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And the winner is . . .

... Any equipment company that signs a champion golfer to use its clubs, shoes, caps, clothes, etc.

By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 8, 2002

Ernie Els barely had hoisted the Claret Jug when the marketing machine went into motion.

TaylorMade, whose hat Els wears and whose driver he plays, quickly put out the word that the three-time major champion used the company's 510 driver during the British Open, giving TaylorMade's 500 Series its first major championship.

The company then touted that the 500 Series was in an elite group of drivers that won a major before being introduced to the public. The club didn't reach retailers until Aug. 1.

"The win not only guarantees the 500 Series' place in tour history," TaylorMade-adidas president Mark King said, "it solidifies the company's future among consumers, giving us a lead product that will continue to drive the record-breaking success of all other categories."

The company even pointed out that three of the top four finishers at the British Open were wearing adidas golf shoes, and that those three used TaylorMade drivers.

Lest you think competing companies might chuckle at such claims, chances are they would do the same thing if they were in that position.

That is the nature of the equipment business: Pay the best in the world to use your equipment, hope they have success, then announce it when they do. Example: Callaway golf was quick to point out this week that Rich Beem, who won the International on Sunday, did so playing a Callaway ball.

Of course, there is the matter of the player swinging those clubs or hitting that ball. Few doubt that Tiger Woods likely would be just as successful using any quality product. Nonetheless, Nike can claim that Woods is helped by its products. And, in turn, the company sees results from consumers.

"We feel like if we make products for the best athletes in the world -- the best basketball shoe for Michael Jordan, the best driver for Tiger Woods -- if we can satisfy them, we're fairly confident we can satisfy the needs of everyone who aspires to be like them," said Kel Devlin, the director of sports marketing for Nike Golf. "We feel that is enormously important."

So important, in fact, that the major golf companies trip over themselves to get their products in the hands of tour pros.

"Typically, consumers judge two things: technology and tour play. And tour play validates technology," said Vikash Sanyal, CEO and founder of Never Compromise putters. "That's what the leading manufacturers rely on now. The technology has to be real. And it has to be visible.

"And then it helps that they've seen Se Ri Pak or Gary McCord or Jean Van de Velde or John Huston play with the putter."

Never Compromise this year introduced two new putter lines, and like other companies, banks on tour success to help them sell. The putting industry has been dominated by the likes of Titleist, Callaway and Ping.

"No question about it," said Sean Toulon, the vice president of new business development for TaylorMade. "The top four putters (brands) on the PGA Tour last year were also the top four in market share. Almost always, the No. 1 driver is No. 1 in market share. We think that is going to become true in irons."

Even a company such as Wilson Golf, which in recent years decided to pull back from player contracts by redirecting its efforts at grass-roots levels of golf, could not help but get into the tour validation game this year when it introduced its new True golf ball.

So Wilson signed Ben Crenshaw, long regarded as one of the game's best putters, to endorse the ball.

"Normally, we wouldn't do it," said Luke Reese, Wilson's vice president. "Our view on this one is we have something very, very major on our hands. In essence, having the finest putter in the world validate your product that has a major putting benefit ... it's obvious."

How important is it to get equipment in tour players' hands? There's a company that does nothing but keep track. The Darrell Survey is a weekly measure of such results.

For example, for the 2001 season, TaylorMade led the overall driver count with 2,471 in play by PGA Tour pros. (Each week, every player who uses the club is counted, then added up at the end of the season.) Titleist was second with 1,572. Ping was third, Callaway was fourth. In irons, Mizuno (1,114 sets) and Titleist (1,106) led the way. Callaway led the way in fairway woods (2,818), followed by Orlimar (1,870) and TaylorMade (1,698).

What about Nike? The company didn't really get into the club business until late last year, when David Duval first used the irons to win the British Open.

In 2000, the company introduced a new golf ball, and Woods went on to win the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship using the ball. He added the Masters the next spring. Coincidence?

"We provided him with a better product, and he went on to win four straight majors," Nike's Devlin said. "The guy was at the top of his game and still got better when he switched. We feel that is enormously important."

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