April 23, 2008 — PowerMetal Technologies Inc., supplier of nanotechnology enhanced materials to the sporting goods and consumer products industries, announced that PGA Tour professional Trevor Immelman won the 2008 Masters using its EPIC shaft, a golf shaft designed in conjunction with Grafalloy to enable golfers to hit longer and straighter golf shots thanks to its proprietary nanofuse construction.
“Key to Immelman’s convincing wire-to-wire victory was his long and straight drives at a golf course known for its stingy scoring conditions,” the company says. “Wielding EPIC golf shafts in his driver, fairway wood and hybrid, the South African drove the ball beautifully, he led in driving accuracy with a tournament-best 85% of fairways hit. He also finished fourth in driving distance with a blistering 287 yards off the tee.”
“The greatest strength of the week for him was his driving,” said CBS commentator Jim Nantz as Immelman was walking up the famed 18th. Fellow CBS commentator and Masters Champion Nick Faldo added, “His cumulative of driving distance and accuracy, he will beat everybody by miles and that has been his absolute number one club this week.”
“We are delighted that our technology and product was the key to winning on golf’s biggest stage,” said Edward Hughes, Founder, President & CEO of PowerMetal Technologies. “PowerMetal’s nanotechnology powers not only golfers but also is used by the world’s top players in squash and racquetball. It is very exciting to see players win using our nanotechnology at Majors in golf and at World Championships in racquet sports.”
The EPIC Shaft was first introduced to the golf world at the beginning of 2007 and Golfweek magazine has called it “the next big thing.” According to PowerMetal, what makes the EPIC’s performance so powerful is its proprietary and patented nanofuse technology, combining the benefits of steel with the lightweight and feel advantages of graphite. In a case of good timing, PowerMetal’s patent on the Epic shaft was approved and issued by the US patent Office two days before the Masters tournament started.
PowerMetal has several key nanotechnology platforms that it is using to create both sporting goods and consumer products. Its nanofusing on composite platforms such as the Epic Shaft and HEAD Metallix racquets has received industry praise, and its nanofusing on aluminum for golf heads and baseball bats will result in several products new products in 2008. In a recently announced strategic alliance with DuPont, its nanofusing on polymers hold promise in the both the sporting goods and consumer products markets. At grain sizes of 20 nanometers (1000 times smaller than the grain size of typical metallic structures), the nano-crystalline metal is much stronger and harder than conventional metals.