The 1988 U.S. Open marked the first of two consecutive U.S. Open titles for Curtis Strange using a Ping Zing 2 putter. For Ping, the victory was equally significant as it set in motion an equipment achievement that hasn’t been replicated in 35 years.
Strange’s victory at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, helped Ping putters secure all four major championships during the 1988 season. To celebrate the achievement, Ping has rolled out a precision-milled version of the four winning models (Pal, Pal 2, Zing 2 and Anser) during each major championship this year.
Limited to 88 pieces, Strange’s Zing 2 is fully machined and custom-built by WRX masters craftsmen at Ping’s headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. Once the putter is built, a serial number is added to the head for authenticity purposes. A custom headcover is also included that’s unique to the corresponding major championship.
“A lot of what we did back then is still critical to our putter designs today,” said John A. Solheim, Ping’s executive chairman, “so we went to great lengths to maintain the subtleties of each model while giving them the precise details and strikingly clean, premium appearance made possible through the milling process.”
Ping’s Slam PLD Limited Zing 2 putter will be available June 13th through pingpld.com for $990 (limit one per customer). And for golfers who missed out on a putter drop but still want to own all four models, Ping plans to offer 35 complete sets of PLD Limited “Ping Slam” putters for $4,990 on December 5th, including a custom-designed display unit.
“We’re really enjoying celebrating the ‘Ping Slam’ and reliving some wonderful memories from 1988,” said Solheim. “Curtis’ thrilling win at the U.S. Open was soon followed by the U.S. Women’s Open champion using a Zing 2, giving us wins at both national championships that summer. The next year Curtis won the U.S. Open again with his Zing 2. That was a remarkable run for the Zing 2 and secured its place in Ping’s putter history.”
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