Big Rumor

[LyleG]

It looks like Ernie Els will be sporting Callaway gear soon.

He is apparently a Callaway staffer now.

When this will be made official I dont know.

[warbirdlover]

Ernie must not have liked their triangle drivers!!

[ManchesterGolfer]

Fantastic news for Ernie. The Callaway stable is in great form with Phil Mickleson back at the top of his game, Chalie Howell III eventually looks like achieving his full potention, Rich Beem has made a return form the wilderness in his final season with exempt status & your very own ManchesterGolfer is tearing the course at 'Royal' North Manchester to pieces!!! Welcome aboard Ernie!!!

[kwcsports]

It's all about money for these guys, they would play Northwestern clubs if the money was right. Sad in a way that so many will flock to whatever company their favorite player plays, when the player doesn't give a shit which clubs he uses as long as they deposit the 2 or 3 million a year in his bank account. Ernie has been with Lynx, Titleist, Taylormade, back to Titleist and now maybe Callaway. In a year or 2 Phil will switch and then Retief or Sergio will jump ship. It never ends with these guys.

[LyleG]

Originally Posted by kwcsports

It's all about money for these guys, they would play Northwestern clubs if the money was right. Sad in a way that so many will flock to whatever company their favorite player plays, when the player doesn't give a shit which clubs he uses as long as they deposit the 2 or 3 million a year in his bank account. Ernie has been with Lynx, Titleist, Taylormade, back to Titleist and now maybe Callaway. In a year or 2 Phil will switch and then Retief or Sergio will jump ship. It never ends with these guys.

I believe that money is always a factor is such a decision, but what this, and any other player switching tells me most is that good equipment is good equipment, and that a good player can play any of it.
Ernie, Phil, Tiger, these guys can get around with anything just easily as we can struggle with anything. Equipment is only as good as the player attached to the grip end of it.

[Rockford35]

I know he's bee sporting an Odyssey putter about every second tournament. Maybe the writing was on the wall.

Either way, big knock against Titleist, even if it's just him swapping companies like everyone seems to do every 7 or 8 years (Toms, Mickelson, ect).

R35

[ManchesterGolfer]

I disagree a little. I know that money plays a big part but if Ernie was winning and at the top of his game with the Titleist than I'd have a thought he would be staying.

I know Paul Casey left Titleist and signed for Nike and couldn't belive how much more time & effort Nike spent with him to get him a setup that he was 100% happy with. He goes to Nike Golfs head office on a regular basis to check & develop the equiptment he is using and for him it's paid off big style with his end to last season. Maybe Titlesit aren't putting the same time & effort into Ernies equiptment in the same way?

[kwcsports]

Originally Posted by LyleG

I believe that money is always a factor is such a decision, but what this, and any other player switching tells me most is that good equipment is good equipment, and that a good player can play any of it.
Ernie, Phil, Tiger, these guys can get around with anything just easily as we can struggle with anything. Equipment is only as good as the player attached to the grip end of it.

Agreed. The other thing I find amusing is the fact that the equipment that the pros play is so far away from the stuff we try in the stores. I have friends that will go out next week and buy new irons because Phil plays them, when in fact, what Phil plays would not work for most of us. That's marketing 101 I guess.

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

I know he's bee sporting an Odyssey putter about every second tournament. Maybe the writing was on the wall.

Either way, big knock against Titleist, even if it's just him swapping companies like everyone seems to do every 7 or 8 years (Toms, Mickelson, ect).

R35

I heard a story about the 1st Odyssey he played. Apparently (according to Peter Allis) He was playing Wentworth with a pal and his pal had bought the putter from the pro shop that week. Ernie asked for a go and his pal didn't get it back again.

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by ManchesterGolfer

I heard a story about the 1st Odyssey he played. Apparently (according to Peter Allis) He was playing Wentworth with a pal and his pal had bought the putter from the pro shop that week. Ernie asked for a go and his pal didn't get it back again.

I heard that too.

I also head that he was having one built with the same insert as the White Hot, but in a head that looked like his old Scotty.

I guess Cameron is losing out to the feel putters, slowly but surely.

R35

[BigJim13]

Originally Posted by LyleG

Ernie, Phil, Tiger, these guys can get around with anything just easily as we can struggle with anything. Equipment is only as good as the player attached to the grip end of it.

I agree with this to some extent. I read somewhere that while some of the pros play equipment off the rack, alot of it is highly custom. It would be like buying a Ford because your favorite Nascar driver drives ford cars. The only similarity is the name Ford. I have a feeling that that is the case with Tiger's sticks, the only thing really similar with his irons and the ones I can buy may just be the swoosh....

[bames]

Titleist equipment sells itself. They don't need the latest ship jumper. Nike was/is new, they would've cleaned the guy's clubs with their personal toothbrushes to get some action out there. I mean, they even pay Wie.

[Dannykos]

Originally Posted by kwcsports

Agreed. The other thing I find amusing is the fact that the equipment that the pros play is so far away from the stuff we try in the stores. I have friends that will go out next week and buy new irons because Phil plays them, when in fact, what Phil plays would not work for most of us. That's marketing 101 I guess.

sorry to put a damper on this whole tour vs retail thing, but it's just not true. Custom grinds / handpicked heads / tour van tweaking YES - but different clubs NO. Head over to GolfWRX and do a bit of searching - some VERY in the know people on there stating catagorically that the tour and retail heads are made from the same material etc, just handpicked and tweaked everso...

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by Dannykos

sorry to put a damper on this whole tour vs retail thing, but it's just not true. Custom grinds / handpicked heads / tour van tweaking YES - but different clubs NO. Head over to GolfWRX and do a bit of searching - some VERY in the know people on there stating catagorically that the tour and retail heads are made from the same material etc, just handpicked and tweaked everso...

But handpicking and tweaking are what make the heads the best.

If you ever take a set of Mizuno's, as an example, and weight the heads, they are all over the place. One will be light, another heavy. With Tour heads, all the heads are the best of the best for consistency with every shaft.

These guys are good....for a reason.

R35

[sssmokin]

LyleG said: Equipment is only as good as the player attached to the grip end of it.

Exactly!!!!