Explosive Launch and Distance-Driven Design Inspire Confidence and Fun

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COVINGTON, Ga. – Bridgestone Golf, the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, today introduced the new BOOM IT JUNIOR golf ball, which is aimed at young players who need a lower compression, easier-launching option for their developing swings and bodies.

Designed in conjunction with U.S. Kids Golf, the new BOOM IT JUNIOR golf ball features an extremely low compression core to better match junior swing speeds and a dimple design that promotes a high launch, maximizing carry distance and sustained flight performance. The BOOM IT JUNIOR works for a variety of clubhead speeds but is specifically aimed at maximizing performance for developing players by optimizing their developing swing speed and skill level.

“We take Ball Fitting very seriously and with junior golf seeing more than 50 percent growth since 2019, it makes perfect sense for us to create a ball to meet their needs,” said Bridgestone president Dan Murphy. “Our R&D team focused on the needs of junior players that require more speed and easier launch, and they knocked it out of the park. I am confident junior players will have more fun playing the BOOM IT JUNIOR because it is specifically designed to fit their game.”

BOOM IT JUNIOR was created in partnership with U.S. Kids Golf, which was founded in 1996 to bring more fun into the game of golf for children. The program trains coaches, develops kid-friendly programs and organizes more than 2,000 tournaments each year for junior golfers. A portion of the proceeds of each BOOM IT JUNIOR purchase benefits the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation.

“We’re proud of this ball and the fact that it addresses the needs of junior players to build a foundation of confidence in their game,” said Adam Rehberg, senior marketing manager of golf balls at Bridgestone Golf. “As the #1 Ball Fitter in Golf, we strive to not only design and manufacture the best golf balls on the market but also fit as many players as possible to the right golf ball for them. With BOOM IT JUNIOR, we can now serve an even wider segment of players, staying true to our commitment to fit every golfer properly.”

BOOM IT JUNIOR also features Bridgestone’s MindSet graphic, which was developed by Jason Day and performance coach Jason Goldsmith to work with a process that separates analytical thoughts from athletic performance. MindSet is a simple three-step sequence; Identify, Visualize and Focus, which aligns with the visual cue on the golf ball to help players make decisions, connect to the target and commit fully to execution. Learning the MindSet sequence early in one’s career will establish great habits for a lifetime of consistent golf. In 2026, Bridgestone staffers Jason Day, Chris Gotterup, Kurt Kitayama and Boo Weekly will all compete using TOUR B models with MindSet.

“We were proud to work alongside the Bridgestone team to help create BOOM IT JUNIOR from the ground up, specifically engineered to provide young golfers with the distance, feel, and performance they need to enjoy every round,” said Dan Van Horn, president and founder of U.S. Kids Golf. “BOOM IT JUNIOR is a golf ball that meets the mission of U.S. Kids Golf by supporting the growth of and a true love of the game.”

Look for the BOOM IT JUNIOR golf ball ($22.99/dozen) to be available online and at retail on March 27. To learn more about the BOOM IT golf ball or place an order, please visit 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 icons such as Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Kurt Kitayama, Harry Hall, Jason Day, and Chris Gotterup.  Bridgestone Golf USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo. More information:  bridgestonegolf.com.

Media Contact:

Emily Scott, JDPR, emilys@jdpr.com

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PHOENIX: Designed for golfers in need of more speed from a players-style design that also ensures a pleasing impact experience, PING introduced the i540 today, a premium iron model custom engineered for score-lowering performance.

The i540 irons are available for custom fittings and pre-order at authorized PING golf shops around the world beginning today.

“The popularity of the Players Distance iron category continues to grow as more and more golfers are in search of faster speeds from an iron with a blade-style look,” said John K. Solheim, PING CEO & President. “There’s a lot of technology in the i540 iron. Inside the head, tungsten sole weighting lowers the center of gravity and combines with the forged maraging-steel face to produce faster ball speeds. We’ve also applied inR-Air technology to improve the feel and sound. It’s an air pocket behind the face that attenuates frequencies and leads to a better impact experience. On the outside, the covered cavity design creates a clean, high-tech appearance.

“It’s a great fit for the golfer whose top priority is more distance. The i540 iron also has a level of forgiveness not typically found in distance irons. It looks great, feels great and more importantly, will lead to lower scores and more enjoyment on the course.”

Players Distance With Stopping Power

Distance gains come from multiple sources in the i540 iron, including tungsten sole weighting in the 4-7 irons that lowers the center of gravity for more ball speed. The forged, highly flexible maraging-steel C300 face is precisely welded to a 17-4 stainless-steel body, creating metal-wood-like bending to ensure faster ball speeds with higher max height for more stopping power.

The CG-optimized lofts in the i540 iron help ensure more distance and higher peak height for green-holding results. Three loft configurations (Standard, Power and Retro) are available to optimize a golfer’s launch conditions during the custom-fitting process.

“The i540 brings more control to a distance iron,” said Solheim. “It appeals to the golfer whose primary goal is more distance who still prefers the size and look of a players iron. In some cases, this player is looking to regain ball speed that they may have lost over time. Blade enthusiasts will appreciate the thin topline, narrow sole and shallow face height that define the iron’s clean, premium look. The i540 iron combines speed and precision into a very attractive design.”

What’s Inside: inR-Air Technology

To help improve the feel and sound, the i540 irons are engineered with inR-Air technology, an advancement refined by PING’s innovation team that was first introduced in the iDi driving iron last year. The patent-pending technology relies on an air pocket strategically placed inside the club behind the face to attenuate any undesirable frequencies that occur at impact. The integrated i-Beam structure inside the 17-4 stainless-steel body of the i540 iron also adds support and contributes to the improved sound and feel.

“This type of iron construction always presents sound and feel challenges,” said Solheim. “The pocket of air inside the i540 iron is a great solution for softening the frequencies and improving the impact experience. It’s proven to be very successful in the iDi driving iron, and we’re excited to bring this technology to golfers in a full set of irons.”

i540 Iron Specifications

Available: 4-9, PW, UW

Loft options: Standard, Power Spec and Retro Spec

Stock shafts: Dynamic Gold Mid 100 (R300, S300), PING ALTA CB Blue graphite (SR, R, S)

Optional stock shafts: PING AWT 3.0 (R, S, X), Dynamic Gold (S300, X100), Dynamic Gold 120 (S300, X100), KBS Tour (R, S, X), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus³ Tour 105 (R, S, X), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus³  Tour 115 (R, S, X) , Elevate MPH 95 (R, S), UST Recoil Dart 65 (A), 75 (R, S), PING ALTA Quick 35/45

Stock grip: Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet in six sizes (Blue -1/16″, Red -1/32″, Aqua -1/64″, White-Std, Gold +1/32″, Orange +1/16″)

U.S. MSRP: $235 per club with stock steel shaft; $250 per club with stock graphite shaft

For more information, contact Pete Samuels, (602) 687-5487.

PING, i540, AWT 3.0, ALTA CB and inR-Air are trademarks of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

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Although Cameron Young played multiple sports growing up, golf was always his trajectory. Born in 1997 in Scarborough, N.Y., Young was immersed in the game from an early age — his father, David, served as the longtime head professional at Sleepy Hollow Country Club.

A standout amateur and collegiate player at Wake Forest, Young captured back-to-back Metropolitan Ike Stroke Play titles in 2015 and 2016 and became the first amateur to win the New York State Open, firing a course-record 64 at Bethpage Black.

Turning professional in 2019, Young quickly proved his potential. Two victories on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021 secured his PGA Tour card. His 2022 rookie season was exceptional — runner-up at the Open Championship, a tie for third at the PGA and a Presidents Cup debut. He earned Rookie of the Year honors with 94 percent of the vote.

Despite seven PGA Tour runner-up finishes, a win remained elusive — until August 2025. At the Wyndham Championship, Young broke through with a dominant six-shot victory, tying the tournament record at 22 under par and becoming the 1,000th unique PGA Tour winner since 1860. He finished the season fourth on the money list, with 18 cuts made in 25 starts, buoyed by a significant improvement in his putting.

His season culminated at the Ryder Cup, held fittingly at Bethpage Black. There, Young posted a 3-1-0 record, including a decisive singles win over Justin Rose with a birdie on the final hole. Though Team USA fell short, Young’s performance stood out.

Now 28 and living in Jupiter, Fla., Young has firmly established himself as one of the Tour’s premier talents, culminating with a dramatic victory at the Players Championship this past weekend.

Scroll below for a breakdown of six key positions that power his explosive swing.

1. Setup

At just under 6 feet and exceptionally strong and athletic, Young bends forward and reaches for the ball more than most shorter players, who utilize a more upright posture to give them freedom to turn back and through. It helps Cam keep his swing as tight as a drum.

2. Takeaway

Cam’s takeaway features an up-and-out clubhead with little clubface rotation. Players who do this will generally rotate their left arm and clubface late in the backswing. A very anti-left move. Hook it too much? Try this!

3. Top 

Cam has a slightly strong left-hand grip, evident from the clubface being more closed than his left wrist. His compact appearance stems from minimal wrist cock and maintained right knee flex, though he turns tremendously and swings his left arm deep into and up his chest.

4. Downswing

Young quickly unwinds his chest, leveraging his strong legs, upper body and arms to pull the club down forcefully into the classic “through the forearm” position. His hips are already open, with his chest close behind.

5. Impact

Cam’s swing features massive right-side bend that continues its shape all the way down to his right knee. His hips have turned more than they have shifted to the target, helping him get as open as possible and still hit the ball high with “forward” hands.

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