A year and a half after submitting his initial application and driver design idea, Evan Hoffman (San Diego, Calif.) and his driver concept – Cortex – was named the winner on Tuesday’s finale of Driver vs. Driver 2 presented by Wilson. Hoffman takes home the $250,000 grand prize and the Cortex driver becomes Wilson’s newest driver on the market. The driver is officially on sale at more than 1,000 golf retail stores around the world and online at Wilson.com/Cortex.
“I was confident, but still you can’t prepare yourself for something like this,” Hoffman said after being announced as the Driver vs. Driver 2 winner. “So many emotions going on, the main one being shock. This has been an experience of a lifetime and a dream come true.”
Tim Slama (Salem, Ore.), and his Rozwell design finished runner-up on Driver vs. Driver 2. Tim Clarke, President of Wilson Golf, surprised Slama when he announced at the conclusion of the finale that Wilson Golf will pay for his final year of college at Oregon State University.
“It was a gold lining in the clouds,” said Slama after the finale. “This really echoes what Wilson has been the entire show, which has been true to themselves. They have been so honest, so generous and so amazing to everyone on this show, especially me.”
“I am so proud of the team I work with at Wilson,” said Clarke. “Not only did this team deliver products that are amazing in working with both designers, but also the reality is we got a driver that tested better than any driver Wilson has ever produced.”
“It was very close between the final two designs and a very tough decision to make,” said nine-Time NHL All-Star Jeremy Roenick, one of the three judges on Driver vs. Driver 2. “I teetered between the two, but I think we made the right decision and the best driver won with Evan.”
“To be a part of the process and seeing what hard work and effort goes on behind the scenes has been amazing,” said Rick Shiels, golf equipment reviewer and judge on the series. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
The finale took place at Wilson Sporting Goods’ worldwide headquarters in Chicago. During the finale, PGA TOUR professionals Troy Merritt, Brendan Steele and Kevin Streelman tested the two finished prototypes and provided their feedback. The judges on the series – Clarke, Roenick and Shiels – also hit the final two prototypes before ultimately making their decision in announcing Hoffman as the winner.
DRIVER VS. DRIVER 2 WINNER PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Cortex: At the heart of the Cortex driver is Fast Cage Technology. 44 percent of the head has been replaced with lightweight carbon fiber, leaving a rigid titanium skeleton that provides structural stability and more precise weight distribution for adjustability, maximizing distance and optimizing spin for all swings.
SERIES PRODUCTION: Production for Driver vs. Driver 2 began in the Fall of 2017 and concluded in August, 2018. The series is produced by Golf Channel’s original productions division, whose portfolio include the Emmy-nominated interview series Feherty hosted by Emmy-nominated sports personality David Feherty, high-quality instruction shows including School of Golf, Golf Channel Academy and Playing Lessons and a slate of award-winning and critically-acclaimed Golf Films.