Golfer Rory McIlroy has signed a new endorsement deal with equipment manufacturer TaylorMade that will boost his bank balance by a further $100 million (€92 million) in a multi-year contract.
This latest tie-up with TaylorMade, owned by Adidas, cements McIlroy’s status as one of the biggest and most marketable draws in global sport.
McIlroy, who turned 28 last week, also signed an extension last month with Nike to wear the sporting company’s clothing – that deal was worth $200 million (€183.9 million) over a 10-year period.
The Northern Irishman’s reach into the corporate world also includes lucrative partnerships with Omega, the exclusive Swiss watch manufacturer, and as the face of the EA Sports video game Rory McIlroy PGA TOUR, which is one of the top-selling console games.
Prize money
In effect, McIlroy is a walking ATM earning and will earn in excess of $30 million (€27.6 million) annually in endorsement deals alone before the matter of hitting a golf ball for prize money even comes into play. Last year, the current world number two earned almost $6 million (€5.5 million) in the United States in prize money as well as scooping an additional $10 million (€9.2 million) jackpot for winning the season-ending FedEx Cup series on the PGA Tour.
He’s the man with the Midas touch.
What seemed like bad news for McIlroy after Nike announced last August that it was exiting the golf equipment business actually turned out to be a good opportunity for the golfer to expand his corporate portfolio.
In what has become a win-win situation for McIlroy, the latest multimillion dollar deal to play TaylorMade balls and use their clubs is effectively the final piece of the jigsaw falling into place.
“It’s very rare you get really excited about your equipment, but I am. I feel like it’s a new chapter in my life with a lot of stuff going on,” he said. “I really feel with the new equipment, it’s hopefully going to take me to that next level.”
