• Loading stock data...
Friday, June 6, 2025

Callaway’s LIV Deal Shows How Much Golf Has Shifted

Callaway has become the first company to strike a club deal with a LIV Golf team, showcasing the sport’s new reality.

Chris Trotman/LIV Golf

When LIV Golf was launching in 2022, Callaway paused its longtime relationship with Phil Mickelson due to controversy surrounding the six-time major champion who headlined the list of defectors from the PGA Tour.

This week, however, the golf equipment manufacturer announced a wide-ranging deal with Jon Rahm and his LIV team, Legion XIII, in a move that shows just how dramatically views of the rival circuit have changed among the sport’s stakeholders.

Callaway is the first company to become the official club supplier of a LIV team. Rahm, Caleb Surratt, and Tom McKibbin were already using Callaway clubs. But it’s not an exclusive deal, as Tyrrell Hatton uses Ping clubs and will continue to do so.

Shifting Stances

Rahm has been a Callaway endorser since 2021, and in 2023 signed an extension that included equity in parent company Topgolf Callaway Brands. 

But when he joined LIV ahead of the league’s 2024 season, Callaway branding stopped appearing on his on-course apparel as the 2023 Masters champion repped his Legion XIII squad at both LIV events and major championships. This season, he’s been wearing a Callaway hat.

Bryson DeChambeau’s LIV team, Crushers GC, recently brought on Reebok as its official apparel supplier. Other brands have signed various endorsement deals with some LIV teams, but none as big as Callaway. Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka is the only Nike golfer currently on LIV, as he reps the Swoosh, and not the gear of his team, Smash GC.

What Once Was

Mickelson, who remains the captain of LIV’s HyFlyers GC, kept using Callaway clubs despite the “pause” in 2022, and the partnership wasn’t officially over until he announced a formal split in January 2024—although the company had largely distanced itself from the golfer before then.

Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson’s longtime TaylorMade contract expired in 2024. The two-time major champion had been under contract to play the manufacturer’s clubs and ball, and represent their logos on his apparel. He also had a long-running deal with Adidas that ended in 2023. This season, he’s still been playing some TaylorMade clubs but sports clothing from his LIV team, 4Aces GC.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

French Open Ratings Up 23% in Week 1 Ahead of Star-Powered Finals

The women’s final will feature the world’s top two players.

Manfred: MLB Wants New Media-Rights Deal Before All-Star Game

Talks continue with three bidders, and a decision is expected soon.

Featured Today

August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
May 27, 2015; Paris, France; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) knocks the clay off her shoe during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) on day four of the French Open at Roland Garros
June 4, 2025

Roland-Garros’s Iconic Red-Clay Surface Is a Precise Alchemy

The exact science behind maintaining the French Open’s red clay.
Alex Jensen introductory press conference on Monday, March 17, 2025.
June 3, 2025

Alex Jensen Started Utah Utes HC Job While Still Coaching the Mavs

How Jensen began building an NCAA program while patrolling the Dallas sideline.
May 31, 2025

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.
Mar 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Sneakers worn by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during warmups prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.

Nike to Raise Prices on Sneakers Above $100

Kids products and Air Force 1s won’t be affected.
May 15, 2025

20 Hats Per Minute: Merch Madness Hits PGA Championship

Headwear is among the most popular items selling in Charlotte.
Arc'teryx
May 20, 2025

Expensive Outdoor Gear Is Bright Spot Amid Tariff Turmoil

Amer Sports says tariffs will have a “negligible” impact on its results.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
On-Running
May 14, 2025

On Says It’s Raising Prices—but Not Because of Tariffs

“We want to be the most premium performance sportswear brand,” On’s cofounder said.
Soar
May 12, 2025

Running Is a Bright Spot As Retailers Reel From Trump Tariffs

Sales of running shoes rose 7% in the first quarter.
A'ja Wilson
May 6, 2025

Why Nike Wanted A’ja Wilson’s New Shoe to Sell Out in Minutes

Nike gave fans a taste of the A’Ones with a limited drop.
Michelle Wie West
exclusive
May 6, 2025

Michelle Wie West Is Latest Athlete to Invest in Togethxr

The brand tripled its revenue year over year and is profitable.