Nike Golf signs world No. 1 golfer Jason Day

By

Benjamin Fitzgerald

Published
Jan 4, 2017

Nike Golf, part of the American sports conglomerate Nike Inc., has signed world no.1 golfer Jason Day for a multi-year contract that covers footwear, apparel, headwear and gloves. Day is the current world no.1 in world golf ranking, having first achieved the ranking in 2015, and will first wear Nike this week at the Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Hawaii.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jason to the Nike Golf team and our family of athletes,” said Daric Ashford, president of Nike Golf.

Day closed 2015 with four wins in his final seven starts, including his first major title with a record-breaking 20-under-par performance at the PGA Championship.

His momentum carried over into 2016, with Day notching three wins including coveted titles at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the WGC-Dell Match Play and the Players Championship. 

“He’s an incredible player who has demonstrated tremendous work ethic and amazing resilience over the course of his career. We are excited to help him chase more championships in the coming years,” said Ashford.

The news follows Nike's shock announcement in August 2016 that it would stop selling golf equipment, including clubs, golf balls and bags.

The company said it would instead accelerate innovation in its golf footwear and apparel business and on partnering with more golfers. However, it failed to give an exact timeframe.

Sales in the golf business fell 8 percent to $706 million (£530 million) in Nike's latest financial year ended May 31. It is one of the company's smallest businesses, contributing about 3 percent to its total revenue.