Tiger Woods announced Wednesday he's decided to begin using TaylorMade golf equipment when he plays his first tournament of 2017, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, this week.
The 14-time major champion passed along word of his choice on social media:
ESPN.com noted the TaylorMade equipment will join Bridgestone golf balls and Nike apparel as Woods' choices for his latest effort to revitalize his game. The change comes after Nike exited the equipment business in 2016 while the longtime superstar was recovering from his latest back injury.
Woods made his decision at a time when the future of TaylorMade is up in the air.
Mike Stachura of Golf Digest reported last May that Adidas was looking to sell portions of its golf division, including TaylorMade. Adidas, like its rival Nike, was seeking an opportunity to get out of the sport's equipment to instead focus on footwear and apparel.
Meanwhile, Rick Young of Score Golf provided information from sources in September that suggested Woods had entered negotiations with Adidas to acquire TaylorMade.
By joining a brand likely to get sold, the 79-time winner on the PGA Tour sets himself up to get a stake in the company, one way or another. It becomes a far more coveted commodity if he's able to start winning and competing for major titles again in 2017 and beyond.
Darren Rovell of ESPN connected the dots after Wednesday's announcement, stating, "Question becomes who buys it and what percentage of company does Tiger get."
One club in Woods' bag that won't be from TaylorMade is his putter. He switched back to the Scotty Cameron putter he used for 13 of his 14 major triumphs before his appearance in the Hero World Challenge in December and subsequently enjoyed some hot streaks on the greens.
It's one of two crucial putters he doesn't allow his kids to play with, per Will Gray of the Golf Channel.
"They sit next to each other," Woods said. "Touch any putter, do anything you want with any other putter. These putters are off-limits. These two...only Daddy."
Of course, the clubs he's using or the clothes he's wearing don't matter if he's not able to stay on the course for an extended stretch. A true test of his durability lies on the horizon, as he's currently scheduled to play four of the next five weeks, including a long trip to the United Arab Emirates.
If Woods can make it through those events without any physical setbacks, the chances of his making a serious impact in 2017 will increase exponentially. He flashed vintage form with a 65 in the second round of the Hero World Challenge. Now it's about staying healthy and finding some consistency.