MacGregor Golf has signed Jose Maria Olazabal to a
five-year player/endorser contract. Olazabal will use
MacGregor clubs in his first endorsement pact with a U.S.
club manufacturer. Terms were not disclosed (MacGregor).
ENDORSEMENT NEWS: According to a report in the BOSTON
GLOBE, Billy Andrade capitalized on his win at last year's
EMC skills challenge made-for-TV event by signing four-year
deals with EMC, Southern Company energy group and Bobby
Jones golf wear "within three weeks" of his victory. Phil
Sloan, Dir of Woolf Golf, which reps Andrade, said that
"right now, golfers have become the easiest athletes to
market" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/26).
AND HERE'S PROOF: Kraft Foods has signed Stuart Cink as
a spokesperson for its DiGiorno pizza brand. Kraft also has
created the DiGiorno/PGA Tour Rolling Clubhouse, aimed at
youths and families, that will travel to 124 cities this
summer (Stephanie Thompson, BRANDWEEK, 3/23 issue)....Tom
Kite, Nancy Lopez and Bob Murphy will join up to form Team
Bayer '98. Bayer Aspirin will donate $1,200 to the American
Heart Association for every birdie that each of the players
makes during May, which is Stroke Awareness Month (THE
DAILY)....Tommy Armour III agreed to a multiyear endorsement
deal with the Tommy Armour Golf Company for clubs, golf bag
and hat (USA TODAY, 3/23)....LPGA rookie Se Ri Pak of Korea
has a contract with Samsung that pays her $1M a year and
"matches her LPGA earnings" (GOLFWEEK, 3/21)....Laura Davies
has joined the staff of Srixon Sports Worldwide (GOLFWEEK,
3/21 issue)....PGA Tour Apparel (PTA) has signed 15 PGA Tour
pros, including Phil Blackmar and Duffy Waldorf, to letters
of intent. PTA is in discussions with other pros and
expects completed contracts by next week (PTA)....Print ads
for Bugle Boy's new line of golf casual wear, from DDB
Needham, feature PGA Tour members Brent Geiberger and Paul
Stankowski and Nike Tour player Jason Gore. The campaign
breaks in April and will run through June (ADWEEK, 3/23).
