Jump to content
TESTERS WANTED! ×

Wilson Announced Driver Vs. Driver Finalists


Recommended Posts

​This came across the InBox this morning -- Wilson is announcing its 11 finalists for the Driver Vs. Driver program on Golf Channel.  Wilson announced it was doing this program last summer - basically they're giving people the opportunity to design a driver and the best overall design wins the competition, gets $500,000 and has their driver put into production for 2017. 

 

There have been a few naysayers out there in cyberspace, but if nothing else the show looks like a hell of a lot of fun and it'll be interesting to see what the teams come up with. And I'll watch almost anything with Melanie Collins...

 

 

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR GOLF CHANNEL'S NEW DRIVER VS. DRIVER SERIES, PREMIERING TUESDAY, OCT. 4 AT 10 P.M. ET

 

Driver vs driver.jpg

 

Wilson Golf Taking Unique Approach To Find Next Great Golf Driver, Shining Spotlight on Aspiring Equipment in All-New Elimination-Style Reality Television Series

 

Finalists Range from College Students to Former Golf Professionals to Engineers and Product Designers

 

Panel of Celebrity Judges Includes Former NFL Linebacker and Avid Golfer Brian Urlacher; Two-Time PGA TOUR Winner Kevin Streelman, Former USGA Technical Director Frank Thomas and Wilson Golf President Tim Clarke 

 

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 24, 2016 – Golf Channel announced today the 11 finalists who will present their innovative driver concepts and ideas with the hopes of ultimately becoming Wilson Golf's newest driver for 2017 on a new, first-of-its-kind television series, Driver vs. Driver presented by Wilson. The series premieres Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 10 p.m. ET.

 

Driver vs. Driver will follow the trials and tribulations of aspiring golf equipment designers as they compete for the chance to win $500,000, and the opportunity to have their driver design sold at retail under the Wilson Staff name. The finalists, selected through an open call application process, will present to a panel of celebrity judges – former Chicago Bears linebacker and avid golfer Brian Urlacher, former USGA Technical Director Frank Thomas and President of Wilson Golf Tim Clarke – during the series' first two episodes. Two-time PGA TOUR winner and Wilson Advisory Staff member Kevin Streelman joins the series as a judge beginning with the third episode.

 

Following the presentations, the judges will debate on which finalists' concepts will advance in the competition. The seven-episode series will then take viewers behind the scenes as the advancing teams work with Wilson LABS – the innovation hub at Wilson – engineers to evaluate, critique, refine and test their concepts, all while the panel of expert judges evaluates the best concept that will help golfers perform off the tee.

 

Viewers also will get a look behind the curtain at one of the most iconic sports brands in history, Wilson Sporting Goods Co. Golf Channel cameras will give viewers a glimpse inside the company's Wilson LABS facility, an expansive innovation center that serves as a primary design and testing hub for its sporting goods concepts and products, including tennis, basketball, baseball, football and golf, among others.

 

The series' finalists are a diverse cast that includes professional golfers and former club manufacturers, college students, engineers and product designers. Some of the finalists are well versed in the sport of golf, where others have never taken up the game but have extensive engineering and design background.

 

FINALISTS:

 

Jonathan Dineen (26, Wilmington, N.C.) – An industrial engineer with a determined work ethic, Dineen's driver design concept is called “The Wasp,” the concept for his senior thesis at Appalachian State University.

 

Richard Gischer (37, Crowley Texas) and Kimberly Leonard (35, Pinckneyville, Ill.) – A brother-sister team, Gischer is the golf expert and Leonard is the sales and communications expert. A graduate from the Professional Golf Management program at Campbell University, Gischer formerly worked at Nike, building custom golf clubs for some of the best players in the world before leaving the company to pursue another passion of his – mission work. Their driver concept is a green design, with the hopes of creating a driver using renewably sourced bio-product.

 

Kyle Hanquist (26), Kevin Neitzel (30), Ann Arbor, Michigan – Colleagues and friends at the University of Michigan, Hanquist and Neitzel are both PhD students in aerospace engineering, studying aerothermodynamics of high speed flight. When they aren't in school together, they play golf and travel the world – their idea for Driver vs. Driver was submitted while traveling through Europe.

 

Jimmy Huynh (26), Brian Mar (21), Patrick Soriano (25), Sheila Pancani (45), Patrick Soriano (25) and Matt Ulery (30), Long Beach, Calif. – Seniors in the industrial design program at California State University, Long Beach, this diverse is determined to create a driver that is, in their words, “Sick.” The group – who has no golf experience – underwent a three-week driver cram session to learn everything they could before submitting their driver design. Their micro-honeycomb design was modelled after Formula 1 cars and the grill from Ulery's motorcycle.

 

Branndon Jones (21) and Ryan Nelson (21), Knoxville, Tenn. – Students at the University of Tennessee, Jones and Nelson have known each other since their freshman year of high school. Nelson is more outgoing and creative, where Jones is more analytical. They plan on having a balanced approach to try to create the most unique and technologically advanced driver on the golf market today. Their design idea came about after Jones watched Serena Williams, a long-time Wilson Advisory Staff Member, on television competing in a tennis match.

 

Steve Kirouac (59, Welland, Ontario, Canada) – A retired art teacher, Kirouac had a “eureka” moment one afternoon grilling sausages in his backyard that led to his driver concept. The sound of the fly swatter hitting the wood while he “shooed” away bees reminded him of a driver hitting a golf ball and thus, an idea was born. The result is a honeycomb golf club, an aerodynamic club designed to increase club speed.

 

Weston Maughan (35, Draper, Utah) – A former golf professional who is now working in the business sector, Maughan has been hooked on the game ever since Hall-of-Famer Johnny Miller gave him instruction tips that yielded instant results as a young child. Maughan is utilizing his golf expertise in developing his driver design, which allows the driver to dial in the weight of the club, making it customizable. 

 

Matt Purtell (37, Sonoma, Calif.) – An avid golfer and building contractor who has lived his entire life in Sonoma, Calif., Purtell's driver design idea stemmed from often mis-hitting his driver, but never his 3-wood. His concept focuses on overlaying the crown of a 3-wood on top of the driver to help make a more controlled golf swing. 

 

Eric Sillies (26, Cincinnati, Ohio) – A product designer who believes in the power of making better products to make life better for people, his driver design is called “Manta,” a multi-piece construction with a unique alignment feature. Sillies formerly interned with Dick's Sporting Goods while in college, where he had the opportunity to help design the aesthetic direction for the 2012 Nickent golf club line.

 

Gavin Wallin (40, Eagle Mountain, Utah) – A product designer who has extensive experience in golf club design with multiple manufacturers, Wallin is combining his real-world experience and his industrial design college degree to develop an adjustable driver concept that has benefits for both the low handicap and high handicap player.

 

Karl West (43, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada) – Originally born in New Zealand and now residing in Victoria, British Columbia, West is a long time golf instructor at Royal Colwood. A self-professed “tinkerer,” West enjoys conceptualizing and designing putters and drivers in his basement lab. West is self-taught in developing concepts for drivers and putters, and his ultimate goal is to bring his driver idea to life through the series.

 

MELANIE COLLINS TO HOST: Sports broadcaster Melanie Collins will serve as the host of Driver vs. Driver. Currently a sideline reporter for CBS' college football and basketball coverage, Collins also was co-host for Golf Channel's competition series, Big Break.

 

GRAND PRIZE: The finalists are competing for $500,000 and the opportunity to have their driver design sold at retail under the Wilson Staff name.

 

SERIES PRODUCTION: Following a call-for-entries in the summer of 2015, production for Driver vs. Driver began in the fall of '15 and continued through July 2016. Driver vs. Driver will air weekly for seven episodes, concluding Tuesday, Nov. 22.

 
Melanie.jpg melanie 2.jpg
 
judges.jpg
 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
Follow @golfspybarbajo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will definitely watch this one....doesn't hurt that Urlacher is on it (DA BEARS!)

Driver:    :honma:TR20 10.5*

Hybrids:   :callaway-small: Epic SuperHybrid 3 18*   Epic 4h 23*   

Irons:    :mizuno-small:JPX900 Hot Metal 5-GW

Wedges:  :cleveland-small:CBX2 52* 56* 60*

Putter:  :EVNROLL:EV8

Ball:    :bridgestone-small:Tour BXS

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been awaiting this one.  Should be fun.  I found it interesting that a couple different designers were going with a honeycomb design.  I'm not a club expert and can't recall every model ever, but has there even been one of that style produced by a major OEM?

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in. Been waiting on this since it was announced last summer

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Driver: :taylormade-small: SLDR w/ Fujikura Ventus Black

3w: :taylormade-small:'16 M2 hl w/ Diamana D+ 82

5w: :cleveland-small: Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Yellow

Hybrid: :cleveland-small: 22 deg. Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Black

Irons: :cleveland-small: 5i - gap Launcher CBX w/ Nippon Modus 3 125

Wedges: :cleveland-small: 54 CBX & 58 Zipcore w/ Nippon Modus 3 125

Putter: :odyssey-small: Red 7s

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is awesome! Kinda makes me wish I had cable

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

What's in my  :cleveland-small: bag:

Driver :  :cobra-small: F9 10.5, Fujikura Speeder 757 TR 

Fairway  :cobra-small: F9 15.5° Aldila Rogue White 80X

Hybrid:  :cobra-small: King F7 18° KBS Tour PROTO Hybrid 95 S+

Irons:   :srixon-small: z585 4i - 6i,  z785 7i-PW, Nippon Modus 120X

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: CBX  50.11, 55.11, 60.10  TT DG S400 Black

Putter:  post-53756-150768041262.jpg Honey Badger 34" 

Ball:  :srixon-small: Q-Star Tour

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Best part about this is Melanie Collins!!!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The promo video is pretty cool, too...

 

 

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
Follow @golfspybarbajo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is the TV Schedule for Driver vs Driver.....Spies, set your DVR's accordingly.

 

 

dvd-top1.jpg

Driver: image.png.6ba1c8a254ad57aa05e527b74c2e04ba.png0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft

Fairways:  image.png.80321f01fc46450b6f428c7daf7b3471.png0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB  regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft

Hybrid: None in bag at the moment

IronsTitleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour

Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm).

Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or  ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707,   or Nike Method Core Drone  w/Evnroll Gravity Grip

Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). 

Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel

Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I'm sitting here watching the tour Championship on Golf Channel and just saw the commercial, they just said the winning driver concept will be hitting the shelves on Black Friday of this year? Wow! Did not know that.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is awesome! Kinda makes me wish I had cable

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Makes me wish I had a TV... :rolleyes: , maybe I I'll catch some of it at my brother in laws.

WITB:

 

Driver:   :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max w/ Fujikura Motore X F3 shaft

FW Wood:   :cobra-small:  F9 wood 14.5* 

Hybrids:  :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max 3 Hybrid & :nike-small: Vapor Flex 4 hybrid  

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z565 - 7 thru PW & ZU85 - 5 thru 6 with Recoil ZT9 F4 shafts                                            

Wedges:   :cleveland-small: RTX4 52*, 56*, 60* 

Putter:  Scotty Cameron M2 Newport

Ball:  :Snell: Black & :titelist-small: Pro V1

Bag: 2018 MyGolfSpy stand Bag & 2021 Greenside Golf stand bag

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The shows will be too long to keep my interest, but I really want to see what these people came up with. I like Shark Tank and could see this being somewhat like that...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...