Ryan Moore has finally woken up, and decided to sell out like everyone else on the PGA Tour. Actually, I’m kidding – this is actually a smart move on his part. I’m on record saying Ryan Moore was an idiot for being the only player on Tour without a sponsor, but that has officially changed. Moore has signed a deal with Scratch Golf, which not only includes him using their equipment but also give him part ownership in the company.
He will play Scratch Golf wedges and irons, and will also sport the logo on his clothing and golf bag. ”He feels we give him the best opportunity to succeed and we feel that he will help us get our name out there,” Ari Techner, president and CEO of Scratch Golf, said. “Having a spokesman out on the PGA Tour, carrying our bag and wearing our logo, being the face of the company, is really going to be important for us. We want to get our name out there. We don’t do any traditional advertising. I’m not sure there’s anyone else on tour we would have considered. It’s really a win-win for everybody.”
So I’m going to go ahead and ask it – am I the only one who’s never heard of Scratch Golf? Moore is their first Tour staff professional, however Christie Kerr plays their wedges on the LPGA. Details of the deal haven’t been finalized yet, but Moore seems to have gotten a potentially sweet deal! Think of it this way…who else on Tour has equity ownership in the company that sponsors them?
Maybe Moore was on to something, by playing “hard to get” for 5 years. For an equipment manufacturer I’ve never even heard of, I’m sure their long-term success if yet to be seen. But if Scratch Golf becomes an established name on Tour, Moore could find himself earning much more than a standard sponsorship would rake in.