Today it came out that PXG is very interested in Rory McIlroy and not at all interested in Tiger Woods. This should come as no surprise as Tiger is on the last leg of his career and would likely cost too much for PXG to even consider. Instead, they are going after the #2 most popular Nike golfer – Rory McIlroy. Rory’s deal with Nike includes both apparel and equipment.
There were a number of rumors when Rory first signed his Nike deal back in January of 2013. Initially, it was reported that it was a five year deal for around $200 million but this did not include Nike being on his bag. Obviously, that changed, as Rory’s caddie JP Fitzgerald has been toting around a Nike golf bag for a few years now. Business Insider reported the Rory deal was for 10 years and $250 million. At this point, no one really knows.
What we do know is that Rory will not be hitting Nike irons or a Nike driver next year. I think this is a good thing. Since he converted to Nike, he has not been the same player. His putting has been atrocious and his iron play has been lacking. When he was with Titleist he was almost unbeatable. Now he is missing cuts in the majors. Some of that has to do with his personal life but equipment has definitely played a big part.
So, now that Rory is looking for new irons and a new driver, is PXG a viable option? Is Bob Parsons going to shell out $50 to $100 million to get Rory to hit his very expensive clubs?
My prediction is that Rory goes back to Titelist. In fact, one would imagine Nike has already been contacted by Titleist reps to get all their golfers including Tiger Woods, Paul Casey, Russell Henley, Jhonattan Vegas and Michelle Wie. You can find all the Nike professional golfers here.
Tiger and Rory played much better when they were hitting Titleist irons. In fact, the first few years Tiger was with Nike they simply put a swoosh on Titleist irons as they were building the Tiger line of golf clubs.
What do you think? Will Rory go to PXG? How much will PXG be willing to pay him to come over?
Some of those playing PXG right now include Zach Johnson, Charl Schwartzel (formerly with Nike), Billy Horschel and the only player to win with PXG, James Hahn.
