NIKE, Inc. the world’s biggest sportswear maker, announced today that it will ‘transition’ out of the golf equipment business— including clubs, balls and bags, and instead focus on its golf footwear and apparel business,
IN a statement on news.nike.com, Nike noted that they also intend to ‘partner with more of the world’s best golfers’.
“We’re committed to being the undisputed leader in golf footwear and apparel,” says Trevor Edwards, President, Nike Brand. “We will achieve this by investing in performance innovation for athletes and delivering sustainable profitable growth for Nike Golf.”
“Athletes like Tiger, Rory and Michelle drive tremendous energy for the game and inspire consumers worldwide,” says Daric Ashford, President of Nike Golf. “Over the past year the MM Fly Blade Polo, the Flyknit Chukka and Air Zoom 90 have all connected strongly with golfers. We’ll continue to ignite excitement with our athletes and deliver the best of Nike for the game.”
Among Nike’s most successful and notable “tour staff” are Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Woods famously helped bring the brand into the spotlight, when the company signed him to an equipment and apparel contract in 1996. McIlroy then inked a 10-year deal in 2013 worth a reported $200 million.
Other notable professionals currently using Nike equipment include Michelle Wie, Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau, Russell Henley, Paul Casey and Jhonattan Vegas.
Nike did not give a timeline for the ‘transition’.
This announcement follows a similar move from rival manufacturer Adidas, which announced in May that it would sell the bulk of its loss-making golf business, TaylorMade.
A four-time winner of the Australian Golf Media Awards, including Best Photojournalism, Best Opinion, Best Column and Best Photographic Presentation, Inside Golf Group Editor Richard Fellner is the quintessential Golf Tragic, having played the game for over 50 years (but has never gotten any better!) He has played and reviewed courses all over the world, and has interviewed many of the great players of the game (including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Greg Norman). Richard is a member of both the Australian Golf Media Association and the Golf Society of Australia, and has been a featured guest on many Australian "sports talk" radio shows and networks, including ABC Grandstand, SEN 1116, Melbourne Talk Radio 1377, 2GB and others.
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