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Welcome to the club Well, not really ... USGA still has driver blacklisted
CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) -- With Arnold Palmer standing by as its pitchman, Callaway Golf came out swinging from both sides Wednesday on the controversy over thin-faced drivers. Ely Callaway said his company will soon begin domestic sales of a new version of its driver that the U.S. Golf Association ruled off limits because it launched golf balls with too much of a spring-like effect. The ERC II forged titanium driver is scheduled to be in shops no later than January. Its predecessor, the ERC, which was banned by the USGA and is illegal for PGA Tour events in North America, was never sold in the United States. Callaway also offered what he called a "truce" to the USGA by announcing a new driver that conforms to USGA regulations, the Hawk Eye VFT titanium driver. It will also go on sale by January, and the founder said he expected to do "one hell of a lot of business" with it. The suggested price for the ERC II will be $625 while the Hawk Eye VFT will list at $500. Supporting both decisions was none other than Palmer, a longtime USGA supporter who recently signed a 12-year endorsement contract with Callaway. Palmer came out on stage holding -- and endorsing -- both clubs. Palmer has been the volunteer national chairman of the USGA's membership program for 25 years. He said he remains a staunch supporter of the USGA and will remain active in recruiting new members. "He's [Callaway] offering a piece of equipment that will help improve people's golf," Palmer said. "That's really the bottom line of what we're talking about. He wants to be able to help make the game a little better for the masses of golfers in the world. I think he's making it a little more fun." USGA spokesman Marty Parkes said Palmer's comments "certainly raise our eyebrows. They seem very incompatible with what he's said in the past." Callaway said he had no plans to sue the USGA over its test to measure spring-like effect in drivers, even though his company disagrees with such limitations. The USGA, which sets the rules in the United States and Mexico, adopted the test two years ago. Thin-faced drivers are said to cause the ball to go as much as 30 yards longer. Palmer has been using the Hawk Eye VFT, but said he was "almost scared to try the ERC," which some players used in the British Open. "I might get so long I might start playing the tour again," he said. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which governs golf everywhere except the United States and Mexico, disagreed with the USGA when it said last month that there was no need for a test to measure the spring-like effect in drivers such as the ERC. Callaway and Palmer both said the ERC II would make golf more enjoyable for average players because of the extra distance. "I think the average golfer is going to accept this club as something that will improve his game and make him play better," Palmer said. "It is not going to be used on the PGA Tour, it is not going to be a club that professionals will use. It's a club that my daughter can improve her golf game with. I think it's important to her and to the average golfer in America." USGA officials were studying Callaway's news release. "An initial look hasn't caused us to rethink our policy, at least in the short term," Parkes said. "We really feel like we're all best served by having one set of rules that apply to everybody." As for Callaway's offer of a truce, Parkes said: "The word `truce' insinuates there's been open warfare between parties. We haven't necessarily felt that way. We've had dialogue with Callaway. We have an obligation to listen to anyone with viewpoints and input, and at the end of the day, we recognize that we are the national governing body and we have to make the final decision on what those standards will be."
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