NEWS FROM THE TOUR VANS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY GOLF PRIDE, THE #1 GRIP ON TOUR
While the men’s game has been conspicuously quiet in terms of big equipment signings in the new year, the women’s game has generated some massive gear and apparel news.
Nelly Korda started with a Jan. 14 announcement that she parted ways with Swedish clothing company J.Lindeberg in favor of a multi-year apparel agreement with Nike. Korda joins Nike golfers Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka and the recently added Tom Kim.
It’s hard to understate the impact of the signing. This is Nike’s most meaningful foray into women’s golf since Michelle Wie West signed a $20 million contract as a 15-year-old, a relationship that continues through present day. Having an American female golfer don Nike apparel is critical exposure to the women’s game; many see Korda, 24, as the single most valuable player in terms of driving interest in the LPGA Tour.
The eight-time tour winner said she was “over the moon” to follow in the footsteps of Nike athletes Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Korda, of course, is the daughter of former Czech professional tennis players, Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova. Her younger brother, Sebastian Korda, is also a pro tennis player.
“(Joining Nike) is something I’ve always dreamt about,” Korda said ahead of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
In her initial announcement, observers pointed out that Korda oddly was not wearing a hat. Her club was also cropped out of the photo, and a search of “Korda” on the Titleist website brought up only her older sister, Jessica Korda. All signs pointed to Korda ending her relationship with Titleist.
The mystery was solved Monday, Jan. 16, when Korda announced a multi-year deal with TaylorMade. Korda, who grew up playing TaylorMade equipment, had spent ample time at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida, getting used to her new gear.
Korda replaced her Titleist TSR1 driver with a 9-degree TaylorMade Stealth 2 HD, while her TS Series fairway woods were subbed out for 15-degree and 21-degree Stealth 2 fairway woods. She now uses P770s for her 5- and 6-irons to go with P7MCs for her 7-PW. Her wedges include 50- and 54-degree MG3s, but she appears to be retaining a Vokey WedgeWorks lob wedge for the time being. It also appears that her Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 prototype will stay as her putter of choice.
Of vital importance will be her new ball. Korda is eschewing a Titleist ProV1 for TaylorMade’s TP5. The success of wholesale gear changes oftentimes comes down to comfort with a different golf ball.
One day after TaylorMade inked the world No. 2, the manufacturer had another major announcement for a top-10 player in the women’s game. Canadian Brooke Henderson, a 13-time tour winner and two-time major champion, agreed to a multi-year contract with the brand to become a full staffer. Her first week with a full set of TaylorMade gear, Henderson won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
The 25-year-old was a long-time Ping player but had success with TaylorMade last year on a ball and glove deal. She arrived in Orlando gaming a Stealth 2 Plus driver, 3-wood and 5-wood in addition to a Stealth 2 rescue, P790 irons, MG3 wedges and a Spider GT center-shafted putter.
It essentially will be a full equipment overhaul, apart from the TP5x ball she already had been using.
Henderson, one of the few women using a 48-inch driver shaft, had to switch to a 46-inch driver at the beginning of last year because of a rule change. The aggressive-swinging Henderson finished ninth on the LPGA Tour in driving distance in 2021 with an average of 274.3 yards, but she dropped to 25th a season ago, at 267.1 yards.
She said the move to the TP5x golf ball, away from the ProV1 she had been using, helped her gain a few extra yards off the tee. However, she believes the Stealth 2 Plus will help her even more.
“I love hitting driver because power is a big part of my game,” Henderson said in a release. “Stealth 2 Plus has helped me add distance, which is always great.”
Sean Fairholm