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Sergio Garcia Parts with TaylorMade

Sergio Garcia Parts with TaylorMade image courtesy Wei Seah : Shutterstock.com
Sergio Garcia Parts with TaylorMade image courtesy Wei Seah : Shutterstock.com

Sergio Garcia has signed off the year in which he won his first major by parting ways with golf club manufacturer TaylorMade.

Garcia has used TaylorMade clubs for the last 15 years, but that partnership has now ended after the two announced a mutual agreement to part ways in a statement.

The decision comes at the end of a season in which Garcia’s long wait to become a major winner finally ended at the 74th attempt when he won the 2017 Masters at Augusta in April.

A TaylorMade statement read: “It has been an honour to play a role in his performance throughout his career, including THE PLAYERS Championship, 19 worldwide wins, Ryder Cup heroics and his 2017 Masters win. We congratulate Sergio on a career year and wish him all the best for the future.”

Sergio Garcia parts with TaylorMade

Garcia and TaylorMade were contracted to work together beyond 2017, but an agreement was reached to release the Spaniard early—the rumour mill suggests he will now switch to Callaway clubs.

The link with Callaway comes after Garcia reportedly used a Toulon putter during the Dell Technologies Championship and a Mack Daddy wedge at the British Masters. Both are owned by Callaway.

The 37-year-old will now begin the transition to a new brand—perhaps Callaway—when he will appear in the Italian Open on the European Tour later this week.

The Spaniard originally used Titleist clubs and equipment during his early career days, but signed with TaylorMade in 2003 and started the long association with the brand and Adidas, which recently sold the business for $425 million.

Garcia was one of host of big names signed to TaylorMade, the big two staff players being former world number ones and major winners Dustin Johnson and Jason Day. Rory McIlroy also started using TaylorMade equipment as part of a multi-year agreement this year.

If Garcia does reach an agreement with Callaway, he will join Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Henrik Stenson and Jim Furyk as some of the best-known golf stars using the brand.

Garcia has won 31 tournaments during his illustrious career, starting with success in the Catalan Open in 1997 when he was an amateur. He had already set a European Tour record as the youngest player to make the cut in the Turespana Mediterranean Open when aged just 15.

The Spaniard turned professional in 1999 and just months later won the Irish Open before finishing second to Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship the same year.

He became a PGA TOUR winner for the first time two years later when he won the MasterCard Colonial and Buick Open in 2001.

Garcia’s biggest tournament victory prior to winning the 2017 Masters was the 2008 THE PLAYERS Championship in a playoff. At either side of that were two more runner-up finishes in majors as he came second to Padraig Harrington in the 2007 Open Championship and 2008 PGA Championship. He also came close again when he finished runner-up in the 2014 Open behind McIlroy.

Garcia has also been a stalwart of the European Ryder Cup team throughout his career.

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