Rory McIlroy’s club change could be hazardous to his career, Nick Faldo warns again

If Rory McIlroy fails to play up to his award-winning 2012 season next year, Nick Faldo may be at the front of the pack of pundits saying, “I told you so.”

Faldo, a Golf Channel analyst and self-described “big, big fan of Rory,” reiterated on Wednesday his belief that swapping Titleist clubs for Nike was “dangerous” to the two-time major champ and could hinder his career.

“The bottom line is he’s doing it for money,” Faldo, in a “no duh” moment, told The Telegraph’s James Corrigan about the 10-year, $250 million equipment contract the world No. 1 has reportedly signed with Nike. “When he looks at a 20-year career it’s not necessary. If he carries on and wins more majors he’ll be worth hundreds of millions anyway. Sure this is a wonderful guarantee but Rory knows the biggest thing is winning golf tournaments. If he believes that’s still going to happen, fine. But if it holds him back for a split second in his mind then you will question it.”

In the European Tour’s season-ending World Tour Championship that begins on Thursday, McIlroy will wrap up a stellar season in which he clobbered the PGA Championship field by eight strokes for his second major and added three additional PGA Tour wins. He also matched Luke Donald’s 2011 accomplishment by clinching the money titles on both the PGA and Euro Tours and secured golf’s top ranking for the foreseeable future.

Of course, Faldo’s point was that the 23-year-old Northern Irishman did all that with Titleist tackle -- the only clubs he has used since turning professional in 2007. Despite McIlroy’s recent assurance that switching gear makers was no big deal, Faldo repeated a warning he issued nearly a month ago on Golf Channel: even the slightest tweak in the tools of his trade could send McIlroy’s game into a tailspin, the winner of six major titles claimed.

“As professional golfers we get a millisecond of feedback from impact,” Sir Nick told Corrigan. “And if you get that lovely feedback and the ball goes where you want it, that’s a tick in the confidence box. But if you think ‘oh, that felt different’ and the ball doesn’t go where you want it to go, it starts to eat away at your confidence.”

On Tuesday from Dubai, McIlroy brushed aside such worries, saying he had already begun practicing with his new sticks.

“I’ve tinkered about enough to feel comfortable going into next season,” said McIlroy, who declined to confirm a pending pact with Nike. “I think all of the manufacturers make great equipment nowadays and it’s all very, very similar. I mean, a lot of the manufacturers get their clubs made at the same factories as each other. I don’t think it will make a difference at all.”

Not so, claimed Faldo, who shills for Titleist and Nike competitor, TaylorMade.

“No two clubs are the same at our level,” Faldo said. “Technically, the clubs can be exactly the same -- same heads, same shaft, as good as you can get -- but the two sets will be different, even if it’s just sound.”

Faldo noted that McIlroy had complete conviction with the clubs he will employ until his Titleist deal expires at the end of the year. Adjusting to new bats could wreak havoc on the young man’s self-assurance, Faldo suggested.

“At the moment Rory is using equipment he trusts and he doesn’t think when swinging,” Faldo said. “If he makes the transition and still doesn’t think about it, then fine. But I’m just saying there’s a possibility he will think about it and that’s when confidence comes into it.”

Faldo, who’s also made it clear he’s no fan of the friendship McIlroy has struck up with Woods, wondered why “the kid” would ink a pact with a company that Tiger had made his own instead of starting his own brand.

”He could have put the clubs in the bag he likes, had his own clothing line, some huge backers and then just gone and played golf,” Faldo said. “He’d still earn fortunes from prize money and appearance fees, regardless. That’d be £20 million [$25.6 million] a year easily. Nothing has to be done in a mad...rush.”