STORY BEHIND THE PIC

Every golfer who has ever failed to nd the centre of the clubface on a regular basis should say a small prayer to Ely Callaway and Richard Helmstetter, the men behind the creation of the Big Bertha driver, the latest version of which has just been launched.

Callaway was a textile magnate whose passion for golf developed from an enjoyable hobby into the creation of one of the most successful golf businesses the world has ever seen. Helmstetter was a former billiard cue maker who had a knack for industrial design. Together they made history.

It’s hard to believe that 32 years has elapsed since this space-age looking piece of metal was rst launched upon an unsuspecting gol ng public. Named after the World War I German howitzer gun that was capable of launching a 3,000lb shell over 30 miles behind enemy lines, the Big Bertha arrived in our pro shops in 1991 like some alien spacecraft. It not only looked like something out of this world, all steel and shiny, but also performed like it too, o ering the promise of something previously unavailable to the modern golfer: forgiveness – otherwise known as the opportunity to hit a bad one and still get away with it.

The Big Bertha helped instill con dence into a generation of golfers who had never known what it felt like to stand on a tee and not be scared out of their wits. Up until then, golfers had been relying on delivering a miniscule sliver of wood to the ball in the vane hope that some part of the gnarled, screw- lled face would make contact with a scrap of balata. But all that changed with the arrival of the Big Bertha. Although not big by modern standards – its head volume was a pi ing 190cc, compared to the 460cc beasts that are around today – the ground-breaking physics of its perimeterweighted, thin-face construction made it a cinch to hit the ball long distances, even from the extreme edges of the clubface. Its simple, lightweight, sleek design proved an instant hit with tour pros and club players alike, designed as it was, to put the maximum amount of force onto a golf ball, while still maintaining control and accuracy.

These players became the large and loyal customer base that Callaway had been longing for, and gave the company the opportunity to develop Big Bertha into the ‘brand within the brand’ that still exists today.

“We changed attitudes by the creation of a truly superior product that was pleasingly di erent,” Ely Callaway once said. “The attitude before Big Bertha was that, for most golfers in the world, the driver was the most feared, leastliked club in the bag. Now it’s the most popular. Everybody loves it. That doesn’t mean they’re perfect every time, but they like to use the driver because it is so easy to use.”

Subsequent Big Bertha driver launches included Great Big Bertha, Biggest Big Bertha, Great Big Bertha II, Big Bertha C4, Big Bertha 454, the Big Bertha B21 and the all-new Big Bertha, which was launched last month. The company also introduced Big Bertha irons in 1994, and they remain part of the line-up today.

Matt Fitzpatrick said that a return to a regular family holiday venue proved the inspiration behind victory at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina.

The reigning US Open champion revealed that his family had been visiting Hilton Head Island with his family for over 20 years, and he had always dreamed of one day winning the tournament that is hosted there.

“Of all the tournaments on the PGA Tour calendar, this is the one I wanted to win the most,” he said after beating Jordan Spieth in the play-o to claim the title. “Every year I’ve driven down the drive and you see the winners here and I’ve always thought ‘I want to be one of those’ - and here I am. I feel I’ve been very lucky in my career so far – I’ve won a major and now this.” ever position.

The lead swapped between Fitzpatrick and defending champion Spieth throughout Sunday’s nal round, while their playing partner Patrick Cantlay gradually fell out of contention and eventually nished third. But for the second year in a row, the tournament went to a play-o with the leading duo nishing tied on 17-under-par. And there was nothing to separate them over the rst two extra holes either, although Spieth had birdie putts to win the rst two holes, the 18th and then at the parthree 17th, and both missed by the slimmest of margins.

But a superb shot from the fairway to inches from the pin on the 18th, the third extra hole, saw the She eld star seize the advantage and with Spieth missing a 40-foot putt, Fitzpatrick stepped up to sink his for birdie and add to the US Open title he won last year.

Victory earned Fitzpatrick a rst prize of $3.6m, as the tournament was one of the PGA Tour’s 12 new elevated events, and took Fitzpatrick from 16th up to eighth in the world ranking – his highest ever position.