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To: altair19 who wrote (42817)	4/17/2005 11:19:39 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 104191

The amazing Tiger Woods sits content in the halfway house: nine down and nine to go to equal Jack Nicklaus’s 18-major haul timesonline.co.uk a19: Many of these golfers make a very good living by playing their favorite sport... pgatour.com Yet, the earnings totals don't even include the millions many of them make from endorsements and appearance &/or speaking fees... post-gazette.com findarticles.com _____________ Springfield News-Leader April 14, 2005 Thursday SECTION: SPORTS HEADLINE: Nike cashes in on Woods' miracle chip-in BYLINE: Scott Puryear Golf retailers report a surge in interest in new ball after memorable shot in Masters final round. --------------------------------------- When can a $20 million endorsement deal be deemed worth it? If you're sporting goods giant Nike, it's that moment when your $20 million man -- Tiger Woods -- not only wins another major, but does so by making one of the most improbable shots in history with your new product, the yet-to-be-released Nike One Platinum golf ball. Woods' miracle birdie chip-in on Augusta National's par-3 16th hole Sunday -- where he somehow made the ball take a 90-degree right turn, slowly roll downhill, pause briefly on the lip before dropping in -- not only left fans talking about it, but watching replay after replay of the shot for the next several days. And with every replay showing that frozen ball with the Nike swoosh in plain view, Nike execs were smiling from ear to ear. For them, it meant new potential marketing strategies like, "Nike One Platinum ... The Ball That Can't Stay Out of the Hole." And for golf shops nationwide, it meant two primary inquiries from customers: When, and where, can I get it? "Great for Tiger. Great for us," Chris Mike, Nike Golf's director of marketing and advertising told the Chicago Tribune. "In golf, you can absolutely say equipment can make a difference between winning and losing, and the story for us is the effect of Tiger's new technology on his game. It was the best product testimonial you could have asked for. Unforgettable." The Nike One Platinum model played by Woods isn't due to hit stores until May, and will have a suggested retail of $54 a dozen. The One Platinum features a softer center with a harder outer shell, designed to go longer with today's large-head drivers and at the same time, allow for better touch than previous models. In other words, it will become Nike's version of the best-selling Titleist Pro VI series. "As soon as it hits the shelf, I think people are going to go crazy, saying 'I've got to have a dozen,' " said Craig Smith, manager of Golf Discount in Springfield. Smith says sales of the Nike Ignite 460cc Driver that Woods switched to this season -- especially the 9.5 degree model he uses -- have been sky-high, and the Nike 3-wood he used to smash a 300-yard approach and beat Phil Mickelson at Doral last month went from non-seller to hot item just like that. After Woods' heroics Sunday, the Platinum One is sure to follow. In fact, Golf Etc. store owner Todd Finke said he had customers asking about its availability the day after Woods' miracle chip. "It's amazing, because Mondays are so busy after (PGA Tour) tournaments," Finke said. "With anybody who wins and is using something new, people see it and they want to try it." Another hot item to hit stores soon are the Callaway X-Tour forged irons being used by Phil Mickelson, the other PGA Tour star whose equipment of choice and stellar play can drive sales. Of course, it doesn't hurt when Mickelson, like a veteran NASCAR driver, finds a way to work Callaway into just about every interview. "No one ever comes in and says I want to play what Ernie (Els) is playing, or what Vijay (Singh) is playing," Smith said. "It's just those two guys, Tiger and Phil. "We always laugh that if Tiger just one time would say, 'I'm sure glad somebody put this Nike 460 in my bag,' we wouldn't be able to keep them in stores."

To: altair19 who wrote (42817)	4/17/2005 11:30:37 PM
From: abuelita	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 104191

alie- All you do is stay close to the oil tankers, right? yeah, right. right in front of them. did you know that if you are within of a mile in front of one of these suckers, they can't see you? that's one of the things we learned in the canadian power and sail certification course we took - it stuck to me like glue. -rhoze