Els Goes From Titleist to Callaway

Posted by Alan L. Hammond Mar 2, 2007

Throughout most of the week, it had been widely rumored that the Els endorsement deal with Titleist had ended. Speculation swirled that Callaway Golf was courting the star.

Callaway made it official shortly after he teed of by announcing that Els had come on board. He began the Johnnie Walker with a Callaway FT-5 driver (8.5-degrees of loft, neutral face), a Callaway HX Tour 56 golf ball and the spanking new Callaway golf bag.

Els reportedly took to the new driver after only a few days of testing. Els will reportedly work with friend and Callaway Golf club designer Roger Cleveland to find the right fit for irons and wedges. The switch to an Odyssey putter is reportedly a certainty in the near future. Odyssey is a subsidiary of Callaway Golf.

The terms of the new arangement are not yet known, but is it certainly a good move for both Els and Callaway. Golfers change equipment for a number of reasons and Els' move shouldn't reflect negatively on Titleist. Titleist has a fantastic line of clubs and a great team of professionals, including long-time Titleist player, Davis Love, III.

It seems like a natural fit for the Big Easy and the company that gave us Big Bertha. Among Callaway's professional endorsements are Phil Mickelson, Annika Sorenstam, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Charles Howell, III and Thomas Bjorn.