Adidas golf unit TaylorMade is for sale, but that didn’t stop the company from signing two of golf’s most anticipated young players — Jon Rahm and Beau Hossler — to equipment contracts.
“They are the most sought-after players that I have ever seen in recent history,” Eddie Erkmanis, TaylorMade-Adidas Golf senior director of sports marketing, said of competition within the club manufacturing industry over the two.
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Former No. 1-ranked amateur Jon Rahm signed with TaylorMade last month.
Photo by: TAYLORMADE
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The company announced last week that it had signed Hossler, a University of Texas product who made history and headlines as a 17-year-old when he led the U.S. Open into the second round. TaylorMade signed Rahm, the former No. 1 amateur in the world who played at Arizona State University, last month.
“In the world of golf if we would have a draft, Jon and Beau would be the No. 1 and No. 2 picks,” Erkmanis said.
Both players will play TaylorMade clubs and balls and will wear the TaylorMade brand on their headwear as well as Adidas clothing and shoes.
They join the “Big Four” of TaylorMade endorsers: Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. Day is the No. 1-ranked player in the world and Johnson is No. 2.
Advertising plans have not been completed, but company officials have invited both players to the fall shoot where they film commercials and take photographs with endorsers for print, television and digital ads.
TaylorMade’s parent, Adidas AG, announced in May that it would sell TaylorMade as well as golf companies Adams and Ashworth. Erkmanis would not discuss the sale process, but said whoever buys TaylorMade would get the endorsement contracts of its top golfers as part of the company’s assets.
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Beau Hossler has played TaylorMade for many years, his agent said.
Photo by: TAYLORMADE
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“However long it’s been public that we are being sold, that is a question that has come up,” he said. “We just said, ‘Hey, nothing is going to happen to your deal, nothing is going to happen to your contract. We are going to continue to service you and everything else. The [sale] is not going to affect the players or anything else, if or when we get sold.’”
Rahm is represented by Lagardère Sports president of golf Steve Loy and agent Jeff Koski. Meanwhile, Hambric Sports Management beat out virtually every agency in the business to sign Hossler. President David Winkle, Hossler’s primary agent, negotiated the TaylorMade-Adidas deal.
“He played TaylorMade from the time he was a young man,” Winkle said. “There was certainly competition for Beau, but they were the incumbent, per se, because he played their equipment for so many years.”
Hossler is recovering from labrum surgery, but Erkmanis said that will not prevent Hossler from attending the advertising photo shoot in September. Hossler is expected to be able to take full golf swings in October.
“We have the No. 1 and No. 2 in the world — Jason and Dustin,” Erkmanis said. “And now we really have the No. 1 and No. 2 players coming out of college and amateur golf.”
