Bridgestone Golf

January 5, 2005

APPLEBY TO PUT NEW BRIDGESTONE EQUIPMENT INTO PLAY AT KAPALUA

Mercedes Championships Defending Champ to Use New Ball and Clubs This Week

Covington, Ga. — Bridgestone Golf, Inc. is pleased to announce that longtime Bridgestone Tour team member, Stuart Appleby will use the company’s new Bridgestone J33 line of equipment at the PGA Tour’s season opening Mercedes Championships this week in Maui.

In 2004, Appleby won the Mercedes Championship by compiling a 72-hole total of 22-under par, besting PGA Tour Player of the Year Vijay Singh by one shot. In his route to victory Appleby relied on a full bag of Precept equipment and the Precept U-Tri Tour golf ball.

This year Stuart Appleby will count on the Bridgestone Tour B330 golf ball, J33B blade irons, J33P driver and the J33 AirMuscle Utility clubs in his Mercedes Championships title defense.

“We are pleased that Stuart has so much confidence in the new Bridgestone equipment that he’s putting it into play to defend his championship this week,” said Dan Murphy, Director of Marketing, Bridgestone Golf. “Stuart has played Bridgestone equipment since his amateur days, and we believe that his confidence in the new clubs and B330 ball will ensure that he remains a Bridgestone endorser going forward.”

Appleby tested versions of the new ball and irons towards the end of the 2004 season, but this will be the first official PGA Tour event in which we he will use the J33P driver, J33 AirMuscle utility clubs and the finished product J33B blades and Tour B330 ball.

Defending Champ Finds Competitive Advantages With New Bridgestone Ball

“The length on the Tour B330 ball is awesome,” said Appleby. “I gained 15 extra yards off of the driver and you can really see the difference especially into the wind, it’s the greatest.”

The Tour B330, a three-piece urethane ball, features a 330 Seamless Cover Technology^TM (SCT^®) dimple pattern for reduced drag during elevation, and a prolonged lift after peak trajectory, causing a shallower angle of descent. As a result of the prolonged lift, reduced drag and shallower descent towards the ground golfers experience more carry and roll off the tee, producing maximum driving distance.

The Tour B330 also incorporates Bridgestone’s innovative new Speed Elasticity Core, using varying degrees of hardness from the inside to outside of the core, known as Gradational Compression Technology. The Speed Elasticity Core contributes to increased velocity off of the clubface and allows larger ball deformation to minimize spin off of the driver. The quicker restitution after impact results in maximum initial velocity.

New Bridgestone Clubs Add Muscle To Appleby’s Arsenal

“I really love the look and feel of the new clubs as well,” said Appleby. “The new blades are the sweetest looking irons on Tour and the AirMuscle utility club provides the ability to hit long iron approach shots from a variety of surfaces with pinpoint accuracy, without sacrificing the look of a traditional less offset iron.”

The J33 AirMuscle Utility Clubs are made from a two-piece forged construction. The forged soft steel body combines with a thin, highly repulsive forged spring steel face to offer golfers an extremely solid feel and sound. The AirMuscle Utility Irons have a traditional less offset iron appearance, but make it easier to get the ball airborne thanks to its widened sole that produces an optimal center of gravity.

The Bridgestone J33 AirMuscle Utility Clubs’ hollow construction is designed for greater trampoline effect and as a result added distance. The forgiving sole design coupled with the explosive distance makes for a club that is perfect for tee shots into a tight fairway in addition to long iron approach shots.

In addition to the new sticks and ball, Appleby will trade in his Precept branded bag and visor for Bridgestone ones. The Bridgestone Tour B330 golf ball is available at retail now and the rest of the Bridgestone 2005 product offerings will be available March 1^st, nationwide.