Even though Nike Golf "had clearly been one of the
company's top performers" recently, it was ordered to
downsize operations in the same manner as other divisions,
"even those that hadn't performed as well," according to
Gene Yasuda of GOLFWEEK. Yasuda reports, "Bearing that
equal, yet unfair, burden of reorganization discouraged" the
golf division's former leaders, GM Bob Rief, Marketing
Manager Joe Moses and Dir of Marketing Rod Tallman, who have
all recently left Nike. Now, in a "reshaped corporate
landscape," Nike Golf is "emerging as a different entity,"
one that will operate "almost as a subsidiary" and report to
new Nike VP/Global Brand Management Andy Mooney. Mooney has
decided to spin off Nike Golf "to let it pursue new products
more rapidly and aggressively." Nike Golf plans to
introduce a golf ball line soon and Mooney said it is "in
the midst of creating a feasibility committee to explore the
possibility of selling clubs" (GOLFWEEK, 7/11 issue).
CHIP SHOTS: IMG will present its first-ever National
Golf Consumer Show, March 25-26, 1999 at Cleveland's Int'l
Exposition Center. Designed to showcase the latest golf
products and services to the public, IMG plans to expand the
inaugural Expo into a National Show Series in several major
metro areas (IMG)....Mark Brooks' contract with Callaway,
which he severed two weeks ago, was worth $500,000 a year.
Brooks has gone back to using Hogan clubs, but is not yet
under contract with the company. Hogan Dir of Market
Development & Player Relations Joe Henley said, "Discussions
on the business side of the relationship will most likely
take place" (GOLFWEEK, 7/11)....GOLFWEEK's "Forecaddie"
reported that after Se Ri Pak's win at the U.S. Women's
Open, "word" was Samsung, which already pays her $1M per
year, was considering "sweetening" her deal. Also, a deal
for Pak, who does not currently have a club contract, to
play Callaway clubs "likely is in the offing" (GOLFWEEK,
7/11)....Dottie Pepper hired TN-based Alday Communications
to handle her PR and marketing (ADWEEK, 7/13)....With the
CVS Pleasant Valley Classic ending after this year's event,
and Friendly's announcement yesterday that it will not renew
its sponsorship of the Friendly's LPGA Classic, the state of
MA has been "effectively frozen out" of the LPGA and PGA
Tours. However, in Boston, Shira Springer reports that
arrangements for a new LPGA stop in the state will "likely"
be made "in the coming weeks" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/15).
