So if a pro is signed with Nike...

[Iowa Hawkeye]

I'm sure Tiger could use exactly zero Nike clubs and they will still pay him to strut around with their logo on his chest.

[shakogolfer78]

well Titleist owns Cobra so many Cobra staff players use vokey wedges and Cameron putters like Poulter and Villegas.

[apex53]

As mentioned previously, most contracts require 10 clubs of the contract manufacturer to be in the player's bag... I read an article about equipment endorsements several years ago... Most companies allow driver, wedges, and putter to be a different brand because they are considered to be the more "personal" clubs... I believe that Tiger's contract with Nike states that if he is ever unhappy with any Nike club in his bag that he can use whatever he wants... He is still using the Scotty Cameron putter... You can bet the Nike guys do everything they can to make sure he is happy... Now with the Srixon/Cleveland merger you see Boo and Vijay playing the Srixon ball after playing Titleist for many years

[Shorty]

I read an interesting article recently - was it about Paul Azinger? - anyway, the player in question (P.A. I think) said that he no longer had a club contract. He said that he had clubs by 6 manufacturers and for the first time in his career he liked every club in his bag.

[Todd]

I remember reading an article on Tiger's putter. He has played with that one since before he turned pro if I remember right. It is also the only club in his bag that he is not paid for.

[wtd]

also true... just as Callaway owns Topflite and Ben Hogan and Taylormade owns Maxfli.

Not that it really matters, but TaylorMade sold the Maxfli brand to Dick's Sporting Goods (which also owns Golf Galaxy) last year. Dicks has since made Maxfli the house brand for clubs, balls, etc. TaylorMade, however; retained the rights to the Noodle brand.

[dirkduffer]

Tiger has famously used the same putter for years. And it's definitely a Scotty.

Although, I did see someone at the Masters that was decked out in TM/Adidas clubs and clothes, but somehow snuck in a FJ glove! I wish I could remember who it was, but it jumped out at me...and I had the DVR going so no mistake!

[pherg]

Shindig wrote (I can't work out how to get the little blue box around it): I think it's fine unless Phil refers to the FT-9 as the Diablo. If it just has the headcover, I don't see the big deal. If someone buys a club based on what club they think Phil is playing, I'm not about to feel sorry for them. Heck, if you're buying based on what your favorite professional is paid to use , I have to wonder. I mean generic "you" here; I don't think you, kafka01, is buying based on Phil.


Pherg wrote: I think the point here is the only reason these players are paid to put a logo on their shirt, hat, jocks and whatever is to influence regular golfers to use that brand of clubs.

I'd imagine a great number of purchases are made solely based on the fact that someone's favourite player has that (or supposedly has that) club in their bag. Therefore I don't think it's unreasonable that the player should be playing the club that the headcover indicates.

Not everyone makes an informed decision and that's what marketing departments rely on when handing over buckets of cash to sports men and women.

I think the average start-up player that got into the game because of Tiger Woods would assume Tiger played everything Nike, including putter, after all it's a fair assumption for a newbie especially if it has a Nike cover on it. If you see a race car that says "Ford" you don't expect it to have a Honda engine.

So I guess my point is, if it's a Scotty putter, put it in a Scotty cover or at least a blank one. If it's an Adams hybrid it should have an Adams cover, anything else is false advertising. I should know, I work in advertising.

[Iowa Hawkeye]

Shindig wrote (I can't work out how to get the little blue box around it): I think it's fine unless Phil refers to the FT-9 as the Diablo. If it just has the headcover, I don't see the big deal. If someone buys a club based on what club they

Hit "Quote" under the post.

[zeg]

So I guess my point is, if it's a Scotty putter, put it in a Scotty cover or at least a blank one. If it's an Adams hybrid it should have an Adams cover, anything else is false advertising. I should know, I work in advertising.

I disagree. False advertising would be claiming the club being sold has properties that it doesn't have. False advertising might be paying a pro to say that he/she "only uses XXX brand" when he doesn't. Paying to put your logo on a piece of equipment doesn't rise to that level -- there's no actual claim being made.

[Iowa Hawkeye]

How about the bags? Some have company staff bags, others like tiger have other sponsors? How about caddies? Are they required to wear logos?

[Shorty]

So I guess my point is, if it's a Scotty putter, put it in a Scotty cover or at least a blank one. If it's an Adams hybrid it should have an Adams cover, anything else is false advertising. I should know, I work in advertising.

Not true. Not false advertising at all. Misleading to uninformed observers, but not false advertising, which is illegal.

Although one might assume that the headcover indicates the club underneath, it is not false advertising. The club"shouldn't" have anything at all other than what the contract specifies. The Darrel Survey (sp?) which manufacturers pay hundreds of thousand of dollars to subscribe to, exists partly so that manufacturers know that players are abiding by the terms of their contract. On the other hand, the latest Titleist ball ads confuse me, because Villegas says that Titleist is the only ball he'd "ever" play. That's different.

[Shorty]

How about the bags? Some have company staff bags, others like tiger have other sponsors? How about caddies? Are they required to wear logos?

Caddies can do their own deals, often at their own peril. They will always consult their player. You will notice how Steve Williams strips off his bib on the 18th hole when Tiger wins to reveal his Valvoline logos without the (apparently) subservient garb of the caddy. Tiger approves of this.

But generally speaking, if a caddy is wearing, say, a Callaway cap, he is being paid to do so. But, it would never be in conflict with his player's contracts.

[Shorty]

Although, I did see someone at the Masters that was decked out in TM/Adidas clubs and clothes, but somehow snuck in a FJ glove! I wish I could remember who it was, but it jumped out at me...and I had the DVR going so no mistake!

Yes, but that player would not be contracted to wear a TM glove.

Contracts are monitored and heavy fines exist for breaches. Manufacturers have a right to a return on their investment and players aren't silly enough to bite the hand that feeds them. Bill Haas - $500,000 year to play Titleist even when he was not on the big tour. The Titleist reps were sweating on him advancing.

[ibigler]

I've also heard of companies grinding down another companies logo and re-branding it with there own... Seems fishy to mee. but i guess we wont know till one of us goes pro lol

[pbillaa]

Should tiger's driver actually be a huge tiger? A headcover is its own piece of equipment which can be purchased on its own. Also this forum is full of mizuno fans,,,, why do they have so few pros in the stable?

[ghalfaire]

well Titleist owns Cobra so many Cobra staff players use vokey wedges and Cameron putters like Poulter and Villegas.

I believe that Titleist recently sold Cobra. Don't remember where I read that and don't recall to whom they were sold.

[IcemanYVR]

I'm sure Tiger could use exactly zero Nike clubs and they will still pay him to strut around with their logo on his chest.

... when Tiger first came out on Tour in 1996 and early 1997 he was with Titleist, and he wore head to toe Nike Gear. He was part of Nike's "Global Foursome" And even though he was sponsored by Titleist, in the first year he used a Cobra driver, and Mizuno irons.

I read an interesting article recently - was it about Paul Azinger? - anyway, the player in question (P.A. I think) said that he no longer had a club contract. He said that he had clubs by 6 manufacturers and for the first time in his career he liked every club in his bag.

The same for Payne Stewart at the end of the 1998 season. His equipment contract was out and he went to the local golf shop and tried out a bunch of different equipment. He actually bought his equipment for the 1999 season and I remember reading in his book that it was the first time in a long time that he was happy with every club in his bag.

How about the bags? Some have company staff bags, others like tiger have other sponsors? How about caddies? Are they required to wear logos?

again it depends on the contract... the bag is a very lucrative sponsor location and soon you will see LCD's on the front of the bag with rotating sponsors.

Should tiger's driver actually be a huge tiger? A headcover is its own piece of equipment which can be purchased on its own. Also this forum is full of mizuno fans,,,, why do they have so few pros in the stable?

Mizuno used to be the Number 1 iron on tour (for many years) I'm not sure if they still are... once you get past all the big name sponsored players you'll find that many of the players use Mizuno irons. I don't believe Mizuno pays players to play their irons unless they are a Mizuno Staff player. This is more prevalant on the Nationwide Tour... I think though, that with the advent of good forging available from other companies ie (Titleist) and with the incredible popularity of the AP-2, many players at the college level and elite amatuers are going this route.