PGA Tour Player Franklin Langham to Endorse Graphite Design International's 'Gat' Shafts

TravelGolf.com Staff Report

SAN DIEGO (MAY 15, 2001) - Graphite Design International ("GDI"), one of the largest manufacturers of golf club shafts worldwide, has signed an Agreement with PGA Tour player Franklin Langham for him to use and endorse GDI's Graphite Alloy Technology ("GAT") shafts.

Langham used the GAT shafts in 2000, when he ranked a career-high 26th on the PGA Tour.

"Graphite Design's GAT shafts perform extremely well for me, and I don't know if I would have ranked so high on the PGA Tour money list without the GAT shafts," says Langham. "At any level of play, golfers should demand and deserve only the most technologically advanced shafts which, unquestionably, are the superior GAT shafts."

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"We are pleased that Graphite Design's GAT shafts figured in Franklin Langham's success on Tour last year," says Dan Brown, GDI's Vice President of Sales and Tour Relations. "Like Greg Norman, Franklin personally selected and used Graphite Design shafts prior to his endorsement of the product."

The GDI-branded GAT shafts are available to consumers. GDI's other brand of shafts, the "YS" line, is used and endorsed by Greg Norman and is available through distributors, retailers and pro shops.

Golfers of various skill levels worldwide are requesting that YS and GAT shafts be used in their golf clubs. Part of this is attributed to these shafts continuing to gain popularity on the PGA Tour. At the recent Greater Greensboro Classic, GDI shafts were played by 2 of the top 5, 5 of the top 10, and 8 of the top 12 finishers.

Additionally, at the Senior PGA Tour's Bruno's Memorial Classic, the winner and third-place finisher played GDI shafts. In 2000, GDI shafts were played by 11 PGA Tour tournament winners. Approximately 85 percent of Japan PGA Tour players use GDI shafts.

About Graphite Design International

GDI was established in Japan in 1988 and its U.S. operation in San Diego in 1998. GDI made its mark manufacturing and selling high-performance shafts to most of golf's major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) worldwide, including the top four companies by sales volume.

GDI's preeminent research-and-development talent and manufacturing technologies led the company to brand its own shafts - the YS and GAT lines - in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

GDI uses more than 142 different types of composite materials within its design portfolio. What gives GDI shafts their competitive advantage is largely a low-resin and high-modulus (stiffness) integration.

GDI shafts' content mix results in golfers' consistently experiencing superior distance, accuracy, balance, control, trajectory, and impact feedback than other shafts on the market. GDI shafts are available in eight weight ranges, multiple flexes and several tip sizes.

For more information about GDI, call (619) 671-0505. To locate a nearby GDI dealer, call (800) 268-2867.