Endorsements – Syndication Server

Jon Rahm extends his contract with Callaway Golf

The extension of Rahm’s contract includes an equity position in Topgolf Callaway Brands.

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On the eve of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, Callaway announced that it has reached an agreement with Jon Rahm that will extend the Spaniard’s relationship with the brand and ensure that the golfer who is currently ranked No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking will be using Callaway gear for years to come.

Rahm, 28, won the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and the 2023 Masters using Callaway equipment.

While the complete financial details of the endorsement deal were not disclosed, the extension of Rahm’s contract includes an equity position for Rahm in Topgolf Callaway Brands.

“We’re so proud to have Jon on our staff, and we couldn’t be more excited about this extension of our long-term partnership. Jon is an amazing talent, and he’s driven to be one of the very best to ever play the game,” said Topgolf Callaway Brands president and CEO Chip Brewer. “Equally important, he is a man of strong integrity and a brand ambassador who shares our passion for making a positive impact on our global sport. It’s a pleasure to work with him, and we look forward to focusing our considerable resources on his continued success.”

This season, Rahm has won The American Express, The Genesis Invitational, the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Masters to earn more than $15 million in prize money.

Jon Rahm's Callaway equipment — Jon Rahm’s Callaway equipment. (Photo: David Dusek/Golfweek)

Rahm’s contract extension will require him to use Callaway and Odyssey equipment, wear Callaway headwear, TravisMathew apparel and footwear, and help to promote Topgolf. Below is a list of the clubs he has been using in 2023:

DRIVER: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees), with Aldila Tour Green 75 TX shaft

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Jon Rahm’s driver” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/zaWJkG”]

FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (16, 18 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8X shafts

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Jon Rahm’s fairway wood” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/NKgjyq”]

IRONS: Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW), with Project X 6.5 shafts

WEDGES: Callaway JAWS Raw (52, 56, 60 degrees), with Project X 6.5 shafts

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Jon Rahm’s wedges” link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/x9BQ6v”]

PUTTER: Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Jon Rahm’s putter” link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/P01rQj”]

BALL: Callaway Chrome Soft X

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Jon Rahm’s golf ball” link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/rnVON3″]

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Bryson DeChambeau’s Cobra Puma Golf contract ended in 2022

“Bryson is not currently on staff with CPG [Cobra Puma Golf] as his contract was up in 2022.”

Bryson DeChambeau, the winner of the 2020 U.S. Open, raised eyebrows among golf equipment fans on Thursday when he put a TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus+ driver into play at the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia. DeChambeau, a member of 2018 and 2021 United States Ryder Cup teams, has been a staff player and brand ambassador with Cobra Puma Golf since turning pro at the PGA Tour’s 2016 RBC Heritage.

In preparing its story on DeChambeau using the TaylorMade driver, Golfweek reached out to representatives of Cobra Puma Golf for comment but did not get an answer. Then, late Thursday evening, a text message was returned from an executive at Cobra, stating, “Bryson is not currently on staff with CPG [Cobra Puma Golf] as his contract was up in 2022. We are in discussions about 2023 and the future.”

If DeChambeau’s contract with Cobra Puma Golf ended in 2022, then he is an equipment ‘free agent’ and is not obligated to use any brand’s clubs. Last July, after joining LIV Golf, Bridgestone and DeChambeau also parted ways.

Titleist confirmed to Golfweek that DeChambeau is using a Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash ball this week in Saudi Arabia.

The topic of Bryson DeChambeau’s golf equipment future has two important things to consider.

First, what value does Bryson DeChambeau now have to golf equipment makers? While he is exempt into golf’s major championships through 2025 thanks to his win at Winged Foot in 2020, he is suspended from PGA Tour events, which means he will also not be a part of the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup going forward. Golf fans will only see DeChambeau play in LIV Series events that stream mid-week on The CW app and The CW channel itself on the weekends, so his visibility will be significantly down.

DeChambeau also uses highly-specialized golf equipment that most golfers would not buy. His drivers typically have only five or six degrees of loft while most recreational golfers need at least nine or 10 degrees, and he has been openly critical of his custom-made gear on several occasions, most notably at the 2021 British Open.

“If I can hit it down the middle of the fairway, that’s great, but with the driver right now, the driver sucks,” he said after an opening-round 71 at Royal St. George’s Golf Club. “It’s not a good face for me, and we’re still trying to figure out how to make it good on the mis-hits. I’m living on the razor’s edge, like I’ve told people for a long time.”

That outburst drew pushback from Cobra and initiated internal discussions within Cobra Puma Golf about Bryson’s future with the brand.

The second consideration when discussing DeChambeau and equipment is, does he even want an endorsement deal with a company?

When DeChambeau confirmed that he had signed with LIV last July, he said that it was for four and a half years and the deal was worth more than $125 million. His career PGA Tour earnings are $26,519,235 and he has signed numerous endorsement deals with not only Cobra Puma Golf and Bridgestone. He lists LA Golf, Rolex, NetJets, LocaliQ, NetReturn and Zen WTR as partners on his website and has also had Microsoft, Club Champion and Veritex Bank on his golf bag over the years.

Would signing an equipment deal for a few million dollars a year motivate DeChambeau to sign with a brand?

The downside of remaining an equipment free agent for DeChambeau, aside from the loss of revenue, would be not getting the level of service that Cobra has provided for six years.

Cobra’s PGA Tour rep, Ben Schomin, told Golfweek in 2021 that the brand was continuously designing and making custom driver heads for Bryson. He also plays one-length irons, with each club being the approximate length of a 7-iron (37 1/2″). Schomin himself made significant modifications to Bryson’s clubs over the years.

Without being affiliated with a major brand, getting equipment that fits his swing and style will be challenging.

DeChambeau has viewed the golf world differently for years, but moving forward as an equipment free agent could make getting things in focus much more challenging.

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Paolo Banchero signing with Jordan brand

Shams Charania: Orlando Magic No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is finalizing an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Source: Twitter @ShamsCharania What’s the buzz on Twitter? Shams Charania @ ShamsCharania …

Shams Charania: Orlando Magic No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is finalizing an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Source: Twitter @ShamsCharania

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Orlando Magic No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is finalizing an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. – 5:56 PM

Tom Orsborn @tom_orsborn
Coach Gregg Popovich’s crew will make its AT&T Center debut against 2022 top overall draft pick Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic at 7 p.m. Oct. 6.
expressnews.com/sports/spurs/a… – 11:51 AM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
The Magic are hoping that No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero can eventually develop into the type of face of the franchise star they haven’t had since Dwight Howard left town. In the short-term, his arrival has already brought the young team even closer together. espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 1:36 PM

More on this storyline

While the basketball world is interested to see how Paolo Banchero will fit as a focal point of this team, Jamahl Mosley wants to take as much pressure as possible off the 19-year-old, already a face of the long-struggling franchise. “I really believe that we’re going to do it by committee, honestly,” Mosley says. “Look at the Warriors. Look at Milwaukee; you look at Memphis. There’s something about the committee in which they do it. One person will speak at times, but there’s other guys holding each one accountable. There’s one guy that will speak up and do it a different way, work in a different way. That’s the way this team is shaping up; each guy’s going to have a different type of voice on a different night.” -via ESPN / July 26, 2022

Banchero’s arrival on the NBA scene has given the Magic, who have been to the playoffs only twice since the end of the 2011-12 season, a shot of energy the organization desperately needed. So much so that when Mosley and his coaching staff texted the veteran players before summer league to set up a team dinner in Vegas, many of them made it clear they were already ahead of their coach. “These guys came in and they were like, ‘Well yeah, that’s great, but we’re going to be there on the 7th for the first [summer league] game,'” Mosley says. “And I know a lot of teams have certain guys in and out, but for them to sit with each other, be with each other, laughing and joking, talking about what they want to do, being around each other — it’s something special to me.” -via ESPN / July 26, 2022

Anthony knows what Banchero represents to an organization — and city — that hasn’t been nationally relevant to the league since Dwight Howard left town in 2012. “I’ve been in the gym with [Banchero] a little bit already, seeing him out here, just doing what he does,” Cole Anthony says, dressed in a T-shirt celebrating Shaquille O’Neal’s Magic tenure on it. “He’s going to help us a lot. And now I feel like we can really start building something.” -via ESPN / July 26, 2022

Paolo Banchero signing with Jordan brand

Shams Charania: Orlando Magic No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is finalizing an endorsement deal with Jordan Brand, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

Viktor Hovland re-signs equipment and endorsement deal with Ping

It’s been an interesting week for Hovland and his gear.

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It has been quite a week for Viktor Hovland, the Norweigan golfer who is currently ranked No. 8 in the world. First, his clubs got lost on the way to the Genesis Scottish Open. Then, playing the fourth hole in today’s opening round of the tournament, he shanked his second shot before duffing his third.

But the 24-year-old can take solace in knowing that while his club may get lost on the way to tournaments and once in a while, like us, he mis-hits a few shots, he’s not going to be buying golf equipment any time soon.

On Thursday, Ping Golf, based in Phoenix, announced that Hovland has re-signed with the company and plans to extend his relationship with the brand for years to come. While the financial details were not released, Hovland will play Ping clubs, carry a Ping staff bag and wear the company’s logo on the front of his hat.

“When we signed him right out of college, we knew he was a special player. The connection to Norway and our relationship with Oklahoma State over the years made it a no-brainer for us to add him to the PING team. He’s quickly proven himself to be one of the best players in the world in less than three years as a professional. We’re very excited to extend our relationship with Viktor.” – John K. Solheim, president, Ping Golf

Last November, Hovland won the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba, then took home the title at the Hero World Challenge and tied for second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

Viktor Hovland's Ping irons — Viktor Hovland’s Ping irons. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Hovland played on the 2020 European Ryder Cup team and will be looking to win his first career major next week at the 2022 British Open at St. Andrews.

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U.S. Open: Brooks Koepka considers equipment changes at The Country Club

Brooks Koepka practices with older models of Titleist golf balls and a TaylorMade driver at the U.S. Open.

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BROOKLINE, Mass – Brooks Koepka, a two-time U.S. Open winner, is considering substantial equipment changes before the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club.

After being an equipment free agent for several seasons, Koepka signed an endorsement deal last November with Srixon. He already had used the company’s irons for several months, but the deal ensured he would use a Srixon driver and irons, play Cleveland wedges, use a Srixon ball and carry a Srixon bag.

However, on Tuesday morning Koepka practiced putting and worked in the short-game area using a 2017 version of Titleist’s Pro V1x, the ball he used to win both his U.S. Open titles (2017 and ’18) as well as two PGA Championships (2018 and ’19).

Brooks Koepka's putter and ball. — Brooks Koepka’s putter and ball Tuesday at the 2022 U.S. Open (David Dusek/Golfweek)

While hitting a series of pitch shots, he spoke briefly with Justin Thomas and asked which ball Thomas played. The winner of last month’s PGA Championship replied that he is playing the 2021 version of the Pro V1x, then he asked Koepka if he was having golf ball troubles. Koepka smiled and said he was working with the 2017 Pro V1x again.

Brooks Koepka Tuesday at the 2022 U.S. Open — Brooks Koepka’s golf balls Tuesday at the 2022 U.S. Open (David Dusek/Golfweek)

Thomas said his ball, the 2021 version, would spin more than the 2017 version, smiled and went back to hitting pitch shots.

Thirty minutes later on the driving range, after Koepka warmed up with his Cleveland wedges and Srixon irons, he took a Srixon headcover off his driver, but the club was a TaylorMade M5.

Koepka used the TaylorMade M5 to win the PGA Championship at Bethpage.

Koepka is scheduled to start his first round at 1:25 p.m. Thursday alongside Cameron Smith and reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler.

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[afflinkbutton text=”Brooks Koepka’s wedges ; $149.99 each” link=”https://globalgolf.pxf.io/4enyb1″]

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Scottie Scheffler signs equipment deal with TaylorMade Golf

Scheffler used a TaylorMade driver and irons to win last week at Bay Hill.

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Less than 72 hours after Scottie Scheffler won his second PGA Tour event, the 2022 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, TaylorMade has announced that the Texan has signed an endorsement deal with the company.

The financial details of the multi-year deal with were not made available.

Last week in Orlando, Scheffler used an 8-degree TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ driver, along with a set of TaylorMade P-7TW irons (5-PW). According to TaylorMade, those clubs will remain in Scheffler’s bag (which will now be a TaylorMade staff bag), and a TaylorMade fairway wood is expected to be added soon.

After the Ryder Cup, TaylorMade fitters went to Texas and worked with Scheffler and introduced him to the company’s 2022 driver, the carbon-faced Stealth Plus+. According to the company, during that fitting, Scheffler’s ball speed increased to 177.4 mph with Stealth Plus+, a 3 mph increase from the 174 mph ball speed he was creating with his previous driver.

Scottie Scheffler’s TrackMan data from his off-season TaylorMade fitting. (TaylorMade)

Scheffler, who had been an equipment “free agent,” joins a TaylorMade staff that also includes Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, Matthew Wolff and Tiger Woods.

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Phil Mickelson, Callaway ‘pause’ their partnership after Lefty’s comments on Saudi, PGA Tour

Phil Mickelson’s stable of sponsors continues to shrink.

Phil Mickelson has been the leading spokesman and the face of Callaway since he signed an endorsement deal with the Carlsbad, California-based equipment maker in 2004. He has appeared in television and print commercials, worked with the company’s designers to create products and his name even appears on some patents for the company’s clubs.

But after remarks the 51-year-old made regarding the PGA Tour and the Saudi Golf League emerged this week, Callaway has told Golfweek that Mickelson and the brand are taking a break.

From Callaway:

“Callaway does not condone Phil Mickelson’s comments and we were very disappointed in his choice of words – they in no way reflect our values or what we stand for as a company.

Phil has since apologized and we know he regrets how he handled recent events. We recognize his desire to take some time away from the game and respect that decision. At this time, we have agreed to pause our partnership and will re-evaluate our ongoing relationship at a later date.”

In 2017, Mickelson signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Callaway.

Also Friday, Mickelson sponsor Workday announced it would not renew its contract with the golfer. On Tuesday, KPMG and Amstel cut Mickelson loose.

It was all in the wake of Mickelson’s disparaging comments about the PGA Tour and the proposed Saudi-backed super golf league made to Alan Shipnuck that surfaced this week.

“The Tour likes to pretend it’s a democracy, but it’s really a dictatorship,” Mickelson told Shipnuck. “They divide and conquer. The concerns of the top players are very different from the guys who are lower down on the money list, but there’s a lot more of them. They use the top guys to make their own situation better, but the top guys don’t have a say.”

Mickelson also told Shipnuck that he was willing to deal with “scary motherf—-rs” in Saudi Arabia in order to gain leverage on the PGA Tour despite human rights abuses by the Saudis.

KPMG severed ties with Phil Mickelson. Will others such as Callaway, Workday and Rolex soon follow?

During the 2020-21 season, Mickelson amassed around $40 million in endorsements.

The fallout surrounding Phil Mickelson’s allegiance to a Saudi-backed breakaway golf league continued Tuesday with news that one of his top endorsement deals has ended.

KPMG announced Tuesday afternoon that it concluded its relationship with the six-time major champion, a deal that reached back to 2008. Although the release said the two sides had “mutually agreed” to end their partnership, it was clearly a reaction to eroding support for Mickelson in the face of disparaging comments about the PGA Tour and the proposed Saudi-backed super golf league made to Alan Shipnuck that surfaced this week.

Mickelson also told Shipnuck that he was willing to deal with “scary motherf—-rs” in Saudi Arabia in order to gain leverage on the PGA Tour despite human rights abuses by the Saudis.

Soon after, Tour players began refuting Mickelson’s comments, including Billy Horschel, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas.

“I don’t want to kick someone while he’s down obviously, but I thought they were naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant,” McIlroy said of Mickelson’s comments. “It was just very surprising and disappointing, sad. I’m sure he’s sitting at home sort of rethinking his position and where he goes from here.”

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Not long after KPMG announced the split, the company had noticeably pulled all content involving Mickelson from its website. This move could signal the beginning of a groundswell, which the 51-year-old noted in his post.

“I have incredible partners, and these relationships mean so much more to me than a contract. Many have been my most influential mentors and I consider all to be lifelong friends,” Mickelson said via social media. “The last thing I would ever want to do is compromise them or their business in any way, and I have given all of them the option to pause or end the relationship as I understand it might be necessary given the current circumstances. I believe in these people and companies and will always be here for them with or without a contract.”

Other companies attached to the former Arizona State star include Workday, Callaway, Rolex, Amstel Light, menswear company Mizzen+Main, Intrepid Financial Partners and Instajet. Mickelson also co-founded the company Coffee for Wellness in 2020.

While players are paid handsomely for winning tournaments — for example, Mickelson made $2,160,000 by edging Louis Oosthuizen for the 2020 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island — the biggest paychecks come from sponsors, many of whom attach themselves to a star’s perceived personality and likability.

According to Forbes, Mickelson was 29th on the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes during the 2020-2021 season, amassing around $40 million in endorsement deals. Overall in his career, the 45-time PGA Tour champ has taken home about $800 million in endorsements. He’s earned less than $100 million in golf purses.

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Will other companies follow suit and drop the aging star? That’s yet to be seen. As of late Tuesday, Callaway and others still had pictures of Mickelson on their websites, and calls to his sponsors went unanswered.

While the ramifications will almost certainly accelerate in the short term, it’ll be interesting to see if Mickelson can rehabilitate his image over the long haul.

For example, blue-chip sponsors such as AT&T and Accenture dropped Tiger Woods in 2009 when news of his sex scandal broke, but he’s back atop the golf world when it comes to endorsements, with 2K Sports, Bridgestone, Centinel Spine, Discovery Communications, Inc, Full Swing, Hero Motocorp, Kowa Company Ltd., Monster Energy, Nike, Rolex, TaylorMade and Upper Deck in his stable. According to Forbes, Woods pocketed an impressive $60 million in endorsement deals during the 2020-21 season.

That was down from the $70 million Woods made in endorsement deals in 2008, before news of the scandal surfaced. At the time, Woods was far and away the most handsomely compensated spokesperson in golf.

Second that year? None other than Mickelson, with more than $52 million in endorsements.

It remains to be seen if that one-two combo remains in place in the future.

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Patrick Reed signs endorsement deal with PXG

The 2018 Masters champion started wearing a PXG hat and using a PXG driver this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion and winner of two World Golf Championships, won the Farmers Insurance Open last year at Torrey Pines, earning him a spot in the field at this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions. In the first PGA Tour event of 2022, Reed will tackle the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii armed with a new equipment sponsor.

On Thursday, PXG announced on social media that Reed is the newest member of the company’s “troops.” PXG refers to staffers as its troops, and Reed has been seen this week sporting a PXG hat and using PXG equipment.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYZQDw_s9GQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

While PXG has yet to provide details of the deal, Reed was photographed Tuesday at Kapalua wearing a Grindworks hat. Grindworks is the maker of the irons that Reed used for the past few seasons. On Wednesday, Reed wore a hat with a PXG logo on the front and back with a Grindworks logo on the side, implying he intends to keep a relationship with the Japanese iron maker.

Reed has tinkered with PXG clubs in the past and is now listed on the company’s website. PXG said Reed will use a GEN4 driver (from $299 at pxg.com).

Among other PXG staff players are two-time major winner Zach Johnson, Joel Dahmen, Austin Ernst and Ryann O’Toole.