Heading into the golf season’s first major this week in Augusta, Rory McIlroy is the most marketable player in the world, according to a survey of more than 40 industry marketers, tournament directors and media members conducted by THE DAILY. McIlroy received 56% of all first-place votes to take the top spot. Rounding out the top five are Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth.
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MOST MARKETABLE GOLFERS
|
|
RK
|
PLAYER |
1ST
|
2ND
|
3RD
|
4TH
|
5TH
|
TOTAL PTS
|
% 1ST PLACE
|
% BALLOTS
|
|
1
|
Rory McIlroy |
24
|
15
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
191
|
56%
|
100%
|
|
2
|
Rickie Fowler |
4
|
8
|
12
|
8
|
4
|
108
|
9%
|
84%
|
|
3
|
Tiger Woods |
13
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
103
|
30%
|
65%
|
|
4
|
Phil Mickelson |
2
|
4
|
14
|
6
|
6
|
86
|
5%
|
74%
|
|
5
|
Jordan Spieth |
0
|
4
|
5
|
10
|
8
|
59
|
0%
|
63%
|
|
6
|
Bubba Watson |
0
|
3
|
4
|
8
|
3
|
43
|
0%
|
42%
|
|
7
|
Adam Scott |
0
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
5
|
37
|
0%
|
37%
|
|
8
|
Dustin Johnson |
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
4
|
8
|
0%
|
14%
|
|
9t
|
Jason Day |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
0%
|
7%
|
|
9t
|
Sergio Garcia |
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
0%
|
5%
|
|
11t
|
Martin Kaymer |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0%
|
2%
|
|
11t
|
Patrick Reed |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0%
|
2%
|
|
11t
|
Brandt Snedeker |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0%
|
2%
|
|
11t
|
Jhonattan Vegas |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0%
|
2%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
METHODOLOGY: Respondents to the survey -- 43 total -- were asked to list, in order, their five most marketable, active male golfers. Players were awarded five points for a first-place vote, four points for second place, etc.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: Woods had long-been an easy choice as golf’s most marketable, but after nearly two decades, the torch has officially been passed to McIlroy. Perhaps foreshadowing that changeover was the lucrative 10-year, $250M deal McIlroy signed with Nike at the end of ’12, as well as his appearance in a new Nike spot released Sunday chronicling his attempt to join Woods on the Tour. Colvin Sports Network Founder & President Bill Colvin, who works in the golf hospitality space, said Nike’s latest golf commercials have “cast no doubt that the baton has been passed to him as the new king of golf.” McIlroy also partnered recently with EA Sports to be on the cover of its annual golf game. Woods’ name and likeness had appeared on the game for 16 years until that deal ended in ‘13. “Rory’s accomplishments are in some rarefied air,” CBS’ Jim Nantz said. “Only Jack [Nicklaus] and Tiger have done anything comparable to what Rory has done at this point, age-wise. We’ve got a superstar in the game, but I’m not sure everyone has noticed him yet.”
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Along with Nike, McIlroy is sponsored by
Bose, Omega and Upper Deck |
RORY’S STORY: As he attempts to complete the career grand slam this week, McIlroy counts Bose, Omega and Upper Deck, in addition to Nike and EA, as sponsors. Viridian Marketing President Tamera Green said McIlroy “has the ‘it’ factor," which is why a company like Bose "has gone all in with him." Green added, "He touches the younger generation and his achievements … command respect and admiration.” McIlroy also has had little negative publicity off the course, other than his settlement with Horizon Sports Management and breakup with fiancée Caroline Wozniacki, which he followed up last year with victories at the British Open and PGA Championship. Golf Channel’s Rich Lerner said, “He's earnest and trustworthy, the likable good guy.” But Lerner noted McIlroy’s marketability “will be based more on performance and historical achievement than flashy personality.” Baker Street Advertising Senior VP & Exec Creative Dir Bob Dorfman noted with Nike’s “marketing juice behind him,” the 25-year-old McIlroy is the “closest thing to a household name among the under-30 tour players.” Franklin Templeton Shootout Tournament Dir Rob Hartman also noted McIlroy’s sponsors are “well established, best-of-breed companies with a global reach.”
RICK ROLLED: Less than six months older than McIlroy, Fowler has the panache that could put him in the top spot, but his lack of wins -- just one PGA Tour victory in five seasons -- may be holding him back. Octagon VP/Strategic Initiatives Jeremy Aisenberg, who works in the agency’s golf event and client businesses, said Fowler is “one major win away from becoming a Madison Avenue favorite.” NBC’s Dan Hicks also said Fowler has the potential to bring a “diverse generation into the game,” but needs to win more. Although Fowler has just the lone win on U.S. soil, he finished in the top five in every major in ’14 and has single-handedly elevated Cobra Puma Golf’s visibility in the sport. “He has already proven he can change the marketing game in the way Puma used him and his clothing to define him and touch the youth market,” Viridian’s Green said. “Puma was nowhere in golf until Fowler came along, threw on the neon colors and the flat-bill and kids flocked to him.” Fowler also recently extended his deal with Farmers Insurance for three more years. He has an outgoing personality that endears him to young fans of the game (nearly 900,000 Twitter followers), and is easily recognized on the course with the highlighter colors he wears each week. Titleist, Red Bull, Rolex and EA Sports also sponsor Fowler, and last year, he starred in a series of comedic spots for Crowne Plaza as part of his deal with the hotel chain. ESPN’s Jason Sobel noted the older generation “bristles at head-to-toe orange wardrobes and flat-bill caps,” but the younger demographic “can’t get enough.”
TIGER’S TRAVAILS: Woods is in the middle of one of his longest winless droughts since turning pro -- no PGA Tour wins since the ’13 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational -- and is returning at The Masters this week after a two-month hiatus from competitive golf. However, he still boasts an impressive endorsement portfolio that includes Nike, Rolex, Upper Deck and Hero Motor Corp., which
signed up this offseason to title-sponsor Woods’ World Challenge event. Though he ranks behind McIlroy and Fowler, many surveyed still think Woods is the game’s key player when it comes to moving the needle, as evidenced by his 13 first-place votes. “Whether he returns to top form or not, he still is the most interesting player on Tour,” NBC’s Peter Jacobsen said. That is supported by Woods remaining atop Repucom's Celebrity DBI reach in the U.S. and globally. However, Engine Shop President & Founding Partner Ed Kiernan, formerly of GMR Marketing and Peter Jacobsen Sports, thinks Woods may need to improve his game on the course to keep his primary endorser happy. “Nike largely markets performance on the field of play, not off it,” Kiernan said. “He holds no value to a performance brand like Nike or others unless he can again regain his form on the golf course. His value to endemics changes the moment if/when he wins another major, but his value to non-endemics is lost forever.” Golfweek’s Adam Schupak said it “might be a good time for marketers to buy low” on Woods. But he added, “I feel like he's long been an overrated pitchman. Did anyone believe he was riding a Buick? Only Nike probably reaped a return on its investment.” Meanwhile, Woods was recently tapped to redesign a golf course in China for a reported $16.5M, and Golf HOFer Judy Rankin said the design business could “be huge” for him.
PHIL’S THRILL: Like Woods, Mickelson also is in the middle of a competitive slump, going winless on the PGA Tour last year for the first time since ’03. But his ability to connect with fans and sponsors makes him a favorite among blue-chip brands. Baker Street’s Dorfman noted Mickelson still can “pull in the casual fans -- and marketing dollars.” Mickelson’s sponsorship roster includes Barclays, Rolex and KPMG -- which he just signed an extension with through ‘16. KPMG last week also
tapped Mickelson to appear in a spot with golfer Stacy Lewis. MSG Promotions President & CEO Mimi Griffin, who handles corporate hospitality sales at the U.S. Open, said Mickelson “understands how to maximize a sponsor’s investment in him -- seems to embrace the personal appearance requirement rather than treat it like a chore.” There was speculation last year that Mickelson could leave longtime partner Callaway Golf, but in October he
signed a multiyear extension to play the brand’s clubs and balls. Burns Entertainment President Doug Shabelman said Mickleson’s charisma keeps him “near the top of the list of potential endorsers.” Shabelman: “Somewhat like Tiger, he will be covered and discussed no matter how well he is playing.” Colvin said Mickelson “enjoys that rarefied space” with players like Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Greg Norman that will “earn him millions from endorsements, licensing and design deals well into his 80s.”
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Spieth signed a 10-year deal with
Under Armour in January |
THE JORDAN RULES: Spieth barely edged out two-time Masters champ Bubba Watson for fifth place in our ranking. He already has two career PGA Tour wins under his belt, and at 21 years old boasts an impressive sponsor roster that includes AT&T, Titleist and Rolex. Spieth also has a 10-year, head-to-toe deal with Under Armour signed in January. Golfweek’s Schupak noted Spieth has a “squeaky-clean image,” and said UA was “smart to lock him up for the next decade.” Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard said Spieth’s “wholesome image combined with increasingly consistent performances on the course makes him an ideal corporate spokesman.” MSG’s Griffin also noted Spieth has “no baggage,” which makes him a “very safe investment for a company/brand.” MJF Media Founder Mike Fresina, who co-hosts a golf radio show in Charlotte and serves as Tournament Dir for the LPGA Symetra Tour stop there, said Spieth will need “Jimmie Johnson-like success to counter the perception that he's vanilla.” However, CBS’ Nantz said, “He should be just coming out of college, and up to this point, I don’t think he’s done anything but exceed expectations." Nantz named Spieth along with McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau as the most marketable players at 25 years old or younger and said of the budding Texan, "I'm amazed at how he’s handled himself."
