LONG HITTING CHRIS GOTTERUP JOINS BRIDGESTONE GOLF TOUR STAFF

COVINGTON, Ga. - Bridgestone Golf, the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, announced today the signing of former college star Chris Gotterup to its Tour staff. Joining the likes of Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Fred Couples, Lexi Thompson, and Matt Kuchar, Gotterup brings youth, fire, and a ton of power to the Bridgestone lineup. Gotterup first started turning heads during his time at Rutgers University, breaking numerous school records before going on to the University of Oklahoma for his senior year. While part of the Sooner team, Gotterup won the Haskins and Nicklaus awards as well as Big 12 Golfer of the year. He finished first in both the East Lake Cup and Puerto Rico Classic and finished runner up at the Big 12 Championship. The New Jersey native's PGA Tour debut came at the '22 Puerto Rico Open, where he finished tied for seventh, the highest finish by an amateur on TOUR since 2017. Since then, he has had ten other PGA Tour starts including a top five finish at the 2022 John Deere Classic and a start at the 2022 US Open, his first Major. "I trust Bridgestone's ability to fit me to the correct ball for my game and I'm excited to be playing their TOUR B X," said Gotterup. "Bridgestone's R&D department is fantastic to work with and knowing that Tiger and I are currently gaming the same model gives me a ton of extra confidence. After quite a bit of testing I found the TOUR B X provides superior aerodynamics than the ball I was playing previously. Controlling trajectory on a consistent basis is noticeably easier and my ball speeds are higher than ever." According to Adam Rehberg, Senior Manager, Ball Fitting and R&D, Gotterup is a perfect candidate for the company's TOUR B X model. "Chris is an aggressive swinger and long hitter who doesn't like a ball that feels too firm around the green," said Rehberg. "The TOUR B X is our longest Tour ball for higher speed swingers, and though it has a slightly firmer compression than the XS, it still feels soft on and around the green while providing exceptionally long distance." The addition of Gotterup to the Bridgestone family rounds out the Tour staff nicely, adding youth and vigor to an impressive group that already includes the aforementioned Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Fred Couples, and Lexi Thompson. "We're extremely excited to have Chris as a member of the Bridgestone family," said Dan Murphy, President and CEO of Bridgestone Golf. "He was first introduced to our golf balls by his college teammates and he quickly became a fan. Chris is an exciting player and has the opportunity to play whatever ball he desires. The fact that he chooses TOUR B X says a lot about the performance of our TOUR B lineup." The current Bridgestone TOUR B X golf ball features a price of $49.99 per dozen. For more information on the entire family of TOUR B golf balls, visit www.bridgestonegolf.com. About Bridgestone Golf Based in Covington, GA, Bridgestone Golf USA manufactures premium golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Bridgestone and Precept brands. The company started making golf balls in 1935 and today has more golf ball design patents than any other company. Beginning in 2006, Bridgestone revolutionized golf ball selection with its custom ball-fitting program, identifying a golfer's ideal golf ball based on personal swing characteristics. Today, as the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, Bridgestone has conducted over four million fittings via a combination of live-fitting, online selection, OTTO Autonomous Ball Fitting, and its V-FIT video ball fitting. The consumer data gathered from ball-fitting continues to inspire Bridgestone's innovative new golf ball designs, yielding industry-leading performance products for the entire range of players, from recreational golfers to the best in the world. Bridgestone Golf is proudly represented on international professional tours by Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Jason Day, Chris Gotterup, and Lexi Thompson. Bridgestone Golf USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo. More information: bridgestonegolf.com.