Golf Ball manufacture begins in Japan, for Dunlop UK.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) assumes management of Dunlop UK in Japan.

SRI begins the supply of golf balls to Dunlop Slazenger, for the global market.

SRI golf science centre is opened.

Ichijima golf ball factory begins operation and the 'Srixon Project' is launched in South East Asia.

SRI launches the Srixon 'Hi-Spin' golf ball and establishes sales in 27 countries worldwide. Srixon becomes the producer of the number one ball, club and driver in Japan.

International professional golfers sign full staff agreements to endorse Srixon on the Mens and Womens PGA tours.

The XXIO golf clubs are marketed and the 'Hi-Brid Tour' golf ball is introduced. Start of Srixon Sports Europe subsidiary.

XXIO Hot driver voted "Worlds Longest Driver" in independent tests in Golf World Magazine.

Introduction of revolutionary HRX-333 and AD333 golf balls, with major international tour victories.

Introduction of new 403 Woods and Irons. XXIO Impact Power Body 'Hot' Driver, and Z-UR tour ball.

Signing of Jim Furyk added to more than 250 Srixon players who between them had 37 International victories in '06. Launch of the new 506 range and tour winning Z-URS ball. Introduction of new WS System. Jim Furyk advances to World No.2 ranked player at year end. Srixon signs swedish star Henrik Stenson. SRI Sports goes public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Introduction of 3 piece Trispeed ball. Srixon consistently the Number 2 ball brand in the UK ball Market. Henrik Stenson wins WMC Matchplay and Dubai Desert Classic. Jim Furyk Runner up in US Open for 2nd year running. Year ends with 39 international tour victories. The AD333 becomes the UK's best selling 2 piece ball and wins Today's Golfer best value ball award.

Srixon start the season with 5 players in the world top 50. Many new products including the AD333 2 piece ball, Z-RW driver, i701 tour irons, 706 wedges and 7 series putters are released, together with a wealth of accessories.

So who are Srixon, and why are they now established as a force to be reckoned within the golf equipment market?

Srixon is the Sports arm of Sumitomo Rubber Industries of Japan – one of the Worlds largest Conglomerates and owner of Dunlop Tyres.

Srixon is a registered trademark of SRI Sports Ltd and SRI Sports is a Company of the Sumitomo Rubber Industries Group.

The word SRIXON is derived from the SRI above, X which means unlimited and ON which means going onwards.

Srixon is the 4th biggest Golf Company in the World and has been making golf balls for over 70 years. They were the pioneers of Balata Balls and produced most of the most successful balls in this category.

They are the owners of the only Super Computer in the Golf Industry and which is used by Mercedes and BMW for exact tolerance and performing testing.

They can analyse a ball and clubs ever changing forces, distortions and energies to an amazing 1/100,000,000 of a second. This is called “ Digital Impact Technology” and it has led to many of their breakthrough products.

They also pioneered and patented the technology that resulted in the development of the modern high COR Drivers and they have been producing these for more than 15 years.

Srixon began supplying balls to the Dunlop Slazenger Group in the 1980's and in 1990 produced their Maxfli Balata HT ball. Srixon were actually the first golf ball manufacturer to pioneer the use of soft balata rubber in the manufacture of golf balls, which was without question the ball of choice of all better golfers.

By the mid 1990's Srixon was investing heavily in technology advances in product development. In 1994 it opened its Golf Science Centre for state of the art testing and research.

Since then Srixon has emerged as the world's leading developer of golf ball technology - with over 700 patents taken out worldwide. In its search for maximum performance Srixon developed the world's first perimeter weighted balls and an Energetic Gradient Growth Core.

Major advances were made in club technology too - particularly in optimising clubhead design to deliver the longest drives. Srixon's pioneering analysis of ball and club impact has been fundamental to the success of its club and ball development.

Srixon on tour is a fantastic success story, with signings like Jim Furyk and Henrik Stenson adding to more than 250 Srixon players who between them had 39 International victories in '07.

For the future of Srixon watch this space!