With a modest carry bag, a hat featuring the American flag and a collection of clubs that might be nearly as old as his last victory, Paul Goydos went from struggling to keep his PGA Tour card at the end of last season to winning the Sony Open in Hawaii Sunday.
In his first win since the 1996 Bay Hill Invitational, Goydos' clubs included a pair of Callaway Big Bertha Steelhead fairway woods and TaylorMade RAC irons.
"Those 14 clubs to me are what we do, and to me if somebody offered me -- they offer you a couple hundred grand to switch equipment, I'm playing for 280 million; that doesn't make any sense," Goydos said. "I want to play with the 14 clubs I think I'm going to have the best chance of competing with and if that ends up costing me money in endorsements, so be it. I feel I have a better chance of making a living playing the game than selling the product."
Actually, Goydos' choice of RAC irons was new -- he had not played the set he won with in competition.
"I played reasonably well with them and I like the way they look," Goydos said. "It wasn't that they offered me money. They are the clubs I like to play."
Goydos did have a contract with Achushnet to use a Titleist ball and driver as well as FootJoy shoes and gloves. He became the second player in as many weeks to win with a new prototype Titleist golf ball, the ProV1. Vijay Singh won last week with a ProV1x prototype.
Goydos' driver, Titleist's 905S model, has been released for almost two years. Although the 905 line's R model has been popular on the PGA Tour in the last year, the company expects to pick up more players with new 907 D1 and D2 drivers, set to release later this spring. Luke Donald, who finished in a tie for second at Sony, had a 907 D2 in his bag.
Does Goydos' win with older clubs mean anything for the manufacturers whose equipment he carried?
In the case of the Titleist 905S driver, which is still available to consumers, it might help generate interest in the new models Titleist will introduce.
"It's tough to say," said Joe Gomes, director of communications for Acushnet Golf. "There's a lot of anticipation for the new models so I'm not sure (if this win) will rejuvenate the 905. A lot of people want the latest and greatest, even though the 905s are great drivers."
For those companies whose older equipment is only available to consumers in dusty corners of pro shops, used club sales and eBay, the attention to the brand name is nice but there's unlikely to be much of a direct benefit.
Goydos does plan to pick up a sponsor for his hat and bag soon -- but it won't be a golf equipment manufacturer. The company he's working with for a potential sponsorship is PEP Boys, an automotive parts retailer.
