The new Callaway Tour i(s) ball
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Callaway is set to launch in January a new ball - the Callaway Tour i(s) - which has already been making waves by claiming two of the top three places in the HSBC World championship in Shanghai at the weekend.
Ernie Els and Ryan Moore both used the Tour i(s) in finishing behind Phil Mickelson, who completed a clean sweep for Callaway by using the Callaway Tour ix ball that he's had in play for most of the year.
Said Els after firing a 63 to set the clubhouse target on Sunday and had a hole-in-one on only the second day he started using it: "It's a different texture of ball. and it's what I've been looking forward to. It would have been unbelievable if I could have won with Tour i(s), both for Callaway and myself. I'm looking forward to the future now and I think my equipment is now spot on."
The Callaway i(s) has a four-piece construction with dual core designed to maximise spin from the new grooves introduced by the USGA and R&A for Tour play from January 1. The two cores, says Callaway create "spin separation" for softer, greenside wedge shots and less spin with the driver.
"When you have a high-compression outer core, the ball retains its shape when you hit wedge shots. That gives you more spin," says Steve Ogg, Callaway vice president of golf ball research and development. "Off the driver, the force makes its way to the inside of the golf ball and the really soft inner core compresses and reduces the spin off the driver."
In winning the HSBC event, Mickelson used a 7.5-degree Callaway FT-9 Tour Authentic driver with a Mitsubishi Fubuki 73x shaft, a Callaway Big Bertha Diablo 3-wood (15 degrees) and his prototype Callaway PM hybrid (22 degrees) with a Mitsubishi Thump shaft. He used Callaway X prototype irons, X forged wedges (56, 60 and 64 degrees) and Odyssey White Hot XG PM Blade putter.
