Champion Crowned on Fore Inventors

Nine months ago, the GOLF CHANNEL began its search seeking out Americas next great golf invention. More than 1000 inventors turned out for auditions throughout the country, where the producers determined the 103 inventions that would compete in the series.

Fast forward to Tuesday, Sept. 4. Judges Stina Sternberg, Bill Harmon and Fulton Allem, who narrowed the field from 103 to the final five after overseeing panel auditions, field testing and consumer pitches, were simply spectators. It was up to America to determine the winning invention.

Im sad that Stina and I arent fighting tonight, chimed in Harmon at the opening of the show.

You want to fight with her? Marry her! retorted comedian George Lopez, who co-hosted the finale alongside GOLF CHANNEL anchor Rich Lerner.

After eliminating three inventions during the course of the show, Hill Shot Golf Trainer and the Club Caddy were the two left standing to determine their fate at the end of the show.

When the dust settled, Martinez, Ga. Resident David Jones and his Club Caddy invention garnered 30% of Americas votes and was declared the champion to a rousing ovation from the audience and his family members. Golf aficionados will be seeing a lot more of the Club Caddy in the near future, as the invention will receive shelf space at all 74 Golfsmith retails stores throughout North America for one year; a fully developed infomercial produced by The Golf Agency and $50,000 worth of commercial and promotional air time on the GOLF CHANNEL.

For the first time in this competition, I am speechless, said Jones. I need to get home and get to work real fast.

Club Caddy is a clip that attaches to a golf club around the green allowing it to become free-standing in an upright position. The invention allows a player to not have to lay extra clubs on the ground and bend over to pick up clubs. While Jones believes that he was the first to develop Club Caddy, Lopez had other thoughts.

We invented that first, joked Lopez while examining the Club Caddy. Only we connected it to a positive and negative and started our cars.

Joining Jones as finalists on Tuesdays episode included:

Hill Shot Golf Trainer: A sloped hitting tee used for practicing uphill, downhill and side hill lies. Inventor: Brandi and Larry Koch, Prospect, Ky.

Club Glider: A golf travel bag that integrates extendable legs with caster wheels, making the bag easy to push or pull. The wheels fold back into a locked position for easy travel. Inventor: Gary Sherrell, Maple Valley, Wash.

Z-Factor Perfect Putting Machine: A portable putter training aid that guides the user through proper path, face, angle and pendulum swing of the putter. Inventor: Dean Thompson, Boise, Idaho.

Pro Play Golf Performance System: A small digital recording device that can be used on the golf course to record golf swings for instant feedback. Inventors: Marcus Bohn, Chandler, Ariz., and Tim Kipley, McKinney, Texas

After Lopez provided some constructive criticism - as only he can deliver - to a few of the inventions that failed to make the cut, the premiere of the finalists 60 second commercials aired, developed by Mike and Steve Abram of The Golf Agency.

Being on camera was tough, explained Thompson after watching his commercial for the first time. You have a lot of people looking at you and counting on you, so it was definitely tough.

The journey itself was tough for the inventors. The love from their families provided the strength for each of the finalists to go for their dreams. The families were in attendance, and viewers were able to get an up-close look at the support and encouragement during their journey to the finale five.

It is neat when your kid can kick your butt and get you motivated to go on with your dream, said Jones.

For Jones, his dream will continue when his Club Caddy will soon be in Golfsmith stores throughout the country.

For the four finalists who were eliminated on Tuesday, their dreams did not end when the lights dimmed in Studio A. Each will take the Fore Inventors Only experience and move forward, all with the knowledge that on this night, there were no losers. Only winners.

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