Nike’s exit from golf gear may be good news for Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods

Nike’s decision to ditch its golf equipment business may be a blessing in disguise for its two marquee pitchmen, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Woods, of course, put Nike on the golf map when he signed a mega contract in 1996 with the firm, which launched golf balls and clubs a few years later. McIlroy came on board in 2013 with much hoopla. That much-hyped switch from Titleist a mere months after his four-win 2012 PGA Tour season that included a second major title caused major angst as his game swooned immediately after putting Nike clubs in his bag.

Tiger has been sidelined for almost a year after three back surgeries and a stunning slide from the pinnacle of the sport as his skills, characterized by uncharacteristic chipping yips, went into free fall from tee to green.

McIlroy rebounded from an awful post-Nike contract year to go on and win three more times -- including his last two majors -- on tour, but he has had an ongoing struggle on the greens that has had him switching grips rather than flat sticks.

Nike’s stunning announcement on Wednesday that it will leave the bat and ball business but retain its softer side of Rory’s pec-hugging sweaters and other attire allows both men to hit reset, and Woods’ camp has already begun the PR campaign ahead of whatever clubs their man decides to use next. Tiger will remain a swoosh guy from cap to shoe, according to agent Mark Steinberg, but what clubs he’ll use if and when he returns to competition is apparently up for grabs.

“Clearly he and I need to be thinking about a change on the hard goods side,” Steinberg told GolfChannel.com after the Nike news broke. “He and I have discussed at length the plan for that, and feel comfortable with what we’re going to do going forward. But clearly, there’s likely to be a change.”

There is still no timetable for Woods’ return to the PGA Tour, and it’s possible that a transition to new equipment could give the 14-time major champion additional days/weeks/months on the sidelines as he works in his shiny new gear.

“Just like his comeback to golf, I think timelines inhibit you,” Steinberg said about when Tiger would choose a new gear supplier. “So we’ll do this methodically, and in a proper way.”

McIlroy, in the meantime, looks as if he might benefit from another equipment change. Major-less since the 2014 PGA Championship and with just one win — the Irish Open in May — since November, the Ulsterman has seemed frustrated and angry with his game and his equipment.

While some may bemoan the need for the winner of four majors to pick up new sticks yet again, he hasn’t exactly treated his Nike gear with love and affection, drowning some …

… leaning a bit too hard on others …

… and smashing still others to smithereens.

In fact, 2002 PGA champion Rich Beem believes McIlroy -- who was nearly DFL in SG: putting before missing the cut at last week’s PGA -- had his eye on a new putter during the season’s final major at Baltusrol.

“His locker was right across from mine during the week and he came in on one of the days,” Beem told NewsTalk. com on Tuesday. “He’d just gotten a brand new Scotty Cameron putter, which looked exactly like the one he won with at the U.S. Open in Congressional and I said, ‘can I see it?’ I said, ‘man, that thing is pretty’ and he goes ‘yeah, isn’t it?’

“I could see this gleam in his eye, like he really wanted to take it out and hit it on the putting green and yet I don’t think he did because of contractual obligations,” Beem added. “But you kind of feel bad for the guy that’s locked in to a contract with a manufacturer. It doesn’t feel like he can go out and really play with a golf club that he really wants to play with — even looking at a different putter for a change can certainly change your attitude, thinking and feel.

“Something’s got to give,” said Beem, “because he is too good of a ball-striker from tee to green to go out there and struggle so mightily on those greens.”

That “something” just gave, and it may just be what McIlroy needs to return to Titleist (or try another brand) and make himself great again.