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PGA Tour Sponsor Rumors

JB said:
Those guys are all under contract and have been for quite some time with another company. They are in the shoe game overseas. They sell their sneaker line in the US, but not their golf shoes. They can be had online, but for a hefty price.

Companies have to maximize areas where they can make money. Jumping into shoes when the likes of FJ, Adidas, Nike, PUMA, and ECCO are all heavily involved would not bode well for their success.
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i'm just thinking out loud again when it comes to the shoes.

is it difficult for a golfer to break a contract with an existing company? do they ink deals for a set amount of time? would it be considered unprofessional for a company like Mizuno to approach one of the above mentioned just b/c he's under contract with someone else?
 
tcalloway1 said:
i'm just thinking out loud again when it comes to the shoes.

is it difficult for a golfer to break a contract with an existing company? do they ink deals for a set amount of time? would it be considered unprofessional for a company like Mizuno to approach one of the above mentioned just b/c he's under contract with someone else?
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In my mind it would be considering a form of "tampering" but its not really teh same as other sports. Deals are inked for a number of years.
 
JB said:
In my mind it would be considering a form of "tampering" but its not really teh same as other sports. Deals are inked for a number of years.
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oh, thanks for the info. that makes more sense and now i can see how mizuno might not have a heap of options out there as far as adding new horses to the stable.

this has been very fascinating.
 
JB said:
While they are the same parent company, they are still viewed as different golf lines. The same reason that FJ jumped in and had to pay big money to get Ogilvy to wear their shoes since he was with Puma.

I dont get the elite players thought? Acushnet and more specifically Titleist pays more players than any other company in the world to use their golf equipment. By quite a wide margin.
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I believe Titleist needs a Marquee player or another Marquee player. If you look at their list of players, it was starting to fade at the top 15 players.

I do think Rory will be there (if he is not already there), but Geoff is already in that top tier category. Stricker and Zach Johnson are certainly good players, but they do not really cause anyone to buy golf equipment (IMHO)
 
Andy804 said:
I believe Titleist needs a Marquee player or another Marquee player. If you look at their list of players, it was starting to fade at the top 15 players.

I do think Rory will be there (if he is not already there), but Geoff is already in that top tier category. Stricker and Zach Johnson are certainly good players, but they do not really cause anyone to buy golf equipment (IMHO)
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They just picked up Rickie Fowler...
What about Michael Sim, Nick Whatney etc...
They also have a presence on the European Tour with Ross Fisher, Robert Karlson...

Overall I don't think they make much of an effort to sell their clubs, all of their advertising is geared toward their #1 ball in golf...
 
couldbeu said:
Overall I don't think they make much of an effort to sell their clubs, all of their advertising is geared toward their #1 ball in golf...
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And man oh man do they pay a lot to be the #1 ball in golf.
 
JB said:
And man oh man do they pay a lot to be the #1 ball in golf.
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Imagine if Titleist was not the number one ball in golf. That would be weird. Who do you think has the best chance of dethroning them?
 
crazydog said:
Imagine if Titleist was not the number one ball in golf. That would be weird. Who do you think has the best chance of dethroning them?
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Nobody right now because of contracts and brand awareness. However Bridgestone and Nike come to mind because their brand is so well known outside of golf.
 
JB said:
Nobody right now because of contracts and brand awareness. However Bridgestone and Nike come to mind because their brand is so well known outside of golf.
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I am surprised that you did not say callaway. I think after titleist, callaway makes the best ball. Or even better.
 
crazydog said:
I am surprised that you did not say callaway. I think after titleist, callaway makes the best ball. Or even better.
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But that was not the question. THe question was who could be the worlds number 1 golf ball. I think neither Callaway nor Titleist currently have the best ball on the market for my game.

In fact I do not place them in the top 3 for my game. But golf balls are very different for different people.
 
Is KJ Choi still with Nike? Or did that change last year and I missed it. Or is he still with them.
 
crazydog said:
In your opinion who makes the best ball?
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For my game there are a few. Taylormade with the Penta, Bridgestone with the B330RX, and Srixon with the Z-star. Lets keep this thread about Tour rumors though.

mchepp said:
Is KJ Choi still with Nike? Or did that change last year and I missed it. Or is he still with them.
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As of right now he is on their roster sheet.
 
We have a couple of sources telling us right now that Geoff Ogilvy is about to sign a deal with Travis Matthew apparel to be his apparel sponsor.

Two sources have confirmed that it already.
 
JB said:
We have a couple of sources telling us right now that Geoff Ogilvy is about to sign a deal with Travis Matthew apparel to be his apparel sponsor.

Two sources have confirmed that it already.
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Good for him, because whatever he was wearing on Sunday was blah!
 
Yes it was. We heard this last week. However the deal is not signed at this time and it still could very well be an individual tournament by tournament decision. Geoff's asking price is very high and that could mean this is only a short term thing until someone big jumps in.

We hear and have confirmed that the deal in principle right now is for a couple of events and could lead to big things.
 
I forgot this one from a few months back. Bo Van Pelt moved to Titleist from Nike. He also signed with Flare, a small apparel company. It appears this was because he wanted to logo his hat with a sponsor and Nike did not want that. Similar to why Geoff left Puma.
 
Webb Simpson signed with Polo by Ralph Lauren. They have a very small stable of golfers and rarely sign new talent. Good signing though. He fits the mold well.
 
Also want to add that 3 of the biggest names in golf are without apparel sponsor deals.

Adam Scott - Since Burberry the rumors swirled about Ashworth and Polo, but he still does not have a deal.

Phil Mickelson - Staying without a deal to opt for company tags instead.

Rory Mcllroy - Also with no apparel deal and it appears few of them have plans of signing them.

As I have said for a long time, it is worth far more to the player to sell the space than the shirt and pants for themselves.
 
tcalloway1 said:
is there any particular reason why Mizuno isn't sponsoring more players. with everything you read about the company, the quality of the clubs, and the price tag, wouldn't they want to sponsor more players or at least go after someone in the top 20. maybe it's a silly question but i'm sure you can give me a logical explanation.
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JB said:
Elite players cost a whole lot of money. Companies like Mizuno, Bridgestone, and many others do not pay a lot of players. And lets be honest, who is out there for them to sponsor?
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tcalloway1 said:
why not target a nick watney or a chris wood or a ross fisher? go after a guy who's more than likely going to make a little noise in 2010. i'm sure it costs more to go after an elite player but i would assume that mizuno had the money to do so. any idea if mizuno ever thought about getting into the shoe game in the industry? they make great shoes for softball/baseball.
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JB said:
Those guys are all under contract and have been for quite some time with another company.
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JB-i thought i noticed Chris Wood wearing a Mizuno lid during the Abu Dhabi. Is he now on board with them?
 
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