PGA TOUR Winner Kevin Streelman Joins Golf Channel's Driver vs. Driver Series as a Judge

Tonight’s Episode Takes the Six Finalists Behind the Scenes at Wilson Global Headquarters to Begin Prototype Development and Marketing Plans

(ORLANDO, Fla.) – In a series that began with 11 finalists taking their first steps towards winning a grand prize of $500,000 and their concept sold as a Wilson Staff Driver, Driver vs. Driver presented by Wilson has narrowed the field down to its final six.

Two-time PGA TOUR winner and Wilson Advisory Staff member Kevin Streelman joins the series on tonight’s episode as a judge, helping to evaluate and critique the driver concepts. Streelman joins former Chicago Bears linebacker and avid golfer Brian Urlacher, former USGA Technical Director Frank Thomas and President of Wilson Golf Tim Clarke on the panel.

Tonight’s new episode at 10 p.m. ET will go behind the scenes at Wilson Global Headquarters in Chicago, where the final six will work with Wilson LABS engineers in developing their concepts into prototypes, as well as working with the company’s brand and golf marketing team to develop driver concept launch plans, including a two minute commercial. One team will be eliminated at the conclusion of this new episode.

DRIVER VS. DRIVER “FINAL SIX”: Following the first two episodes of presentations, the field has been narrowed to the final six. Some of the finalists are well-versed in the sport of golf, while others have never taken up the game but have extensive engineering and design backgrounds.
- Richard Gischer, Crowley, Texas; and Kimberly Leonard, Pinckneyville, Ill. (Prototype: Wilson Staff Neoforce) – A brother-sister team with golf, sales and communications expertise.
- Kyle Hanquist and Kevin Neitzel, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Prototype: Wilson Staff Energy) – Colleagues and friends at the University of Michigan who are PhD students in aerospace engineering.
- Jimmy Huynh, Brian Mar, Patrick Soriano, Sheila Pancani and Matt Ulery, Long Beach, Calif. (Prototype: Wilson Staff Magnus) – Seniors in the industrial design program at California State University.
- Weston Maughan, Draper, Utah (Prototype: Wilson Staff Fulcrum) – A former golf professional now working in the business sector.
- Eric Sillies, Cincinnati, Ohio (Prototype: Wilson Staff Triton) – A product designer who interned at Dick’s Sporting Goods in college, helping the aesthetic direction for the 2012 Nickent golf club line.
- Gavin Wallin, Eagle Mountain, Utah (Prototype: Wilson Staff Pivot) – A product designer who has extensive experience in golf club design with multiple manufacturers.

LIFE-CHANGING GRAND PRIZE OF $500,000: The seven episode series airs on Tuesdays this fall, concluding Nov. 22, where a life-changing grand prize will be awarded: $500,000 in cash, the largest grand prize in Golf Channel history. Three days later on Black Friday (Nov. 25), the newest Wilson Staff driver inspired by the winning concept will be available for purchase at hundreds of retail and golf course pro shop stores across the country.

SERIES PREMISE: Wilson Golf issued an open call and declared an unprecedented challenge to develop an innovative concept that could be transformed into Wilson Golf’s newest driver. Driver vs. Driver will give viewers an exclusive inside look at the golf club design process from taking prototypes to reality, taking viewers from the company’s Global Headquarters in Chicago and its manufacturing facility in Southeast Asia to on-location at various golf events, where PGA TOUR professionals and stars from the world of sports and entertainment will test out several of the driver concepts. In addition, visits to the hometowns of the finalists will be packaged into special features interspersed throughout the series. Sports broadcaster Melanie Collins hosts Driver vs. Driver.