Golfer Charl Schwartzel has decided to "ink a golf ball, hat and bag deal" with Florida-based Clear Sports, a "relative unknown in the golf equipment space," according to Jonathan Wall of GOLF.com. Schwartzel is the "first high-profile name to put Clear's golf ball in play" on the European and PGA Tours. It remains "unclear" how Schwartzel's deal is "structured." Clear co-Founder & CEO Gary Singer said that he "wasn't against getting his ball in play on the PGA Tour, but that he didn't 'want to have a paid endorser.'" Singer: "I want a guy to take an equity position in our company, so they're only doing well and making money if our company is doing well" (GOLF.com, 1/9). FORBES' Erik Matuszewski noted at just under $6 per ball, Clear is a "premium brand in the ball market." Still, a brand like Clear, which in some ways is "seeking to become the PXG" of the golf ball market, "doesn't yet have that kind of name recognition." While celebrities and athletes have "embraced Clear's high-end offerings," PGA Tour Champions player Skip Kendall until now has been the "most prominent professional golfer aligned with the company" (FORBES.com, 1/9).
