In the "latest and loudest shot fired in the golf ball
wars," Tiger Woods played a Nike golf ball instead of a
Titleist yesterday for the "first time in 98 tournaments,"
according to Doug Ferguson of the AP. Nike Golf President
Bob Wood said if Woods "decides to switch" permanently to a
Nike ball, "it's an earthquake." Ferguson writes that a
change for Woods to a Nike ball "could be just what Nike
needs to move into the highly competitive -- and highly
profitable -- golf ball industry." Nike's Wood: "People who
enjoy golf talk equipment -- what irons you just bought,
what balls you play. You never talk about shoes you wear or
apparel. The emotional core is equipment." A.G. Edwards
analyst Tim Conder said of Nike's golf foray, "Despite
increased marketing spending, Nike really hasn't moved the
dial in retail sales. If Tiger is starting to come on
board, that won't hurt. But we'll see. The main issue is
whether serious golfers view Nike as having a serious ball."
Additionally, while Ferguson notes that Nike balls are made
by Bridgestone, which has a 13% share of the premium golf
ball market, Conder "questions why Bridgestone would make a
superior product for a competitor" (AP, 5/19).
WAS PRICE RIGHT? In L.A. Thomas Bonk wonders if it was
"good business" for Nick Price "to say goodbye to Nike"
after Nike filed suit against Chipshot.com for allegedly
misusing Price in marketing efforts. By ending his Nike
deal, Price "turned his back on close to" $2M in endorsement
income in 2000, "not to mention performance bonuses of
about" $500,000. Meanwhile, Price is "all over" Nike's
apparel/footwear catalog for retailers (L.A. TIMES, 5/19).
