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Looking through various YouTube videos, I was curious about this link. This was filmed about a week before he turned pro, during the US Amateur at Pumpkin Ridge. I am no die-hard Tiget fanatic, but I do remember most everything that happened in his career except this one: I remember Phil Knight courting Tiger before he turned pro, but I did not know until today that Ely Callaway was also trying to get Tiger to sign with him.
https://www.youtube....h?v=rchBvMpvR1Y
At 1:03 Ely Callaway said, "We're gonna be honored and delighted, and I'll bet you that we'll be smart enough to find a way to compensate him in a nice way." Really?
Callaway Golf was already huge back in 1996 because Big Bertha irons were already released and, along with Big Bertha metalwoods, they were indeed revolutionary and perhaps the hottest equipment company at the time, though I remember specifically that they did not make forged blades then; Mizuno was the leader, and a mix of Mizuno irons were in Tiger's bag. I remember exactly what Woods used then (King Cobra driver, TM Tour Spoon 3W, Mizuno MP-29 and -14 irons, Cleveland wedges and the classic Scotty Cameron Newport putter), and he had no Callaway equipment at the time, though I do remember seeing later pictures of his golf swing using a Big Bertha driver. There are even pictures of him in his early teens using Ping Eye2's. He tinkered with all the equipment out there, no doubt.
What I am very curious about is why Callaway failed to sign him. Nike at the time was only an apparel company, and I recall that his first equipment contract was with Titleist (good choice), though not immediately in his first year as a pro. However, Callaway was huge back in the mid- to late-90's, and I can only guess that their bread and butter was game-improvement irons. Had Callaway then the Endo forgings they offer today, they would have had a better chance to sign him. Had they signed him can you imagine the even greater impact he would have had on the game? This is all speculation, but I am very curious as to the real reason why they failed to sign him. Does anyone know?
https://www.youtube....h?v=rchBvMpvR1Y
At 1:03 Ely Callaway said, "We're gonna be honored and delighted, and I'll bet you that we'll be smart enough to find a way to compensate him in a nice way." Really?
Callaway Golf was already huge back in 1996 because Big Bertha irons were already released and, along with Big Bertha metalwoods, they were indeed revolutionary and perhaps the hottest equipment company at the time, though I remember specifically that they did not make forged blades then; Mizuno was the leader, and a mix of Mizuno irons were in Tiger's bag. I remember exactly what Woods used then (King Cobra driver, TM Tour Spoon 3W, Mizuno MP-29 and -14 irons, Cleveland wedges and the classic Scotty Cameron Newport putter), and he had no Callaway equipment at the time, though I do remember seeing later pictures of his golf swing using a Big Bertha driver. There are even pictures of him in his early teens using Ping Eye2's. He tinkered with all the equipment out there, no doubt.
What I am very curious about is why Callaway failed to sign him. Nike at the time was only an apparel company, and I recall that his first equipment contract was with Titleist (good choice), though not immediately in his first year as a pro. However, Callaway was huge back in the mid- to late-90's, and I can only guess that their bread and butter was game-improvement irons. Had Callaway then the Endo forgings they offer today, they would have had a better chance to sign him. Had they signed him can you imagine the even greater impact he would have had on the game? This is all speculation, but I am very curious as to the real reason why they failed to sign him. Does anyone know?
