McIlroy signs TaylorMade deal
LOS ANGELES: World No.2 Rory McIlroy has signed a long-term sponsorship deal with US golf equipment manufacturer TaylorMade, the company confirmed on Tuesday.
The deal, which will see the Norther Ireland star use the company’s clubs, bag and balls, is worth US$100 million (around 3.5 billion baht) over a decade, reports said.
McIlroy is already one of golf’s most marketable stars, recently signing a $200 million extension to his existing contract to wear Nike golf apparel.
McIlroy, who is preparing for this week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, has spent the last several months experimenting with different makes of clubs following Nike’s withdrawal from the club manufacturing market.
However he settled on TaylorMade after deciding the firm’s clubs and ball offered the best chance to regain his world No.1 ranking.
“My future rests firmly in my hands — that’s why I choose TaylorMade. I’ve been around the game long enough and have tested most clubs on the market, but I have never been as excited about equipment as I am right now,” McIlroy said in a statement.
In remarks at Sawgrass, McIlroy said he hoped the combination of ball and clubs would help him add to his collection of four Majors.
“I tested different combinations, a lot of different stuff, and I came to the conclusion that this was the best way forward for me to try and improve, try and win more, try to get back to world No.1, try to win more majors,” McIlroy said. “So I’m really excited about that.
“I tested quite a few balls and the one that I landed on was really it; the ball was what led me to this point because this is the best ball I’ve ever hit. Then it was just about trying to match everything up to that.”
McIlroy joins a growing band of elite golfers to opt for TaylorMade. World No.1 Dustin Johnson and Australian star Jason Day also use the company’s clubs.
US Masters champion Sergio Garcia, Olympic champion Justin Rose and Jon Rahm also use TaylorMade.