No contract, no problem as free agents scoop golf Majors
Cary, North Carolina — All four Major golf championships in 2018 were won by players without equipment contracts, an unusual situation but one that reflects an era when club and ball manufacturers increasingly focus on signing only the biggest names in golf. Nike’s exit from the golf equipment business two years ago set off a free-for-all that ushered in an era of free agency that is still shaking itself out, according to one insider. Keith Sbarbaro, senior vice-president of tour operations for TaylorMade, said equipment companies do not have unlimited budgets to sign everyone they want. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and Francesco Molinari were among players contracted to use Nike equipment when the company decided to leave the golf stage. Woods and McIlroy subsequently became contracted TaylorMade players, but Koepka and Molinari did not. Without the benefit of a crystal ball, TaylorMade had no way of knowing that Koepka (US Open and PGA Championship) and Molinari (Briti...
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