Friday, August 25, 2000
Nike plans launch of exact
ball Tiger plays
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
AKRON, Ohio (AP) — The exact ball used
by Tiger Woods in his three major championship victories will
be available soon at retail, but Nike Golf's president said Thursday
the decision had been in the works long before a federal lawsuit
was filed against the company.
“We've had plans to do that because
of the demand the ball has brought to the market,” Bob Wood
said from Nike's headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.
Public Remedies Inc. filed a federal lawsuit
in San Francisco on Tuesday, claiming Nike has engaged in unfair
business practices because the Tour Accuracy ball used by Woods
is different than the Tour Accuracy version currently sold in
golf shops.
The Nike Golf president said the ball currently
on the market contains the same design and construction material
as the ball used by Woods, the only difference being that Woods'
ball is 5 percent harder in the core and cover to reduce spin.
Spokesman Mike Kelly said Nike's research
indicates no more than 5 to 8 percent of the market is interested
in using the exact same ball as Woods. Still, Nike plans to start
selling the ball next month or early next year.
That decision will depend on the bizarre
technicalities of U.S. Golf Association approval.
When Nike submitted Woods' ball to the USGA,
the label said “Tour Accuracy” with an arrow symbol.
That was approved.
Nike recently submitted the same ball —
with a 5 percent harder core and cover — but with a label
that says, “Tour Accuracy TW.” The USGA will not release
its next list of conforming balls until October, after the PGA
Merchandise show in Las Vegas.
While markings have no bearing on performance,
rules are rules. Greg Norman was disqualified from the Greater
Hartford Open in 1996 because his Maxfli ball had a different
label than the one approved by the USGA.
Meanwhile, Kelly said Nike would defend
the lawsuit.
“Where do you draw the line?”
he said. “This ball has the same cover, core, mantle, dimple
construction, but Tiger's ball has a 5 percent harder core and
cover. At what point does authentic technology turn into a spec
argument?”
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