Ping and Watson collaborate for charity

Bubba Watson plans to use his new, custom built pink Ping G20 driver to raise a million dollars for charity with the "Bubba and friends drive to a million" initiative

Pink PING driver for Bubba

Bubba Watson has unveiled his new, outlandishly pink Ping G20 driver which he will use to raise money for Phoenix-based charities in his "Bubba and Friends Drive to a Million" initiative.

Ping - Watson's sponsor - will donate $300 for the first 300 drives that Watson launches over 300 yards in the 2012 season. The first 300 drives of his season should all be over 300 yards, given that, last season, his average driving distance on the PGA Tour was 314.9 yards.

Ping will also donate $10,000 upfrint towards "Bubba Long in Pink. Driven by PING", a fund-raising event with donations given to Phoenix-area charities.

Watson will rely on his new Ping G20 driver to raise money on the course. It has 8.5 degrees of loft, a 44.50-inch pink True Temper Grafalloy Bi-Matrix shaft and PING 703 Gold grips. The words "Made Exclusively for Bubba" are carved on the crown.

The Scottsdale resident said: "I'm very fortunate to have great sponsors, and its awesome Ping has built me this amazing pink G20 driver", adding: "It's going to bring attention for a good cause... My goal is to make Ping pay every cent."

Ping chairman and CEO, John A. Solheim, said: "His objectives are in step with ours - to make the community where you live and work a better place.

"This year we have more reason than ever to hope that he's 'Bubba long' and that every one of his drives goes past 300 yards."

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Nick Bonfield
Content Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, commissioning and feature writing. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x