Another whirlwind year on Tour for FootJoy

No sooner has one season closed than the next is underway. The 2008 European Tour is ten events old and FootJoy players have already claimed their places in the winner’s circle.

Local favourite and FootJoy player James Kingston got the season off to a great start in December as he completed an emotional victory at the South African Airways Open, his native country's national championship. It marked the first career victory for Kingston, a 20-year veteran of professional golf. James wore both FootJoy shoes and glove for his big win.

Next up was 2007 European Rookie of the Year and FootJoy loyalist Martin Kaymer who posted a 15-under par 273 total to win the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship by four shots. The 23 year-old German led from the first day to claim a victory which made him the youngest German winner in European Tour history and saw the talented young man jump to fifth in the Order of Merit.

If proof were needed that FootJoy players had started the season on fire, Adam Scott scorched his way to victory in the desert, shooting a 61 to take the Qatar Masters title by three shots from fellow FootJoy loyalist Henrik Stenson. Adam’s hot round was his best as a professional and secured him the course record and the world number five ranking.

This fast start to 2008 follows on from a year when players wearing FootJoy shoes achieved a landmark 30 wins on the European Tour*. From Scotland to Scandinavia and from Andalucia to Augusta, FootJoy players were in the ascendant trusting the comfort and performance of the #1 Shoe in Golf.

30 wins is a tough target to shoot for. We wish all FootJoy players every success. Another whirlwind year for FootJoy is well underway.

*Including international schedule events and Majors.

DryJoys or Golf Athletics? Chopra wears both as he races to Mercedes title.

After closing out last year with a victory at the Ginn sur Mer Classic, Sweden’s Daniel Chopra was back in top form at the winners only opening event of the 2008 PGA Tour season. A battling performance saw him take the title at the fourth extra hole in a playoff pitted against fellow FootJoy player Steve Stricker.

During the week Daniel spent time in both FootJoy’s new DryJoys shoe and the new Golf Athletics shoe (that we’ll be reviewing in the next issue of The Comfort Zone). His choice of glove was also FootJoy – a StaSof, the #1 cabretta leather golf glove in the world.

We don’t know which shoe he preferred. Our guess is that he enjoyed the comfort and performance of both as he completed a highly significant second career PGA Tour victory and a great start to his year.

Win a pair of New DryJoys and experience ‘Flextability’ for yourself.

As we reported in our last issue, Flextability is the word coined to describe the unique combination of flexibility and stability achieved by the stunning new Stability PODS™ outsole featured on the new shoes.

FootJoy are offering golfers the chance to experience Flextability courtesy of FootJoy by winning one of three pairs of the new DryJoys shoes on offer every week through the month of February.

All you have to do is e-mail competition@thecomfortzone.info with your name and a contact number to be entered into the free prize draw. You could be lucky and become one of the first golfers in the UK to step-out in FootJoy’s latest sensational shoe.

For Terms and Conditions click here. Good luck!

FootJoy European Tour Diary - New Feature

The European Tour is well into its now traditional early season programme on its international schedule. At the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Leopard Creek South Africa, a few players including Sven Struver had their golf bags delayed in transit, presenting the FootJoy Tour team with a problem to solve. They were able to find Sven a pair of white ReelFit in his specification and he ended up wearing them for the whole tournament – even after he was reunited with his luggage.

This is the time of year where FootJoy collect shoe orders from all the players for the coming season. The most popular choices were plain white and plain black Classics. But almost every player has asked to try new DryJoys with the Stability PODS™ outsole and these will have high visibility on the Tour. Marcus Brier has ordered his favourite ReelFit shoes, alongside Ricardo Gonzalez, another player who’ll be benefiting from ReelFit technology.

Many players have taken advantage of the opportunity to create personalised MyJoys. Q-school winner Martin Wiegele has ordered some in his football team’s colours (A.S. Roma) and young Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal has opted for his national flag on his shoes as has Florian Preagant of Austria. Philip Archer was delighted with his MyJoys in Manchester United colours he received recently although he did not bring them to the latest Tour stop in Abu Dhabi. He said he is “saving them for the good weather in the spring!”.

More luggage issues in Dubai. Paul Sheehan's bag got lost en route, Mardan Mamat packed one white shoe and one black shoe and even better, Martin Kaymer packed two left shoes! FootJoy were able to furnish all with pairs of DryJoys for the week. The change of footwear clearly didn’t inhibit Martin as he cruised away to a wire-to-wire maiden European Tour win.

We are also very proud to announce that FootJoy is now the official Footwear supplier to the European Tour, a deal that will run to 2010 and will see the European Tour Staff, many of whom rack up just as many miles as the players, wearing FootJoy shoes to help them in their roles.

Look out for more FootJoy Tour news as the Tour heads closer to home.

FootJoy golf shoes for 2008. Another outstanding collection from golf’s shoe specialist

The new year festivities are a distant memory and like most golfers across northern Europe we at The Comfort Zone are counting the days and weeks until the winter season gives way to spring and more temperate golfing days.

FootJoy retailers are already receiving their first shipments of shoes from the 2008 collection, including the much-anticipated new DryJoys range. There are also new ReelFit styles with their distinctive Boa laceless technology, new AQL’s, the ever-popular all-weather shoe, new lightweight Contour Series styles, an all-new Golf Athletics shoe for the golfer who likes a sportier style and for the true FootJoy connoisseur, some stunning Classics.

In short, a collection of over 50 different shoes for men, women and junior golfers that only a true golf specialist like FootJoy could produce. An unequalled variety of styles encompassing an awesome array of technologies to ensure FootJoy continue to set the standard for golf shoe comfort and performance.

Over the season at The Comfort Zone, we’ll take you through the highlights of the new year’s collection as we look forward to another vintage golfing year.