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HUGEL-JTBC LA OPEN

April 18, 2018

Los Angeles, California

THE MODERATOR: Welcome everyone to the media center. Obviously we have a special announcement to make; we have some displays here as well.

Just going to go ahead and kick it off to the chief commercial officer, Jon Podany, to make a special announcement.

JON PODANY: Thank you, Al, and welcome everyone. I am pleased to announce today that Weatherman is becoming the officially umbrella of the LPGA.

We're very excited to introduce this quality product to not only our rules officials and our staff, but to the fans of the LPGA.

You'll see as we get into this it was designed by a meteorologist, and obviously he knows what he's talking about. They have thought of everything in an umbrella, especially for golfers.

It's got the UPF protection of 50 plus; it can withstand winds of up to 55 miles an hour. It's got a little mesh pocket inside the umbrella for your glove and scorecard.

It's got silicone to be able to hang a towel so it doesn't fall off. Everything you could possibly imagine. So we're really excited about that.

I think those of you who follow the LPGA, obviously I think we're kind of the perfect torture test. We play a sport outside, every day, all day, in climates all across the world.

I think it's really a perfect marriage, and hopefully we can be a great showcase for the top of the line kind of product Rick and Steve have designed. So we're excited about that.

We're also excited about the fact that every umbrella they sell that's LPGA branded, $5 will go to the LPGA Foundation. So benefit young girls, our girls golf program, and scholarships and so forth. So already starting out giving back to the game, which we really appreciate.

I think just great quality people that we've gotten to know as we've worked through this. I think another factor that gives you some sense of their decision making, Juli is with us today. They signed Juli Inkster to an endorsement deal as well. There is no better representative, face of the LPGA, than Juli Inkster, Hall of Famer, three-time Solheim Cup captain, two time victorious, and just wonderful face of the LPGA.

So good going there, Rick.

So with that, I would like to turn it over to Rick Reichmuth, who is the CEO/founder of Weatherman, and chief meteorologist of Fox.

Rick?

RICK REICHMUTH: I appreciate you saying who better than a meteorologist, because we trust them, right? (Laughter.) That's not always what people say about meteorologists.

When we started out to make Weatherman, I wanted to make a great umbrella. It felt like there weren't that great umbrellas in the market in general, and to create a brand that people would know as a great umbrella brand. That was the goal.

Eventually we realized that it's different maybe in different markets and different uses. We started with two different sizes umbrellas, just your regular commuter umbrellas, and a couple months ago we launched the golf umbrellas with some extra special features for them, particularly the UV coating.

Juli and I were joking a little bit earlier about our love for sun when we were kids and baby oil instead of sunscreen and now we're paying for that.

But all of the golf umbrellas, so they're obviously for rain. We built them to be durable in wind, but also to have sun protection, so when you're out on the course in the heat we have it as well.

You said a lot of the great things about the umbrella, what we think is great about the umbrella. It's available at weathermanumbrella.com. If you buy the LPGA umbrella, $5 goes to the LPGA Foundation.

So exciting for us to be able to support that Foundation and be able to invest especially in girls getting into sports and the importance of that. The Foundation does such great work with that.

And then to have Juli on board means the world to us. Officially, so you have a million credits to your name, your majors, Solheim Cup captain three times.

JULI INKSTER: Does this come in red, white, and blue?

RICK REICHMUTH: It is coming actually in red, white, and blue.

JULI INKSTER: Just want to make sure.

RICK REICHMUTH: We have an umbrella coming out in two months that will be a patriotic umbrella. Stay tuned for that one as well.

But to have you here officially to be our first member of Team Weatherman is a big honor for us.

JULI INKSTER: I'm looking forward to it. I just met Rick today, but we seem to have a lot in common. Can't wait to get out there. Never had an umbrella, so this is going to be perfect for me. I can never find my umbrella, but now I'm going to have plenty to be able to find in all colors.

Just the thought of giving back to the LPGA, the junior program and scholarships, it's great. I tried the umbrella and it's sturdy. It's going to be great. I'm going to need that in Gleneagle for the Solheim Cup, because I'm sure the weather is going to be a little bit nasty over there.

As Jon said, we are the all-weather LPGA. Last year we had winds, we had rain, we had sun. You get to Thailand and Singapore and you need it for the heat.

So I'm looking forward to having this journey with them. Rick said he's been working on this for four years. He bought thousands of umbrellas and tore them apart to find the one that works.

I'm happy to be on board. Going to see if we can make this thing be famous, and I'll do whatever I can to help out. Looking forward to being your spokesperson.

RICK REICHMUTH: Thank you so much.

THE MODERATOR: At this point we'll open it up to the room. If anyone has any questions, let us know who you would like to answer the question.

Q. Juli, when they were showing you the product with all its functionality, which aspect appealed to you?
JON PODANY: I love the glove and card holder. Your glove always gets wet; your card is always soaked. You put them up there.

Also the sun protection. I've never done that, and I need to start -- I don't know if it's going to help anymore -- but I'm going to start doing it.

It's easy. You click, goes up; click, it goes down. And it's big. Your caddie -- usually when my caddie holds the umbrella I'm getting wet and he's dry, so this time we'll be able to cover both of us. I know I'll be a lot happier.

So a lot of great features. They didn't mention in the dark it glows on the side, so if you're walking down the street you have reflector protection. People can see you. That's also a good feature there. They've thought of everything.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, Rick, Juli, and Jon.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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