By PGA Tour editor Evin Priest – at Torrey Pines
If you can’t remember a time when Tiger Woods didn’t use Nike golf equipment, you could be forgiven.
Part of arguably the most synonymous partnership in golf has ended. News broke this morning that Tiger Woods has signed an endorsement deal with TaylorMade golf.
But why TaylorMade? After all the equipment Tiger admitted he’d been sent by manufacturers to test?
It’s simple, says the 14-time major champion.
“For me, it starts with the golf ball because we use it on every single shot we hit, Once I’ve figured on the golf ball and then we build it back from there,” Woods said.
“I tested with a variety of different companies and I found that TaylorMade and their setup worked the best with my golf ball and allowed me to hit numbers that I hadn’t seen before. So it was kind of a no-brainer.
While he’ll still wear Nike apparel, including golf shoes, he is moving away from the Nike clubs, putting TaylorMade woods in his bag for the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.
So what will he do about irons?
Eventually, he will transition to TaylorMade irons, including wedges, but will have Nike irons in the bag at Torrey Pines.
Woods had previously announced a deal to play the Bridgestone golf ball.
“With the irons, as I said we’re going to take our time and build up an iron that I like not only in the playing position but how it feels and how it performs,” Woods said.
“So there’s no rush on that. I’ll be playing my current Nike irons and the blades I’ve been using for years for right now until TaylorMade builds me the irons that I want. Even then, I still have to go out there and I’ve still got to do the testing at home and do the testing on the numbers but also do testing at medal is and hit shots and see how it feels and how it performs through the dirt and that’s going to take a little bit of time as well.”
