Hybrid
Usage on Tour Reaches Feverish Proportions
Like a wildfire spreading with
extreme winds, the hybrid category is burning up the PGA Tours.
Last week, 109 hybrids were put into play on the Nationwide
Tour, a new record for hybrids in play in a PGA Tour event.
This week at the BMW Charity Pro Am at the Cliffs, that record
was shattered with 135 hybrids in play. That’s equivalent
to 80% of the field having a hybrid golf club in play!
Because hybrids are starting to detonate at retail, other
major manufacturers have been jocking to try and solidify
their hybrid position. So far, medium sized Nickent Golf has
been able beat off the giants due to the performance of their
golf clubs. This week, the champion of the BMW Charity Pro
Am at the Cliffs and four top 5 finsihers played the new Nickent
3DX DC hybrid and 3DX hybrids were # 1 in the BMW event for
the third straight week on the Nationwide Tour with 38 golf
clubs in play.
“The players of the Nationwide Tour are looking for
performance enhancing clubs,” said PGA Tour Representative
Brian Beatty. “ We are doing our best to provide more
options and better performance with our hybrid golf clubs.
This tour is the first tour to accept hybrids in such an overwhelming
way and I think that is due to the fact that they are searching
for clubs that will give them an edge. An edge out here lands
you on the PGA Tour.”
At the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans this
week, 51% of the field played a hybrid golf club. Among PGA
Tour professionals, 168 players used a hybrid through the
first 10 events this season, 35 more than in all of 2005 and
72 more than in 2004, according to Darrel Survey. Nickent
is currently the #2 most played hybrid on the PGA Tour.
“The hybrid category is exploding on the professional
tours, which in return is making the hybrid explode at retail,”
said Nickent Senior Vice President and designer of the new
DC Hybrid series John Hoeflich “ This is the year of
the hybrid and Nickent is leading the charge.”
Golf Datatech figures from January reported that of all woods
sold, hybrids represented 26.3%. In 2002, hybrids only accounted
for 2% of all woods sales. By 2004, that number had only jumped
to 6.7%. According to Hoeflich, hybrids are likely to surpass
fairway woods and contend with driver sales in the next few
years once the public is fully educated on what hybrids can
do for their game.
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