The Rocket Mortgage Classic is the first PGA Tour event to be played inside Detroit city limits.
The tournament, which kicks off Thursday at Detroit Golf Club, boasts some of the world’s top players, including Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Gary Woodland.
TaylorMade has become one of the industry leaders in new golf equipment; Johnson and Fowler are two of the players using the company's products in Detroit this week.
Benzinga spoke with CEO David Abeles Pro-Am event at Detroit Golf Club for his take on Detroit hosting a PGA Tour event — and his company’s newest technology.
‘Detroit Has Such A Rich History Of Golf’
Quicken Loans Chairman Dan Gilbert’s success in bringing a PGA Tour event to the Detroit is justified, Abeles said.
“The state of Michigan and importantly Detroit has such a rich history of golf that, when the tour left a decade ago, I think that was challenging for the city, the state and the community,” he said.
The Buick Open tournament was last played in Grand Blanc, Michigan in 2009.
“So to see the tour make the decision, led by Dan Gilbert and his willingness to invest in golf within the city, is really exciting.”
A Winning Track Record
For Aebeles, having the sport’s most well-known athletes choose TaylorMade — players who can play with any product that they want — validates the performance of the products.
The CEO named a number of wins that were achieved with TaylorMade clubs: Tiger Woods at the Masters; Brooks Koepka winning a major championship with an M5 driver; Rory McIlroy winning The Players with an M5; Johnson winning the World Golf Championship with an M5; and John Rahm winning again with an M5.
"The trends are very apparent that these are terrific athletes who believe TaylorMade makes them better.”
Johnson On TaylorMade
Johnson, a U.S. Open champion and No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings, echoed Abeles’ comments during his press conference after the Rocket Mortgage Classic Pro-Am Wednesday.
TaylorMade’s continued dedication to new technology has an effect on Johnson's game, he said.
“TaylorMade has done a great job every year since I’ve been out here. They make the best drivers and fairway woods out of any company,” Johnson said.
“All the new technology they’ve come out with has been great, and the drivers have been performing very nicely.”
The Tiger Effect
The most noteworthy TaylorMade athlete: Woods.
After winning the 2019 Masters in April, Woods has managed to climb to the top five in the World Golf Rankings and is considered to be a contender in every tournament in which he competes.
For TaylorMade, there has been a direct positive effect on the business, Abeles said.
“As it relates to our business, because he directly represents TaylorMade and plays TaylorMade golf equipment, we do see lift in our business,” the CEO said.
"Anytime Tiger really does what Tiger does, which is to make a material and meaningful difference in the game of golf and tournament of golf, it has a direct impact on our business. So we’re very fortunate he plays our products.”
A TaylorMade product that launched during Masters week took off after Tiger’s victory, Abeles said.
“We launched in the P7TW Forged Iron during Masters week, and immediately sold out of that product after Tiger’s victory and have subsequently been chasing demand for that product for the past three months.”
Related Links:
Bubba Watson Donates $20K To Detroit Youth Program Ahead Of Rocket Mortgage Classic
Dustin Johnson, Kid Rock Hit Links As PGA Comes To Detroit With Rocket Mortgage Classic
Photo courtesy of TaylorMade.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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