Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) on Thursday announced a three-year deal to sponsor golfer Lydia Ko beginning in '14, marking the 16-year-old's first sponsorship deal. Ko, who is from New Zealand, recently turned pro and subsequently signed with IMG for representation. She was the first amateur in history to win two LPGA events (IMG). This comes shortly after Ko was unveiled as a competitor in the '14 women's Australian Open to be held in Melbourne in February (STUFF.co.nz, 12/18).
GUY ON A BUFFALO: Rockets F Chandler Parsons on Thursday announced a partnership with Buffalo Jeans (THE DAILY). YAHOO SPORTS' Eric Freeman wrote a new TV spot features a "scantily clad" Parsons and model Ashley Sky "cavorting suggestively on a beach." Parsons "introduced the campaign on Twitter." Parsons "doesn't discuss the ad as if it's a cool thing he did on a lark -- it's spoken of in the matter-of-fact way that suggests he wouldn't mind if modeling became a second career" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 12/19).
SIXTH SENSE: The CP's Stephen Whyno noted Bauer has "unveiled new equipment" for six NHLers that it says represents "game-changing technology." Bauer calls this the "OD1N project, named after the ruler of the Norse gods and the Russian translation for the No. 1." So far the equipment was "custom-designed" for Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin and C Nicklas Backstrom, Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews and RW Patrick Kane, Flyers C Claude Giroux and Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist (CP, 12/19).
