It’s that time of the year for guys on the PGA Tour who want to live up to the saying:
“Out with the old and in with the new.”
This one’s about the equipment.
This is the time of year when some players are lured by the offers of more money to switch equipment. Fact of life on the PGA Tour.
It’s tough to get the big names to switch, most like Rory McIlroy, are locked into longer-term deals.
The company making the biggest play is not exactly a household name.
Bob Parsons, the founder of website GoDaddy.com, jacked his net worth to about $2 billion thanks to the success of the site. So what’s a guy to do when you have that much dough? Parsons started his own equipment company: Parsons Xtreme Golf.
Parsons has some players on its staff. It has Ryan Moore, who seems to switch equipment as the seasons change and it has Rocco Mediate, a guy who is best known for losing the 2008 U.S. Open to Tiger Woods. Other than those two, no men of note.
Until now.
The rumors are beyond strong that 2015 Open Champion Zach Johnson is switching to Parsons. He’s the lucky 13th-ranked player in the world and would represent the highest-profile player on what has been a non-descript staff.
In addition to Johnson, Billy Horschel may also join the Parsons team. It’s not like companies are beating down Horschel’s door. He has been basically missing in action since winning the FedEx Cup back in 2014.
A change may be coming for Gary Woodland. Woodland has been improving steadily since teaming up with Butch Harmon. Woodland may be leaving Callaway and going to the TaylorMade team in 2016.
There will no doubt be others but those are the most recognizable men who will have new stuff in the bag for 2016.
As for Bob Parsons and Parsons Xtreme, well, maybe you’ve heard the old joke and we’ll modify it a bit:
How do you make a small to medium-size fortune?
Start with a large fortune and go into the golf equipment business.
Happy New Year!
