The Acushnet Company, manufacturer of the Titleist, FootJoy and Cobra brands has announced that it has signed a multi-year equipment deal with Phil Mickelson, the world’s third-ranked golfer and the winner of the recent Tour Championship on the USPGA Tour. Under the terms of the five year agreement, which commences on 1st January, 2001, Mickelson will continue to play Titleist golf balls and FootJoy shoes and gloves and will also switch to playing Titleist golf clubs and carrying a Titleist bag.
Wally Uihlein, the Acushnet Company’s Chairman and CEO, has indicated that he is delighted to sign Mickelson on such an all-encompassing deal and stressed that he had already had an input into the development of one of Titleist’s latest and best-received new products. “Phil Mickelson is among the game’s greatest and most respected golfers, and we are proud to have him as an ambassador for the Titleist and FootJoy brands,” he said. “Phil has relied on Titleist golf balls throughout his illustrious career and his input was instrumental in the development of the new Pro V1 ball that has achieved immediate acceptance and success on the world-wide professional Tours. We are delighted that Phil has chosen to play an even larger role in the success of the Acushnet Company family and we will continue to work with him to develop golf clubs that will assist him in his quest to become the best player he can be”.
Mickelson recently described the new Pro V1 ball, due to be released into the European market in the Spring, as “the greatest technological advancement I have experienced in my playing career” and has stated that he is looking forward to working on future developments in the club and ball market. Mickelson, the winner of 17 USPGA Tour titles since turning professional in 1992, is one of seven of the world’s top-10 golfers who choose to use Titleist, the others being Ernie Els, David Duval, Lee Westwood, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh and Darren Clarke.