TaylorMade Golf Company has announced that global golf icon Greg Norman has joined its Tour Staff. Norman, 54, will play TaylorMade clubs, a TaylorMade TP golf ball, use a TaylorMade staff bag and display the TaylorMade logo on the side of his headwear.
Norman chose on his own accord to play TaylorMade’s TP Red golf ball with Low Drag Performance (LDP) Technology during his remarkable run at last year’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, where he held a two-stroke lead going into the final round and finished tied for third. It was his 30th career top-10 finish in a major. Soon after a conversation began between Norman and TaylorMade that resulted in the relationship announced today.
“It started with the TP ball, which I played at the Open Championship last year,” said Norman. “I‘m pleased that the discussions have evolved to the extent that I am now a member of the TaylorMade Staff. TaylorMade’s approach to the game and equipment design is very similar to my own. In my opinion TaylorMade is at the very forefront of golf equipment and ball technology.”
Norman, who spent 331 weeks as the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer during the 1980’s and 90‘s, has won 91 times worldwide, including the Open Championship twice. His improbable run at last year’s Open Championship earned him an invitation to this year’s Masters, which he accepted; it will be his first appearance in the event since 2002.
In preparation for Augusta, TaylorMade’s tour technicians have already worked extensively with Norman to fit him for a full set of TaylorMade clubs, including the new R9 driver. Specifically, they dialed in his R9’s Flight Control Technology setting to Neutral (N) and his Movable Weight Technology (MWT) configuration to an 8-gram cartridge in the toe, 6-gram cartridge in the back and 8-gram in the heel to promote drives that “roll out” after landing for increased distance. Norman was also fit for TaylorMade’s Tour Preferred irons which he debuted on the Champions Tour last week at the Cap Cana Championship.
“Our relationship with Greg Norman is really a throw back to the way business was done when I started my career,” said TaylorMade-adidas Golf chief executive officer and president, Mark King. “Greg let us know prior to last year’s Open Championship that he was going to play our TP Red ball. He has started testing our equipment and it looks like our technology is capable of maximising his incredible talent. From our perspective, it is exciting to be working with Greg and seeing him go out there and give these guys all they can handle.”
TaylorMade-adidas Golf: www.taylormadegolf.eu