Science behind Matt Kuchar's golf ball

Golf

Matt Kuchar’s golf ball, if it behaves especially well, can earn him millions next week at the Tour Championship. Riches beyond compare are on the line at East Lake, as is a potential hometown-ball-makes-good story.

Matt Kuchar’s golf ball - made at the Bridgestone factory in Covington, 25 miles east of Atlanta - could earn him millions at this week's Tour Championship. Riches beyond compare are on the line at East Lake, as is a potential hometown-ball-makes-good story.

Matt Kuchar’s ball begins as one of the thick fillets of rubber stacked high on a metal production table in a Covington factory. The material, which become the core of the golf ball, goes through a process to flatten and remove air bubbles

Golf ball cores -- "the engine of the golf ball" -- are placed into a mold and using heat to pressure the material is pressed into the shape of a ball.

After coming out of the mold, the balls still have several processes to undergo. The secret behind the Georgia-made goo is closely guarded.

Matt Kuchar’s golf ball is a phenomenon of both physics and industry. It passed through a dozen different mechanical stages — each adding another layer to this polymer onion — was inspected like it was a crown jewel and tested like it was an airliner’s rivet before making it to the first tee at East Lake.

In additional to several automated quality control points at each step of the manufacturing process, every ball is hand inspected before being packaged.

Wanda Owensty gives golf balls a final inspection before sending them to the packaging process.

A box of golf balls heads off the production line at the Bridgestone Golf North American Headquarters in Covington. Earlier this year, Bridgestone, a Japanese company that trades largely in tires, moved all its premium golf-ball manufacturing to Georgia. The plant produces the 330 line of golf balls, including the B330s golf balls that Matt Kuchar uses on the PGA Tour.

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Matt Kuchar’s golf ball - made at the Bridgestone factory in Covington, 25 miles east of Atlanta - could earn him millions at this week's Tour Championship. Riches beyond compare are on the line at East Lake, as is a potential hometown-ball-makes-good story.

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