This past Sunday, Rory McIlroy completed a rare feat by becoming only the fourth golfer to win a fourth major tournament before turning 26, joining an exclusive club that includes Jack Nicklaus*, Tiger Woods and Bobby Jones. McIlroy is currently in the midst of a streak that has seen him win three high profile tournaments in a row, including this past July’s British Open and a World Golf Championship event. With the next major – the 2015 Masters – months away, the Rory hype train is only going to grow in anticipation as fans around the world will be tuning in to see if he can complete a career grand slam (winning all four majors) at such an early age. It’s a groundswell of attention and support for the sport that we haven’t seen since Tiger was at his best during the 2000s.
So you would think that by now Nike Golf would be dropping exclusive Rory product online and in pro shops as his career is back on the upswing (pun intended). But that isn’t the case; in fact, Rory hasn’t really been doing that much selling ever since he signed with Nike Golf, at least in the signature department.
Last year, Rory signed a massive endorsement deal with Nike Golf reportedly worth upwards of $250 million. There was plenty of hoopla surrounding the deal because it was a sign Nike Golf had finally found the man that would eventually replace Tiger. Back then, we wondered aloud what Rory would mean for Nike Golf. We imagined not only signature product, but a move into the lifestyle department as well. If Rory was ever going to justify the massive deal Nike gave him, he was going to have to be somebody who transcended the game; not necessarily in the way Tiger once did because Tiger is such a unique figure, but he would have to at least be the guy that was not only making headlines in golf circles, but in the mainstream press as well. And for all of 2013 and right up until these past few months, Rory was making headlines but for entirely different reasons. Whether it was struggles on the course or his very public relationship with tennis player Caroline Wozniacki, we could see Rory, but not in the way we envisioned.
Now that Rory has seemingly righted the ship, both he and Nike Golf can now look to the future. After wearing the Nike Lunar Control II this year, it seems inevitable now (right?) that we will see Rory signature product, including his first shoe. When those drop initially, they will sell like you thought they were retros. Golfers love to latch on to the latest hot trend, whether it be in equipment or in shoes or apparel. If they see somebody like Rory absolutely crushing it on tour, you can be sure that fans will be rocking the same stuff the following week, regardless of the brand he was on. Kind of reminds me of a certain segment of our readers…
But what can we hope to see in a Rory signature shoe? If you’ve been looking at their recent efforts, Nike Golf has been designing golf shoes that are aesthetically pleasing not only at the country club but also for a casual stroll. It’s that sweet spot that the brand has to hit when it comes Rory’s shoes because today’s generation of golfers and the ones coming after them are not only about playing good but looking good as well doing it. Jason Dufner notwithstanding, gone are the days of players like John Daly and Craig Stadler dominating the field. Style will never replace substance when it comes to golf, but when you see all of these young golfers that were no doubt influenced by Tiger, you can be a pretty good golfer and look damn good doing it. It’s unlikely that we will see things like the “What The” colorway come to Rory’s signature shoe, but he has shown that he’s not afraid to mix things up with color on the Lunar Control II. From Volt to Hyper Pink, Rory has that nice blend of traditional golf attire that won’t get you kicked out but with a sleek Nike gloss to them that is undeniably a swoosh product. And if Rory were to wear a pair of Jordan retros just on a lark? The sneaker internet community would melt…
Eight months from now, Rory will tee off in Augusta National in what will probably be the most watched golf tournament in a very long time. When we reconvene for that, will we see him wear a Nike Lunar Control III or something with his new logo attached to it? Nike Golf might as well do something with Rory considering they’re spending $4.7 billion in endorsements and lesser names than him have signature stuff. Hell, if Nike Golf needs ideas, I wouldn’t mind if they just him have Tiger’s old logo, which is still secretly one of the best logos they have ever done…
