Who's switched to what

Last updated: 8th January 2013

Rory McIlroy's switch from Titleist to Nike was big news recently, but the world number one is not the only high profile golfer who has been changing brands.

Prior to the start of the 2013 US PGA Tour at the wind-lashed Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii last week at least 18 PGA Tour members were known to have switching their brands in the new year, either in equipment or apparel.

After McIlroy, the most prominent of these are reigning Masters champion, Bubba Watson, who has left Travis Mathew to sign up with Oakley (apparel), 2009 US Open champion Lucas Glover who has joined the TaylorMade stable (equipment) from Nike, Zach Johnson, another former Masters champion who has dropped his Iliac-branded apparel in favour of Oakley, and Nicolas Colsaerts, the Belgium bomber who has left Titleist (equipment) to sign up with Callaway.

It is believed that more changes are in the pipeline, but in the meantime, TaylorMade appeared to head the list of prominent new signings with six to Callaway and Nike's four and Oakley and Izod Golf Apparel's two each.

Titleist, a brand with which many of the world's greatest golfers began their careers, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy to name just three, are the biggest losers in the latest shuffle, but that is not surprising,

Whereas Nike, a broad-based international sporting brand, prefer to spending their large promotions budget on a few big golfing guns and make it difficult for small companies to outbid them, Titleist seem to concentrate on sponsoring larger numbers of golfers, including standout amateurs with smaller amounts.

Here they are:

TaylorMade's gains:
(former suppliers in brackets)

Lucas Glover (Nike)

Ryan Moore (Adams)

John Huh (Ping)

JJ Henry (Callaway)

Brian Davis (Titleist)

Stewart Cink (Nike)

Nike:
(former suppliers in brackets)

Rory McIlroy (Titleist)

Nick Watney (Titleist)

Kyle Stanley (Titleist)

Seung-yul Noh (Titleist)

Callaway:
(former suppliers in brackets)

Gary Woodland (Titleist)

Andres Gonzales (Adams)

Chris Kirk (Titleist)

Nicolas Colsaerts (Titleist)

Oakley
(former suppliers in brackets)

Zach Johnson (Iliac)

Bubba Watson (Travis Mathew)

IZOD Golf Apparel
(former suppliers in brackets)

Scott Piercy (Lyle & Scott)

Spencer Levin (Dunning Golf)