Ping, the well-known manufacturer of golf equipment, has earned a place in Golf Digest’s "Bomb and Gouge" (Mike Johnson and Mike Stachura) blog for an unusual reason:
Just prior to last week’s Safeway International, Stacy Prammanasudh and her equipment sponsor, Ping, parted ways and Prammanasudh played the event with just one Ping club in her bag (her Rapture driver). A new set of Tour Edge Exotics irons as well as TaylorMade wedges and putter were pressed into service.
The reason for the split? Prammanasudh–a Thai-American–signed an endorsement deal with Singha Beer and Ping’s company policy does not allow for any alcohol-related logos on their staff bags. It’s unclear as to whether Prammanasudh knew of this before inking the pact with Singha, but regardless, I give the Solheims and Ping a big, healthy round of applause. Not because I don’t like Prammanasudh. The two times I’ve spoken to her she has been nothing short of cooperative and pleasant and she is a fine player. Not because I have anything against booze, as I personally enjoy a lovely beverage as much as the next person. No, my admiration comes because I find it absolutely refreshing that a business entity simply did not sell out its principles for a change.
Make no mistake. Prammanasudh is an asset. She’s currently 15th on the Rolex Rankings. But Ping has a policy, they’re sticking to it and I say good for them.
You have to admire a company which sticks with its principles in this way. It’s something we need to emulate.
And it makes me feel good that I was able to obtain Ping clubs (always a favourite, even before this) for the LifeBuilders Golf Tournament on 19 May 2008.
Positive Infinity 