Tour players 'what's in the bag'

[mikeyh]

I just find it interesting that some tour players are sponsored by a big brand, yet still use others clubs. They tend to have their brands headcovers but hiding a little secret..... someone else's clubs!!!

Just saw a shot of Padriag Harrington teeing off at the St Judes with which looked to me like a taylormade burner 3 wood! Why support a brand if you don't use all their clubs? Luke Donald, we all know as Mr Mizuno, uses a titleist 909 driver cunningly disguised with a mizuno head cover.

Is it all about money!??

 

[KeefG]

Is it all about money!??

Yep!!

There is an urban legend that, until quite recently, a certain Mr. Woods used Mizuno irons that had the Mizuno markings ground out and replaced with the Nike Swoosh.

 

[mono217]

Is it all about money!??

Yep!!

There is an urban legend that, until quite recently, a certain Mr. Woods used Mizuno irons that had the Mizuno markings ground out and replaced with the Nike Swoosh.

Is this true as mizuno are amazing irons but would they let him or is this just a load of horse ****

 

[KeefG]

Is it all about money!??

Yep!!

There is an urban legend that, until quite recently, a certain Mr. Woods used Mizuno irons that had the Mizuno markings ground out and replaced with the Nike Swoosh.

Is this true as mizuno are amazing irons but would they let him or is this just a load of horse ****

He won his first US Masters with a set of Mizzy MP-29's!

How can Mizuno stop him?

If he legitimately bought the irons, he can do what he likes to them!

 

[Smiffy]

He won his first US Masters with a set of Mizzy MP-29's!

And I'm bloody sure I saw him up at New Malden being fitted for new 200's

 

[KeefG]

He won his first US Masters with a set of Mizzy MP-29's!

And I'm bloody sure I saw him up at New Malden being fitted for new 200's

You sure it wasnt Lion Forest that you saw?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the rules indicate that most tour pros must have certain number of a makers set in their bag. So for example a player may have Mizzy irons, and maybe either a driver or three wood, and the rest are made up of "old faithfuls". Most companies recognise that putters are a separate issue and come down to personal preference so there is little fuss made about which make a player uses.

Perhaps one of our equipment gurus at GM could throw some more light on the matter

 

[holein1]

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1B251A41602FFA73&search_query=pga+in+the+bag it interviews the pro (Garcia, Donald or Harrington etc) and then they so you their clubs and their lucky ball markers etc.

 

[Robobum]

The top pros do not need the cash that a club endorsement brings.

After extensive testing they will settle on a contract to put a certain number of that manufacturer's clubs in the bag. What they then complete the set with is entirely down to the individual. It would be extrtemely unusual for a pro to sign a putter deal especially.

Players like Tiger have had their clubs designed and produced specifically for them, in all likelihood he probably took an old favourite (MP29??) to them and said "I love these, copy and improve them and stick a swoosh on the back!"

 

[haplesshacker]

If as urban myth suggests that Tiger was using Mizuno clubs with the markings changed to a swoosh. Then kudos to Mizuno. They get the recogniton in a mythical way, without having to fork out the millions in sponsorship to Tiger.

I can just imagine the discussions at Nike before that. I suspect that they wanted Tiger and no-one else would do. "Look mate, use whatever clubs you want, but buy them and we'll re-brand them. Here's another 2 mill!!"

After all wasn't it Nike that signed up Micheal Jordan as well.

Marketing, marketing, marketing.

Regarding the pros in general. I thought that they signed an 'x' number of clubs deal with the sponsor. Which meant that they were able to use whatever was left on personal favourites. Though as we know the headcover is another story!

 

[madandra]

When PING made Lee Westwood use the Ping ISI driver he couldnt hit a cow on the erse with it so he went back to a Titleist 975 and was asked to drop it for the ISI but asked his sponsor what they wanted ... him using THEIR club but being back home for the weekend or him using the 975 and his logo'd bag, hat and gear on show for the full 4 days.


He used the 975.

 

[golf_bug]

Harrington is contracted to Wilson Staff but only has to play something like 12 of their clubs. At the Masters he was using an old Titleis driver....hardly a great endorsement for Wilson kit!

 

[haplesshacker]

I think we need to be clear that 'sponsorship' is a two way thing.

What the sponsor can do for the player, and what the player can do for the sponsor.

Obviously Nike and Tiger understand this relationship very well.

After all doesn't endorsment simply mean 'we'll give you a bigger cheque than 'x' brand if you use our products'. It doesn't mean to say that the products are any good, or more to the point that the player thinks the products are any good. I fail to see how the marketeers don't see this as dire marketing principles in today's age. I mean. Who falls for that rubbish!? Surely we're a little more educated than that!

 

[madandra]

When Mickelson signed for Callaway it was romoured they would have to sell 600,000 full sets of clubs JUST to pay his 4 year contract.

 

[TonyN]

Interesting, Camillo has a 3 iron but no 4.

 

[haplesshacker]

Just to argue against my earlier post!!

Why would a player sign up to a brand if he didn't think that the products couldn't get him to the number one slot!? Unless of course he's happy to be a wealthy also-ran?

But I would have thought that all these top level pros have the desire at some stage in their lives to be number one. Regardless of the amount of 'sweeteners' thrown at them.

Flip side, an'all that.

 

[golf_bug]

Jeev Milka Singh uses Ping zing wedges that are ages old. I like that in some pro's who are not swayed by the bucks.

 

[thecraw]

The fact is that most pros have a contract that says they must play for example 10 Taylor Made clubs in their set up whether that be irons and a couple of wedges or a driver with a couple of cheaky mizuno wedges etc.

As for the Tiger myth, its exactly that and depending on what myth you have heard its Mizuno irons, Muira irons or a.n. other.

Do you honestly think Nike with there billions in research and technology couldnt set up a factory for golf clubs or another manufacturer wouldnt sue for copy right etc etc.

Its a myth.

 

[Imurg]

Harrington is contracted to Wilson Staff but only has to play something like 12 of their clubs. At the Masters he was using an old Titleis driver....hardly a great endorsement for Wilson kit!

More likely a glowing non-endorsement of the Spine and Smooth Drivers. Maybe great for the average Joe but no good for the likes of Padraig.

 

[Faldo_Fan]

The fact is that most pros have a contract that says they must play for example 10 Taylor Made clubs in their set up whether that be irons and a couple of wedges or a driver with a couple of cheaky mizuno wedges etc.

As for the Tiger myth, its exactly that and depending on what myth you have heard its Mizuno irons, Muira irons or a.n. other.

Do you honestly think Nike with there billions in research and technology couldnt set up a factory for golf clubs or another manufacturer wouldnt sue for copy right etc etc.

Its a myth.

Er....i respectfully disagree, Nike are the new boys to golf equipment, it takes years of R&D to produce proven items and with all the long standing manufacturers it's quite often a natural evolution into the next model in the range. So i would say it's highly probable that until Nike had managed to produce something that he was happy using they ground the manufacturers logo off of another brand and put those in play.

Years ago Olazabal changed from Mizzy's to Mauraman for a lucrative contract only to find he couldn't hit an elephants arse with a banjo using them, he did no more than put his whole set of TP9's in the Mauraman bag and used them! So it does happen.