Ely Callaway's lost memoir goes on sale in March with an AI-generated audiobook

Associated Press

28-01-2025

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Ely Callaway was about much more than a golf company that created 'Big Bertha,' the driver that changed an industry.
He was the chief procurement officer for all Army uniforms during World War II and became president of the largest American textile company. He bought a vineyard in Southern California and turned it into a wine business so successful that Queen Elizabeth II asked for a second glass.
And then he found a hickory shaft wedge in a golf shop, bought the small company called Hickory Stick USA and turned it into Callaway Golf.
There's a lot to unpack with Callaway, who died in 2001 of pancreatic cancer at age 82. His son, Nicholas Callaway, and Andrew Moorhead do just that in 'The Unconquerable Game,' billed as the lost memoir of Callaway.
The book is to be released March 25 (Hachette Book Group in the U.S. and Canada, Thames & Hudson worldwide).
The posthumous memoir is written in the first person. Nicholas Callaway urged his father in 1994 to write a book, and Callaway hired four biographers. The last one was Larry Dorman, whom Callaway liked so much that he hired him away from The New York Times.
Callaway carried a tape recorder with him and took endless notes. He was a great storyteller.
His son and Moorhead leaned on hundreds of pages of manuscripts and interviews from Dorman, John Huey, John Rothchild and Bud Shrake. Callaway's final written contributions to the memoir came in June 2001, a few weeks before he died.
'We are honored to share Ely's amazing life story with the world,' Nicholas Callaway said. 'His story is not just a chronicle of remarkable achievements, but a testament to the power of resilience, innovation and integrity. Ely had an uncanny ability to see ahead and the insights he has to share with us are profound and resonant right now.'
His work in textiles as president of Burlington Industries and the start of Callaway Vineyard and Winery is as fascinating as the golf, but it's the golf for which Callaway — the first publicly traded golf company — is best known.
As for the Big Bertha, Callaway said his second shot with the new club felt like it was propelled by a cannon. That's how it got the name. Callaway remembered from his Army days a reference book on artillery that had a German howitzer reputed to launch shells longer and straighter than any other. He shared the name with his son who told him, 'That's the worst name for a product I've ever heard.'
Callaway's reply was the product makes the name, not the other way around.
He also wrote about his bid to get Tiger Woods to use a Callaway driver after the three-time U.S. Amateur champion signed with Nike in 1996. Callaway wrote to Nike chairman Phil Knight and IMG founder Mark McCormack, offering Woods between $1.5 million and $3 million a year (plus bonuses) for him to use the Callaway driver.
He never heard back from Nike or IMG. Titleist outbid Callaway with a deal reported to be twice as much.
Callaway wrote in the book: 'In my opinion, going into the golf equipment business will be a real problem for Nike. ... Nike is the greatest sports apparel brand in the world, and Phil Knight is a marketing genius, but that doesn't meant they're gonna to able to succeed in hard goods.'
Nike announced in 2016 it was getting out of the golf equipment business.
'The Unconquerable Game' also will be released as an AI-enhanced audiobook, posthumously narrated in Callaway's voice. That involves a collaboration among AI voice engineers, linguistics experts, voice actor Vincent Marcus and actor-comedian Fred Newman — like Callaway, a native of La Grange, Georgia — to recreate his high-pitched Southern accent and storytelling cadence. Tiger (heart) beat
Tiger Woods gets the distinction of having the first shot-clock violation in the TMRW Golf League when he failed to get off a par putt in 40 seconds while facing Rory McIlroy in singles.
Woods attributed that to his heart rate.
'Normally I slow my heart rate down before I pull the trigger, so dropping my heart rate down sometimes takes a little longer than others,' Woods said after his Jupiter Links beat Boston Common in a closest-to-the-pin playoff Monday night.
'As I told these guys, it's on me,' Woods said. 'I should have called time out as I built in my stance because of the time. But I was dropping my heart rate down like I normally would. It just took too long.' Nelly's outlook
Nelly Korda starts her version of an encore this week as the LPGA season begins in Florida at the Grand Hilton Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Only she doesn't see it as having to match her seven wins, including a major, and a record-tying streak of five straight wins.
'Last year is last year,' Korda said. 'When it comes to defending titles, I mean, the field is different. There's different girls in the field. Weather is different. Golf course could be different. There are so many variabilities that just completely changes it.'
Asked about managing her expectations, Korda again mentioned how each week (much less each year) is different because of changes in the weather conditions and how everyone else is playing.
'For me it's going in with a positive attitude and knowing my work is done and I'm just going to enjoy myself,' Korda said. 'Because the added pressure never really helps, and it just kind of takes away from the fun that you can have while playing.' Love hurts
Davis Love III has not played since he withdrew after an opening 82 at the RSM Classic he hosts at Sea Island in November. Even so, it was surprising to hear CBS lead announcer Jim Nantz mention during Sunday's telecast that the two-time Ryder Cup captain being home after having open heart surgery.
Love released a statement saying he had surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, to resolve a valve issue that doctors had been monitoring for the last 10 years.
'I went in healthy and came out healthier,' Love said. Divots
The PGA Tour is offering shot-by-shot details for the first time at a tournament using multiple courses. That means ShotLink will be available on 'TOURCAST' and the PGA Tour app and website from Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. ... Harris English joined John Daly (2004) and Jack Nicklaus (1969) as the only players to win a PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines with a final round over par. ... Rory McIlroy heard that Scottie Scheffler was making homemade ravioli when he punctured his right hand with glass. He jokingly said one of his reactions was, 'I think he made enough money to hire a chef.' Stat of the week
The top 10 players in women's golf come from nine countries. Only the United States has two players in the top 10 — Nelly Korda (1) and Lilia Vu (5). Final word
'I don't think we should try to dumb down golf to appeal to more people. Golf is golf at the end of the day. It's been this way for hundreds of years.' — Rory McIlroy. ___
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