So it's only appropriate that the two have joined forces. Word going around is that Mick tried to renege on his multi-year contract with The Acushnet Co. (parent of Titleist, FootJoy, etc.) just like David Duval did in 2001. Phil demanded more money based on his success this year with his first major win. Instead of feeling indebted to the company that developed the tools to produce his first major win, Mick felt that Acushnet owed him.
So Mr. B-Cups bailed out on Acushnet and promptly inked a much more lucrative contract with Callaway. Rumors estimate that Callaway will pay Phil somewhere between $3 - $6 million more per year than the Acushnet deal. My old math teacher always used to say, "greed is a sickness" and it seems that Mick has come down with a very big case of it. However, Phil would rather have you believe that he signed with Callaway for their equipment. In a press release, Phil proclaimed "to help me achieve my ultimate goal of becoming the No. 1 player in the world, I felt it was necessary to switch to the exciting new driver and golf ball technology from Callaway Golf." It's clearly evident that Darth Mick has now fully embraced the Dark side. Is this the final act of Phil's long pattern of self-absorption and idiocy? Not a chance. Look for Phil to resume his climb from #3 to the top of ESPN's "Worst Choke Artists." I think that it would only be fair that Callaway reneges on Phil when his game tanks. Somehow I think that will happen sooner than later.
But kudos to Acushnet for taking a stand and not succumbing to another money grubber's demands. Acushnet has a long reputation for its commitment to produce the highest quality golf equipment from head to toe. By rebuffing Phil, Acushnet sends a message that no golfer is larger than the company or its products. On the other hand, Acushnet is known for its generosity. When news surfaced that Moe Norman, the legendary ball-striker, teetered on the brink of financial ruin, Acushnet stepped in and offered Moe a $5,000 monthly stipend for the rest of his life. But what did Moe have to do in return? Nothing, it was a thank-you gift for his prior accomplishments. Sadly, Moe passed earlier this month, but I'm sure that his last years were more comfortable than otherwise thanks to Acushnet. I have always been a huge fan of Acushnet, but never more so than now.
5 comments:
Its ironic that he's ditching the very clubs that yielded his first major after years of choking. I think he should worry less about his clubs and more about those parachutes he wears as shirts. Comeon Phil, its either a long or shirt sleve shirt, you can't have it both ways.
I remember an interview with Davis Love a good while back. He was talking about his contract with Titleist and how, at one point, he was worried that they might drop him from the brand because of his poor play. He talked to Wally at Titleist and was told not to worry about it. He had done a lot for Titleist as a company and for the game and they would carry him as long as he wanted. After that DL3 won the Major. When asked if he tried to renegotiate, he said no way. He said, "They carried me while I was stinkin' it up, it would be wrong to go and try to up the money once I start winning." Davis showed his character and class in doing this, quite the opposite of Mr. Mickelson.
In my opinion, Phil is not worthy of Titleist.
YOU GUYS ARE A BUNCH OF HATERS! WHO GIVES A DAMN WHAT CLUB MAKER PHIL ENDORSES?!? HE IS A GREAT PLAYER, & CALLAWAY SUPPORTS A TON OF GREAT PLAYERS...Plus all you Titleist Fiends still have Big Ernie, Davis Love III, ect. Everyone needs to stop and get back to enjoying the game (and the players) for what it is, by not getting hung up on golf indrustry's marketing of our best players!
-Rk
woodland hills, CA
Well here we are about 2 years later and yes Phil is wearing a green jacket...can you say HAHAHA!
Phil is good and he now has a good product that has put him at the top of his game. Need a Mickelson/Calloway golf towel to wipe off that egg?
Thanks for sharing some truth about phil. I never like him. Tiger's father was passing during the masters and instead of saying best of wishes to Tiger and his family, the jerk says, "we all have issues". One day very soon he too will learn the pain of loosing a loved one. Then again without a heart he probably wouln't care if he accidentally ran over his own mother.
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