Ever for the reason that starting of the LIV-exodus, many golfers have misplaced or forfeited sponsorships. RBC minimize ties with Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell, Amstel, KPMG, and Workday all separated themselves from Phil Mickelson, and UPS dropped Lee Westwood, regardless of greater than 10 years collectively.
The wild half is, nevertheless, that the mud nonetheless hasn’t settled for the LIV defectors.
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2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau has, apparently, minimize ties along with his gear (Cobra) and attire (PUMA Golf) sponsors . After being noticed with a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus only a few weeks in the past, representatives from Cobra Puma Golf confirmed that Bryson’s workers contract resulted in 2022 and has not but been—and, due to this fact, might not be—renewed.
It appears with every passing day that it’s much less and fewer doubtless the 2 will reunite, as Bryson was just lately noticed with PING i230 irons and Cuater “The Ringer” golf footwear, and I anticipate that further modifications will reveal themselves later this week throughout LIV’s inaugural 2023 occasion at Mayakoba later this week.
It’s value noting, nevertheless, that LIV might not have been the one issue that led to this divorce. Certainly, Bryson has repeatedly bad-mouthed the Cobra drivers, together with, most famously, in 2021 when he stated the RadSpeed “sucks.” Consequently, the dearth of visibility as a result of LIV’s restricted calendar and Bryson’s public feedback might have been sufficient to interrupt the camel’s again.
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Bryson, nevertheless, gained’t be the one LIV golfer with out an attire sponsor this week. After a 15-year relationship, adidas Golf and DJ have determined to finish their relationship on quote “amicable” phrases.
Adidas Golf president Jeff Lienhart stated in an announcement to ESPN:
“We’ve mutually agreed to half methods with long-time Adidas athlete, Dustin Johnson. For greater than 15 years, Dustin has been an ideal ambassador for the Adidas model. We’ve had a front-row seat to see him win a number of main championships, ascend to the No. 1 rating and cement himself as among the best golfers in historical past — all whereas sporting the 3-Stripes. We want Dustin nothing however success transferring ahead.”
Statements from DJ’s camp counsel that the 2020 Masters winner is in search of to do the whole lot he can to extend the worth of the 4Aces workforce, of which DJ is the captain and an fairness proprietor.
One of many sources stated:
“Pretty much as good as the connection with Adidas has been, it simply didn’t slot in his plans. A serious a part of beginning a workforce is establishing a model identification and constructing that model. The first asset is the shirt… They [adidas] need your entire shirt. DJ wanted a clear break to begin his workforce. He’s grateful to Adidas for letting him out of the deal.”
It stays to be seen whether or not different LIV golfers who’re underneath comparable sponsor preparations will see partnerships finish one after the other as their expiration date arrives. Within the hopes of locking in further income sources, the one factor that may be carried out is for golfers who nonetheless have entryways into the Majors, equivalent to Brooks Koepka and Bryson being U.S. Open-eligible till 2028 and 2030, respectively, via exemptions, maximize these alternatives to make themselves invaluable—even when simply within the quick time period.
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