In the first year of sales Callaway’s Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball Putter has been selling like hot cakes, however two Florida men and their attorneys say they’ll ask a judge to freeze all sales of the number one selling putter. That’s because Clark Collins, 60, and Patrick Riley, 61, say Callaway ‘ripped them off’ and is making millions of dollars out of ‘their idea’.
Just a few weeks ago Collins and Riley filed suit against the world’s largest golf manufacturer in Stuart, Florida. They’ve also hired nationally known attorneys Willie Gary and his partner Madison McClellan, who have won jury awards in similar cases against Disney World for $240 million and against beer giant Anheuser-Busch for $139 million. The suit claims that Callaway stole the “Perfect Putter” design concept and created the popular White Hot 2-Ball putter, currently used by a number of top professionals.
“When I first saw the White Hot putter my heart stopped,” recalled Collins, who designs putters and clubs at his small driving range. “This is a pure copy if there ever was one.”
The suit lists numerous meetings and correspondence that Collins and Riley had with Callaway at the company’s request. The 12-count suit also states that on at least two occasions Callaway requested, examined and tested “Perfect Putter.”
“We sent them more putters as they demanded and after they got them. they just walked away and I felt betrayed,” Riley said. “And a couple of years later up pops our putter disguised as a Callaway product.”
The suit against Callaway is also requesting an injunction on all sales of the White Hot 2-Ball putter. “They shouldn’t be able to keep a single nickel of profit from technology they stole from these men,” said attorney Madison McClellan “because if they get to keep the money, they’ll do it again.”
McClellan and Gary say they will be seeking damages in the hundreds of millions of dollars and may be a billion dollars.