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson betting preview: International talent to shine
As anticipation mounts for the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla in a few weeks, the PGA Tour makes a pit stop in McKinney, Texas to play The CJ CUP Byron Nelson.
Last year was the third time TPC Craig Ranch hosted the Byron Nelson. Prior to 2021, the event was held at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.
TPC Craig Ranch is a 7,414-yard par-71 that features Bentgrass greens. The event historically plays relatively easy, and that has remained the case in the three editions at TPC Craig Ranch.
The course structure may provide some additional intrigue with the par-3 17th featuring a stadium setup called “Ranch 17” which is reminiscent of the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. The course also has both long and difficult par-4s mixed with drivable par-4s, which should create some exciting moments.
There are 156 golfers in the field this week, and many stars will be taking the week off to prepare for 2023’s second major championship in a few weeks and a “signature event” at Quail Hollow next week. Notable players in the field include Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Sungjae Im, Stephan Jaeger, Tom Kim, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Alex Noren, Adam Scott and Will Zalatoris.
Past Winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson
- 2023: Jason Day (-23 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2022: K.H. Lee (-26 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2021: K.H. Lee (-25 at TPC Craig Ranch)
- 2019: Sung Kang (-23)
- 2018: Aaron Wise (-23)
- 2017: Billy Horschel (-12)
- 2016: Sergio Garcia (-15)
- 2015: Steven Bowditch (-18)
Key Stats at TPC Craig Ranch
Let’s take a look at five key metrics for TPC Craig Ranch to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach remains the best measure of current form.
Hot iron play will be at a premium this week. Last year, Jason Day gained 6.4 strokes on approach, which was fourth in the field. In 2022, K.H. Lee was ninth in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining 5.2 strokes. In his 2021 victory, he was second in the field and gained 8.3 strokes on the field in the category.
Strokes Gaines: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Tom Hoge (+1.12)
- Keith Mitchell (+1.02)
- Henrik Norlander (+0.99)
- Ryan Moore (+0.98)
- Ben Martin (0.80)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Fairways are wide at TPC Craig Ranch.
Distance will certainly be helpful, and there aren’t too many difficult holes on the course. Golfers who put themselves in position off of the tee this week should have a sizable advantage.
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee Over Past 24 Rounds
- Peter Kuest (+0.93)
- Kevin Daugherty (+0.91)
- Alejandro Tosti (+0.83)
- Keith Mitchell (+0.82)
- Kevin Tway (+0.74)
Birdie or Better %
There aren’t many hazards on the course, and all of the par-5s should be reachable in two for the majority of the players in the field. I am anticipating a birdie fest, and this statistic should be helpful in finding the birdie-makers.
Birdie or Better % Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Wesley Bryan (31%)
- Kelly Kraft (26.2%)
- Peter Kuest (25.9%)
- Matti Schmid (25.7%
- Jimmy Stanger (25.2%)
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
Many golfers on TOUR have some major putting surface variance in their statistics and prefer Bentgrass to other surfaces.
Bentgrass is common in Texas, and we often see golfers who play well in Texas continue to do so, finding a great feel around the greens.
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass) Over Past 24 Rounds:
- Maverick McNealy (+0.92)
- Aaron Baddeley (+0.87)
- Callum Tarren (+0.86)
- Harry Hall (+0.81)
- Nick Hardy (+0.69)
Course History
This statistic will tell us which players have performed the best at TPC Craig Ranch over the past three seasons.
Course History Over Past 12 Rounds:
- Jordan Spieth (+2.69)
- K.H. Lee (+2.59)
- Seamus Power (+1.84)
- Ryan Palmer (+1.76)
- Adam Scott (+1.72)
CJ CUP Byron Nelson Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), SG: OTT (24%), Birdie or Better % (18%), Course History (17%) and SG: Putting Bentgrass (16%).
- Alex Noren
- Adam Scott
- Keith Mitchell
- Si Woo Kim
- Stephen Jaeger
- Jordan Spieth
- Jhonnatan Vegas
- Nate Lashley
- Brice Garnett
- Tom Hoge
2024 CJ CUP Byron Nelson Picks
Byeong Hun An +3000 (DraftKings)
Byeong Hun put together an excellent performance at The Masters, finishing T16, which ties his best ever finish at a major championship (also T16 at 2019 U.S. Open). The South Korean gained 9.16 strokes from tee to green, which ranked 2nd in the field behind only the champion, Scottie Scheffler.
An’s next start at Harbour Town didn’t go as well (67th), but he still had a fantastic ball striking week. The 32-year-old bled strokes both around and on the greens, which was his eventual undoing. In his past three starts, An has gained significant strokes on the field both off the tee and on approach.
Benny had a strong start at last year’s Byron Nelson, finishing in a tie for 14th. With limited challenges on the course, he shouldn’t have to do much scrambling. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 17th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 17th in the field in birdie or better percentage. The putter is up and down per usual, but his ceiling putting weeks with his LAB Golf putter in 2024 are higher than they’ve been in past seasons.
An is starting to become my “white whale” of the PGA Tour, but I believe in his talent and TPC Craig Ranch is a course that should suit his excellent tee to green play.
Mackenzie Hughes +5500 (FanDuel)
Mackenzie Hughes is quietly putting together a very good season. He finished in a tie for 3rd at the Valspar Championship and followed that up with a T14 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
In his past 36 rounds in Texas, the Canadian ranks 5th in the field in Strokes Gained: Total. Last year, he finished in a tie for 14th at this event and gained strokes putting and off the tee. Mackenzie played well that week despite being in extremely poor form. He missed two cuts in a row prior to the event, and four consecutive cuts immediately after. His irons were off that week, but in 2024, we’ve seen an improvement in Hughes’ approach game. He now comes to the event playing some steady golf. He’s gained strokes on approach in four of his past five events and is hitting the ball very well from tee to green.
Hughes has two victories on the PGA Tour, both coming in relatively low-scoring affairs (-17 in each). He will need to go a bit deeper to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson but has the type of putter that can keep pace in a birdie barrage.
Seamus Power +7000 (FanDuel)
After struggling over the past few seasons with injuries, Seamus Power seems as if he is rounding back into the form that made him a really consistent player on the PGA Tour.
Power finished T12 in his most recent start at the RBC Heritage, which is encouraging considering it was a “signature event” with a very strong field. For the week, the Irishman gained 4.4 strokes on approach and 2.8 strokes putting, which is the combination he’s used in the past to contend on Tour.
In his three trips to TPC Craig Ranch, Power is yet to finish outside of the top-20, with his best finish being a T9 in 2019. He ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course. The 37-year-old thrives on easy tracks and has won in 2021 (Barbasol Championship) and 2022 (Butterfield Bermuda) on easier layouts with weaker fields.
Power has the game to go extremely low and I believe he can get back in the winner’s circle for the third time in four years.
Chan Kim +10000 (FanDuel)
Chan Kim has been striking the ball beautifully this season and is a proven winner with two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 as well as eight career Japan Tour wins.
At last week’s Zurich Classic, Kim and his partner Doug Ghim finished in a tie for 28th. Prior to that, the South Korean T14 at the Valero Texas Open and T6 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. His success this season in Texas as well as he propensity to play his best golf on the PGA Tour’s easier courses make him and ideal fit for TPC Craig Ranch.
2024 has given plenty of longshot winners on the PGA Tour, and with a birdie fest like this, I believe there’s a strong chance we get another this week in McKinney, Texas.
Alejandro Tosti +10000 (FanDuel)
Alejandro Tosti is one of the most polarizing players on the PGA Tour thus far in the 2024 season. His antics can rub many the wrong way, but he’s shown on a few occasions that he has what it takes to compete in Tour events.
This season, Tosti has been elite off the tee. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 2nd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee. The Argentine hits it long and straight, which works at any course on earth. He got a taste of contention a few starts ago at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, finishing in a tie for 2nd place.
Tosti had a fantastic year in 2023 on the Korn Ferry Tour, where going low is a prerequisite to success. If this turns to a shootout, which it likely will, the 27-year-old has the ability to set the pace. Tosti will look to become the second Argentine to win in Texas in the past two seasons after Emiliano Grillo emerged victorious at last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
C.T. Pan +15000 (FanDuel)
Outside of a T3 at the Mexico Open, C.T. Pan doesn’t have strong results this season in terms of finishes. However, over his past two starts, Pan’s iron play has come alive. At The Players, he gained 6.6 strokes on approach. At the Valero Texas Open, he gained 3.7. At last week’s Zurich Classic, Pan and his partner Kevin Yu finished T28. For a player who can get extremely hot with his scoring clubs, I believe he’s playing better than the results have shown over the past month or so.
Last season, Pan finished 4th at TPC Craig Ranch and was spectacular across all the major stat categories. In his past 36 qualifying rounds, he ranks 16th in Strokes Gained: Total in Texas.
Pan has won on the PGA Tour at the RBC Heritage and is always a player that I believe has what it takes to win on a Sunday if he finds himself in contention.
- LIKE16
- LEGIT10
- WOW3
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP3
- OB0
- SHANK4
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
-
19th Hole3 weeks ago
Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
-
19th Hole1 week ago
LET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
Equipment3 weeks ago
Jason Day on his recent switch into Srixon ZX5 and ZX7 Mk II irons
G.L.Nichols
Jan 9, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I realize that the 2009 products show will not occur for another couple of weeks, but has Callaway produced any additional club information? -30- GLN