Top Players Moving Away From Equipment Contracts ?

[Deleted member 21445]

Seems to be a slight trend of top players moving away from equipment contracts ?

Justin Rose choose not to resign with anyone after Honma and has a mix of brands in the bag including a Ping Driver.
Jason Day has moved away from Taylormade, while retaining their fairway woods also has a Ping Driver and Mizuno Irons.

Ive never really understood why top players sign equipment contracts, they dont need the money and it seems to make sense to me to just choose the equipment you like rather than the one you are forced to use.

Thoughts ?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Do contracts give you more behind the scenes back up at tournaments? If Bubba wants to try a new ping shaft presumably this gets dealt with ahead of Rose wanting the same? I don't know the answer, just guessing.

The ideal seems to be no contract and pick what suits you. Without knowing the behind the scenes stuff it is hard to say for certain.

With the money these guys earn now the established ones certainly don't need deals that restrict them anymore.

 

[USER1999]

Patrick Reed, and Daniel Berger are another two, and who knows if Koepka has signed with Srixon or just plays their irons.

 

[Imurg]

It can also suit the manufacturers too.
TM had a huge roster of top players - Tiger, DJ, Rory, Rahm and more...
Rahm decided to move to Callaway and maybe Day didn't get offered as good a contract as he wanted.
Day, whilst not at the end of his PGA Tour career, is starting the back 9...
Losing him frees up cash for some newer talent like Wolff or Scheffler..
Not saying that's what happened but it's possible.
Also, with the club contract, comes corporate and advertising responsibilities too.
Maybe Justin, Jason, Brooks and the rest have had enough of that sort of thing.

 

[r0wly86]

Seems to be a slight trend of top players moving away from equipment contracts ?

Justin Rose choose not to resign with anyone after Honma and has a mix of brands in the bag including a Ping Driver.
Jason Day has moved away from Taylormade, while retaining their fairway woods also has a Ping Driver and Mizuno Irons.

Ive never really understood why top players sign equipment contracts, they dont need the money and it seems to make sense to me to just choose the equipment you like rather than the one you are forced to use.

Thoughts ?

Don't need the money possibly.

But if you were offered millions of dollars a year to use something, you would wouldn't you.

They earn a lot more in sponsorship than in tournament winnings

For instance in 2019 Justin Thomas earned $3,170,000 on the PGA Tour and $23,000,000 from sponsorship. Granted that won't be all equipment brands, but still. If someone is going to give you maybe 2-3 years worth of winnings every year for using a Taylormade Sim2 I think most people would

 

[HowlingGale]

Don't need the money possibly.

But if you were offered millions of dollars a year to use something, you would wouldn't you.

They earn a lot more in sponsorship than in tournament winnings

For instance in 2019 Justin Thomas earned $3,170,000 on the PGA Tour and $23,000,000 from sponsorship. Granted that won't be all equipment brands, but still. If someone is going to give you maybe 2-3 years worth of winnings every year for using a Taylormade Sim2 I think most people would

Oooft. Neither wonder he was kacking it after his F-bomb. 23 mill is a lot of dosh. Never thought it would be that much.

 

[USER1999]

Oooft. Neither wonder he was kacking it after his F-bomb. 23 mill is a lot of dosh. Never thought it would be that much.

Not all from one sponsor though.

 

[Slime]

If I was in their shoes I'd get a fitting by the guys at TXG.

 

[sunshine]

Justin Rose was effectively dumped by TM, it’s now a long time since his major win and there’s a new generation of players coming through who are far more marketable. Honma offered him a deal but he found himself going back to his old gear because that’s what worked for him.

Jason Day.... it’s now a long time since his major win and there’s a new generation of players coming through who are far more marketable...

As a pro golfer, tournament winnings are very volatile. A win sets you up, but injuries or loss of form are potentially just around the corner. Makes perfect sense to sign long term sponsorship deals that guarantee steady income.

 

[patricks148]

i'd say if a large sum was involved, like Rory or Tiger with Nike, they would all jump at it

 

[GuyInLyon]

Ive never really understood why top players sign equipment contracts, they dont need the money...

They WANT the money.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

They WANT the money.

And if we are honest, we all would take the money and deal even if the clubs were made out of liquerice.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

The more big money deals the top players sign the more we club golfers pay for our equipment ?

 

[Orikoru]

It can also suit the manufacturers too.
TM had a huge roster of top players - Tiger, DJ, Rory, Rahm and more...
Rahm decided to move to Callaway and maybe Day didn't get offered as good a contract as he wanted.
Day, whilst not at the end of his PGA Tour career, is starting the back 9...
Losing him frees up cash for some newer talent like Wolff or Scheffler..
Not saying that's what happened but it's possible.
Also, with the club contract, comes corporate and advertising responsibilities too.
Maybe Justin, Jason, Brooks and the rest have had enough of that sort of thing.

I would also argue that someone choosing to use their gear without a contract in place does the manufacturer more favours than if it's known they are being paid to use it.

 

[patricks148]

And if we are honest, we all would take the money and deal even if the clubs were made out of liquerice.

I'd have played Nike clubs even if they had even given me half what they paid Rory

 

[Oddsocks]

Based on the golf at the Arnold Palmer winnings, I was shocked at some of the winnings further down the field around 10-15th.

By the time they’ve paid taxes, accommodation and transport, the caddy and so on it was minimal for a top 15 finish.

based on that alone i would have thought players between 10-20th consistently would be reliant on club contracts.

 

[HeftyHacker]

Based on the golf at the Arnold Palmer winnings, I was shocked at some of the winnings further down the field around 10-15th.

By the time they’ve paid taxes, accommodation and transport, the caddy and so on it was minimal for a top 15 finish.

based on that alone i would have thought players between 10-20th consistently would be reliant on club contracts.

I know what you're saying, but at $98k a piece for each of the guys at T21 its not exactly pocket change, even after the expenses listed I'd be surprised if they were taking home any less than $30 to 40k of that.

I don't know how it would work exactly but I imagine most of these guys would be set up as Ltd companies or the US equivalent and could therefore write off any T&E etc as business expenses?

Disclaimer, I am not a proper accountant or tax expert.

 

[Oddsocks]

I know what you're saying, but at $98k a piece for each of the guys at T21 its not exactly pocket change, even after the expenses listed I'd be surprised if they were taking home any less than $30 to 40k of that.

I don't know how it would work exactly but I imagine most of these guys would be set up as Ltd companies or the US equivalent and could therefore write off any T&E etc as business expenses?

Disclaimer, I am not a proper accountant or tax expert.

Would make sense I suppose.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

I think one of the benefits of having a contract must be the way the clubs can be tweeked for the playes with shaft and head options. Also gives them early exposure to (better) newer equipment.

 

[HowlingGale]

Based on the golf at the Arnold Palmer winnings, I was shocked at some of the winnings further down the field around 10-15th.

By the time they’ve paid taxes, accommodation and transport, the caddy and so on it was minimal for a top 15 finish.

based on that alone i would have thought players between 10-20th consistently would be reliant on club contracts.

There was an ex tour pro on the Rick Shiels podcast and he was saying that after local taxes, taxes in your own country, caddy fees, all expenses etc they are left with about a third of the prize money.
He reckoned a journeyman needed 500k per year to have a comfortableish existence on tour.

Even down to about 20thnplace where the prize money was 70k then that should leave about 23k which ain't bad for a week's work. Problem is the journeymen don't earn as much as the stars.