Bridgestone Golf

January 9, 2006

BRIDGESTONE'S APPLEBY RIDES B330-S TO MERCEDES 3-PEAT

"King of Kapalua" Defends His Crown with Full Arsenal of Bridgestone Equipment

Covington, Ga. — PGA Tour superstar Stuart Appleby kicked off the New Year in style, winning the season-opening Mercedes Championships for the third time in three years, pulling off golf’s first ever Hawaiian Hat Trick. In what is becoming a PGA Tour post-Holiday tradition, Appleby used his Bridgestone Golf J33 series of equipment and Tour B330-S golf ball for overpowering tee shots and deft touch around the greens, propelling him to birdie and the title on the first hole of a sudden death playoff. With his victory, Appleby becomes the first player in over 50-years to capture the winners only event three years in a row.

Appleby relied on the Bridgestone Tour B330-S ball, Bridgestone J33P driver, J33B Blade irons and Bridgestone Air Muscle utility club on his way to rounds of 71-72-70-71, in his season opening victory over Vijay Singh in Maui. The Bridgestone Tour B330-S features a Soft Speed Elasticity Core for increased initial velocity at impact for increased distance off the tee. In fact, during the first round on the Par 4 12th hole, Appleby boomed the second longest drive of the week with a 426-yard blast through the green. Overall for the week, Appleby finished second in the field in driving distance, averaging 274-yards per drive.

“The B330-S is just awesome in the windy conditions with the seamless cover consistently boring through the wind,” said Appleby. “Getting up on the tee, facing a stiff breeze, nothing makes you feel more confident than knowing that you’ve got the right equipment. That’s what I get from Bridgestone.”

In addition to his outstanding finish in the driving distance category, Appleby also counted on his Bridgestone gear to gain a top-5 finish in five other statistical categories, including birdies, eagles, pars, greens in regulation and a first place finish in putting - averaging just 29.3 putts per round. “We are excited for Stuart and his family, and pleased that Bridgestone was able to play a part in his hallmark achievement,” said Dan Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing, Bridgestone Golf. “This win is a tremendous momentum builder for both Stuart and the Bridgestone brand. We are confident there is much more to come throughout 2006.”

The Bridgestone Tour B330-S, J33P driver, Bridgestone Air Muscle Utility Iron and J33B blade irons are all currently available at golf specialty stores and green grass retailers nationwide.

Appleby’s Arsenal

Ball - Tour B330-S
Driver - J33P 9.5-degree
3-Wood – Bridgestone Prototype
Hybrid - Bridgestone Air Muscle 2-Iron
Irons - J33B Blade Irons (3-PW)
Bridgestone Prototype 53-degree Wedge