Chips & Putts: IMG Wants Three New Sponsors For Tiger In '11

IMG Officials Reportedly Are In Discussions For An Asia-Based Company To Sponsor Woods

GOLF WORLD's Ron Sirak reports IMG "wants to add three deals" this year to Tiger Woods' portfolio of sponsors. The "first goal is to sell the spot on his golf bag currently occupied" by the logo for Nike's Tiger Woods line. Sources indicated that talks also are "hot with an Asia-based company." The "trickiest part of these talks" reportedly is "not so much the money involved as the time Woods must commit to fulfill corporate obligations." Sirak notes the "next company to sign an endorsement deal with Tiger Woods is going to get a ton of attention since they will be saying with their checkbook they believe the worst of his PR mess is behind him" (GOLF WORLD MONDAY, 1/10 issue).

IS FREE BANKING INCLUDED? RBC has announced new relationships with golfers Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar and Ernie Els, who will become brand ambassadors for the Toronto-based bank. RBC becomes the official banking and financial services partner for the golfers, each of whom now will sport RBC-branded golf bags and be featured in RBC marketing and advertising. They join Anthony Kim, Luke Donald, Fred Couples, Stephen Ames, Mike Weir and Morgan Pressel as RBC's golf ambassadors (RBC). In Vancouver, Brad Ziemer noted the signings "virtually guarantee that Kuchar, Furyk and Els, the top 3 finishers on the 2010 PGA Tour money list, will be at" the RBC Canadian Open this July. Since becoming the event's title sponsor, RBC "has used golf as a major marketing tool to help build its brand" (VANCOUVER SUN, 1/7).

BABY, YOU CAN DRIVE MY CAR: The HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER noted Hyundai had been "eyeing golf sponsorship for a long time before beginning negotiations" with the Tournament of Champions in September and "signing a three-year contract in October" to title sponsor the season-opening PGA Tour event, which concluded yesterday. Hyundai Exec VP/Sales Dave Zuchowski said, "We were thrilled to get the opportunity. Then we said, 'Oh my God, what have we done and how do we get ready for January?' and here we are and it's worked out great." Zuchowski called golf "something we want to get big in" (Honolulu STAR-ADVERTISER, 1/9).

CHANGING HIS CAP: Golfer Zach Johnson will wear a cap this season featuring the logo of Transamerica Corp., a subsidiary of Aegon, one of Johnson's sponsors. Johnson's cap had featured an Aegon logo (Transamerica).