PXG might just be getting started with what appears to be a lengthy legal battle with TaylorMade.
The high-end club company founded by billionaire Bob Parsons recently filed a lawsuit in Federal court that alleges eight cases of patent infringement involving TaylorMade's new P790 irons. The basis of the PXG suit may revolve around the SpeedFoam technology that TaylorMade injects into the hollow body of its newest line of irons; PXG uses a thermoplastic elastomer in the heads of its clubs.
PXG's legal request that TaylorMade halt the sale of its P790 irons was rejected by a judge in Arizona District Court. The court isn't scheduled to hear PXG's appeal of the ruling until November, so TaylorMade's newest irons will remain on sale at least until then.
PXG didn't just stop with TaylorMade either. According to MyGolfSpy, the company filed a similar complaint against golf's four largest U.S. retailers -- Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, PGA Superstore, Golf Galaxy and Worldwide Golf -- insisting that those retailers are are doing irreparable harm to PXG's business by selling the P790.
How the legal process unfolds remains to be seen, but PXG shows no signs backing down.
18BIRDIES ADDS MCNEALY AS ADVISOR
Scott McNealy, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the chairman of Wayin, has joined mobile golf technology startup 18Birdies as a strategic advisor and an equity partner.
PGA TOUR HAS LATIN PARTNERSHIP
The PGA Tour this week announced a strategic partnership with mitú that will look at golf and the world's leading tour through a Latino lens.
The partnership will include content development and distribution. It kicks off with the debut of “Watcha Golf,” a series in which PGA Tour members Jon Rahm, Jhonattan Vegas and Camilo Villegas face a team of Latino comedians in an unusual challenge where "some of the misconceptions and realities of golf will collide."
"We’re focused on showing how much fun golf, its stars and events can be to an audience that is seeking new and authentic experiences," said Nelson Silverio, Senior Director of Marketing for the PGA Tour. "Our mitú partnership gives us the opportunity to show the PGA Tour and its stars in a voice that is relevant to this audience.
DAY WINS CAR, GIVES IT AWAY
Jason Day won a new BMW by making a hole-in-one at the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship. But, being a paid sponsor for Lexus, Day wasn’t going to keep the car, opting instead to donate his new ride to the Evans Scholars Foundation.
Day’s ace was a double dose of good fortune for the foundation, also resulting in a four-year scholarship worth $100,000 college for a teenage caddie with financial need and strong academic records. It’s the fifth time BMW has awarded a hole-in-one scholarship in a player’s name; since 2007 the company has contributed more than $24 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation.
DRIVE SHACK TO SWING INTO PHOENIX
Drive Shack announced plans to build a new 60,000-square foot golf entertainment venue in the West Valley area of Phoenix, directly across from University of Phoenix Stadium. Preliminary approval for the three-level, 96-bay complex has been granted and construction will soon be underway.
The Phoenix venue is the third announced by Drive Shack, which is also opening locations in Orlando and Richmond in 2018. The TaylorMade-backed company said it expects each site to cost between $15 million and $25 million to build.
TOPGOLF BREAKS GROUND IN MISSOURI
While Drive Shack slowly moves forward, Topgolf continued its rapid growth by breaking ground on its first Missouri location – a 65,000-square-foot venue in Chesterfield that’s expected to open toward the end of 2018. Topgolf estimates that the new location, which features 102 climate-controlled hitting bays, will serve approximately 450,000 visitors in its first year of operation.
Topgolf’s Nashville venue is scheduled to open on Sept. 22, giving the company more than 30 locations around the country.
CALLAWAY ROLLS OUT EPIC STAR
Callaway Golf this week announced its new Epic Star woods, irons and hybrids -- a line of clubs that deliver the performance and distance found in the popular Epic family, but in what the company says is an "ultra-premium" lightweight package.
These clubs, which have been available in Japan, are generally geared toward the senior market in the U.S., built to enhance speed and power for players with low swing speeds. Featuring a distinctive black and gold look, the Epic Star is priced at the higher end of the spectrum, with the driver priced at $700, the fairway woods retailing for $400 each and irons at $300 per club.
The Epic Star driver is the lightest ever created by Callaway at 286 grams, including a 39-gram Grand Bassara driver shaft. The line will be available at retail on Sept. 29.
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