T’S ironic we titled this edition of Australian Golf Digest “The Tiger Issue”.
The man directly responsible for injecting more commercial dollars into the sport than any other player returned to the spotlight over Christmas to ignite one of the craziest player contract movements in living memory.
Woods – forever synonymous with Nike golf – shocked the golf world when he announced he was switching to the Bridgestone golf ball after making a semi-successful comeback at his Hero World Challenge event in December. But before we had time to digest the news, swoosh, more equipment bombshells were dropped.
World No.1 Jason Day followed in the footsteps of his childhood hero by signing a lucrative apparel deal with Nike. While Day will continue to use TaylorMade clubs, his pay packet for wearing that famous tick will dwarf any prizemoney he wins in the foreseeable future.
Then there was two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, who caught everyone off guard by adding a pink Volvik ball to his arsenal. While the colour wasn’t so much a shock, the choice of ball – having forged its reputation on the women’s tours – certainly was and is a major coup for a company staring at a David-and-Goliath battle in the golf ball market.
No stranger to equipment headlines, Rory McIlroy was at it again, reportedly (at the time of print) deciding on a mixed bag for 2017 that will include Callaway woods and irons, Titleist ball and wedges and an Odyssey putter. It appears the world No.2 is content with being a free agent for now, allowing him the freedom to tinker with his bag. To put that in perspective, if McIlroy knocks Day off top spot this year he will become the first world No.1 without an equipment contract since Nick Price in 1995.
Not to be outdone, women’s world No.1 Lydia Ko – after ditching her coach and caddie – made it a trifecta in as many months by cutting ties with Callaway and signing with emerging golf hardware company PXG.
Oh Tiger, what have you done?
Sixteen years after Woods signed a groundbreaking $100 million deal with Nike, the number of equipment companies has shrunk. Nike has stopped making clubs and balls. TaylorMade is for sale, and most say the new owners will be more cost-conscious. All that leaves some wondering if the hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually on player endorsements might be contributing to the consolidation of the equipment industry, which still showers players with money to play their gear. One tour rep for an equipment company we spoke to recently said as much: “I’ve got absolutely no doubt that if money wasn’t a factor, 90 per cent of the tour would be using our gear.” In truth, it’s a claim a handful of companies could make, but sadly they may never know.
The goal posts have moved. Prosperity now overrides performance. But if you’re as talented as Day, McIlroy and Ko, you can still have both. Yet McIlroy’s case is an intriguing one. You sense he feels like he has enough money now and it’s all about winning. Could this lead him to walk into Drummond Golf and buy the perfect club off the floor?
Don’t laugh.
5 Products That’ll Shake Up 2017
1. Callaway Epic Driver
The company’s latest bomber is excelling in our Hot List testing with its “Jailbreak Technology”.
2. Titleist Pro V1 & Pro V1x golf balls
Always a much-anticipated launch, this year’s Pro V1 promises to raise the bar in performance yet again on the back of 188 worldwide victories in 2016.
3. Cobra One-Length Irons
Bryson DeChambeau has started a craze that’s sure to catch on Down Under. Intrigued by the concept, Australia’s Cobra-Puma category manager Jason Louey put them in play for 18 holes and shot 2-under. “The best I’ve played in years,” he says.
4. TaylorMade M Metal Family
All-new multi-material construction saves weight, repositions the centre of gravity, and increases adjustability. This can only mean one thing – more distance. Just watch Jason Day and Dustin Johnson this year.
5. The Tiger Woods Range
We’re crystal balling here but after initially having his name thrown up as a potential buyer of TaylorMade, and Nike leaving the hardware business, the time seems right for Tiger to release his own sticks. It’s also likely to be his most lucrative option moving forward.
