'PGA Young Gun' Kim Juhyung Joins the 'Nike Squad'

‘Golf Emperor’ Woods' Journey from Debut to Present
‘Number 1’ McIlroy's $250 Million Contract

Kim Juhyung is taking a tee shot wearing a Nike hat and clothes. Photo by Kim Juhyung, captured from Instagram.

It’s “big news” from the New Year.

“PGA star” Kim Joo-hyung has transformed into a “Nike man.” Ranked 15th in the world, Kim Joo-hyung posted a video on his social media on the 3rd (local time) walking the course wearing a hat with the Nike logo and Nike golf apparel. The filming location was the Kapalua Plantation Course on Maui Island, Hawaii, USA, where the PGA Tour’s season-opening event, the Sentry Tournament of Champions (total prize money $15 million), will be held for four days starting on the 5th.

Having ended his three-year partnership with CJ, Kim Joo-hyung wrote, “Excited to start this new journey.” Last year, he became the youngest player to win twice on the PGA Tour (at 20 years and 3 months) by winning the Wyndham Championship in August and the Shriners Children’s Open in October. He is popular in the U.S. for his fluent English, energetic play, and celebrations. The Nike sponsorship deal signifies recognition of Kim Joo-hyung’s future value in the U.S. sports marketing market.

Nike is known as a major player in the golf world. When signing players, they bundle hats, clothing, and shoes. They do not allow any other company logos from head to toe except the Nike logo. In return, they guarantee large sums of money.

Nike signed an equipment contract with “Golf Emperor” Tiger Woods (USA) in 1996. At that time, the deal was worth $40 million over five years. In 2001, they renewed the contract for $100 million over five years, and in 2006, they signed a long-term contract for seven years. The amount soared to as much as $35 million annually.

When Woods was embroiled in an infidelity scandal in 2009 and declared an indefinite hiatus, Nike did not part ways with him. This contrasted with companies like U.S. telecom company AT&T and management consulting firm Accenture, which stopped sponsoring Woods. Nike has continued to renew contracts several times and maintain their relationship. Woods achieved 82 PGA Tour wins, tying the record for most wins, including 15 major championships.

The next “project” chosen by Nike was Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), ranked number one in the world. In 2013, Nike signed a super contract with McIlroy worth up to $250 million over 10 years, making him the highest-paid golfer in the world. McIlroy swept three wins last season and ascended to the number one spot. He became the first FedEx Cup champion with three wins and accumulated his 23rd career victory. If McIlroy wins the Masters, he will achieve the “career Grand Slam,” winning all four major championships.

Nike also supports “major hunter” Brooks Koepka, world number two Scottie Scheffler (both USA), and Jason Day (Australia). Among female players, Michelle Wie West (USA) has worn Nike on the field. They are all top “golf stars” in the world.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.