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
# # #
Bridgestone Golf, Inc., based in Covington, GA, manufactures and markets premium golf balls, clubs and accessories under
the Bridgestone and Precept brand names. Bridgestone is represented on a world stage by a number of internationally famed
golfers including
Fred Couples, Paula Creamer, Charles Howell III,
Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker.
Bridgestone Golf, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., whose headquarters are in Tokyo.