Irish golfer Rory McIlroy has said he is "really excited" to be teaming up with TaylorMade with whom he has signed a new eye-watering equipment deal.
The American-based Adidas subsidiary has stumped up an incredible $100 million to get world golf's number two on its books.
In turn, McIlroy will exclusively use Taylor Made clubs and balls for 10 years and he joins an elite bunch of pros using the company's gear; Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose to name but a few.
The 28-year-old was without an equipment contract after Nike decided to withdraw from that market but he will continue to wear their apparel and footwear after signing a contract extension on that front.
"I'm really excited that I've teamed up with TaylorMade. As I said, I needed to address a few issues after Augusta. I alluded to the fact that I wasn't really happy with the golf ball I was playing [with].
"I needed to do something. I felt like I struggled in the wind.
"So I sort of went back to the drawing board and tested for about ten days, pretty extensively after Augusta, worked with a lot of different things.
"But I worked with the TaylorMade guys one day and started just on Trackman (ball tracking system) on the range and saw stuff with the new TP5X ball that they have and I thought, 'wow, this is what I need, this is exactly the thing that I've been struggling with and this I feel, is what I need'.
"Over the course of the next few days, I tested different combinations, a lot of different stuff. I came to the conclusion that was the best way forward for me to try and improve, try and win more, try and get back to world number one, try to win more majors so I'm really excited about that.
"I've been on tour ten years and it's very rare that you get really excited about your equipment but I am. I feel like it's a new chapter in my life with a lot of stuff going on but I really feel with the new equipment as well, it's hopefully going to take me to that next level."
And the two new stablemates, McIlroy and Johnson, are set to tee it up for the opening two rounds of the Players' Championship at Sawgrass. They'll play with Justin Thomas in the tournament which starts on Thursday.
Offaly native Shane Lowry's in a group with last year's Masters winner Danny Willett and Bill Haas.
Graeme McDowell will be out alongside Emiliano Grillo and Greg Chalmers.
