'If I Get $30K To Play 14 Clubs, I Believe I Can Make More Money Playing The Clubs That I Think Will Make Me Play Better' - Tour Pro Opens Up On Equipment Sponsorship Deals

For those in professional golf, there are a wide variety of equipment manufacturers to choose from with each brand wanting to tie players down to long-term contracts.

There are a number of different possible deals as well, such as the full 14-club contract all the way down to a nine-club contract or simply a glove, ball and shoe agreement.

By signing on the dotted line, players are given a guaranteed payment and full use of a particular manufacturer's entire range with the potential to make custom tweaks as and when necessary. This can be particularly helpful to fledgling pros or journeymen who would benefit from an immediate bump in earnings.

However, one of the many perks of being a top-level pro golfer is the ability to obtain whichever club you require from a whole host of different manufacturers whenever you want.

The supply is endless, with the competing companies desperate for as many of those who compete on TV to be doing so with their logo in full view. And the trend of unsigned pros is growing, with around 20% of the current men's top-50 in the world not tied down to a particular brand.

This was not previously the case, with more modest prize purses in years gone by meaning players were more likely to take the guaranteed payment that comes with signing a club contract.

Tiger Woods, for example, made an estimated $500 million during a 27-year partnership with Nike, while his prize money earnings on the PGA Tour stand at $121 million.

However, such is the level of money on offer at individual tournaments nowadays, pros are feeling increasingly confident in backing themselves to win more using whatever they feel most comfortable with.

And it's not just PGA Tour players who are aiming to make their money through tournaments, Korn Ferry Tour and DP World Tour golfers are slowly following suit as purses continue to rise steadily.

James Nicholas - known for his fascinating money breakdowns at tournaments - recently won the Korn Ferry Tour's Astara Golf Championship with an array of various brands in his bag.

Speaking to Golf Monthly, Nicholas shared that he didn't sign any sort of club contract in 2026 because "I don't like being tied into one club. I kind of like playing whatever club I like best."

His current bag set-up includes a Ping driver, a TaylorMade mini driver, TaylorMade hybrid, Titleist irons, Titleist wedges and an Odyssey putter.

The 29-year-old New Yorker admitted that he "might do a complete 180 and play something different next week." But the reason for being a free agent is because he enjoys the flexibility.

Another key factor in Nicholas' decision relates to the likely value of club contracts for most Korn Ferry Tour pros.

The former Yale University golfer won $180,000 for his first victory this year, which could be around three times the value of the most lucrative club contracts for guys who aren't well known by the masses.

At the other end of the scale, the deals signed by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas may well stretch into the tens or even hundreds of millions.

But, relating to the Korn Ferry Tour, Nicholas explained: "In terms of the contracts, they can range from $15,000 to $50,000, depending on the brand or if you're playing 14 clubs or 13 or 12 or 11, some have a nine club deal, which are essentially wedges and irons.

"So, depending on the deal, you can get more and more money. If you're playing a typical 14 club deal, that also means you have to use their head covers and the bag and typically the hat. And that can be like a $50,000 deal, say from Titleist.

"But again, if you're a guy like Blades Brown or Neil Shipley or some of the other bigger names, you can add zeros onto that and it gets exponentially higher.

"So, for the average Korn Ferry Tour guy, you're looking between... you can even say $20,000 to $40,000 to be pretty much a typical club deal.

"And, for me, I was like, 'Okay, if I get $30,000 for the year to have to play 14 clubs, I think I can make more money playing the clubs that I think are going to make me play better on the course than just signing a typical club deal.'"

However, for Nicholas, who is closer than ever in making it to the PGA Tour at the end of this season, he still believes in the free-agent route and spoke highly of his particular choice where the leading brands bend over backwards to ensure they have the best chance of featuring in the bag come round one.

The current World No.270 said: "They really take care of you, they want you in their clubs. It looks good for [manufacturers] and it's great for us because we get to test and try out new stuff, and knowing that we don't have to spend $5,000 on clubs.

"It goes back to that money conversation because, if you don't have any status, then you're paying for clubs - unless you're a top guy and they really need you.

"So you can be stuck paying for wedges, which are upwards of $1,000, for the year and it can get expensive. But, once you get some status somewhere, you don't have to pay for any clubs or balls or shoes or gloves or anything like that.

"All equipment is sort of just given to you left and right knowing that these manufacturers really want you to play their stuff. So, it's a great position that players are in."