Justin Rose signs with Honma Golf

Justin Rose, the current World No.2 golfer and FedEx Cup champion, has agreed a multi-year partnership with Honma Golf.

The Englishman, who had been with TaylorMade ever since turning pro in 1999, will use Honma irons and wedges for the 2019 season and beyond.

Honma Golf, makers of premium golf equipment, is looking to boost its worldwide tour presence and the signing of Rose, a proven global winner, is a big step forwards.

Rose’s tweet below appears to suggest that Honma created a new split set of forged muscleback and cavity back irons just for him.

In a previous tweet announcing his deal with Honma, Rose said:

“Hello 2019…. I’ve been waiting for you! Excited to move into the new year with Honma equipment! New Years resolutions… 1) play a club that looks exactly how I want!  2) play a club that feels and performs exactly how I want!”

Here’s a look at his new forged Honma wedges:

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It looks likely that Rose will continue to play the TaylorMade TP5 ball and woods, admittedly with Honma headcovers on them, and a further tweet by his caddie below suggests he may have gone back to an Axis1 putter similar to the Tour M Prototype he was first seen testing at the 2017 Dell Technologies in Boston.

Founded in 1959 in Japan, Honma is known for its intricate craftsmanship, performance and quality. It recently launched the TWorld747 range of woods and irons. The driver features ‘Real Distance’ technology that allows the face and lie angle to be adjusted without rotating the spine of the high-quality shaft. There are also fairway woods, a hybrid and two iron models to cater for both the better player and game improver.

The switch comes at a curious time for Rose who, aged 38, is coming off the best year of his career having captured the FedEx Cup and helped Europe to a dominating Ryder Cup victory in France. He also ascended to number one in the Official World Golf Rankings multiple times.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining Honma.” said Rose. “Coming off one of my best years professionally, I wanted to make it a point to get better. I believe Honma equipment and the legendary Honma craftsmanship can help make me better.”

Mr. Liu Jian Guo, Chairman of Honma Golf, commented, “When we thought about the ideal golfer that aligns with our company values, everything pointed to Justin Rose. Justin is a world-class player, and beyond that, a gentleman and family man. We are ecstatic to have him on the Honma team.

“We strongly believe that Justin’s local and international influence in the sport will create an immediate and positive uplift of Honma’s brand image and will in turn accelerate growth strategies in Europe and North America.”

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