Jason Day Joins Bridgestone – Key Takeaways
- Former World No. 1 Day joins Bridgestone’s Tour Workers
- Day joins Tiger, Bryson, Fred {Couples}, Lexi Thompson and Matt Kuchar
- He’ll be gaming the 2022 Bridgestone TOUR B X
It’s not as earth-shattering because the day it signed the world’s 650th ranked participant, however in the present day’s information from Bridgestone is noteworthy. The phrase out of Covington, GA is former World No. 1 Jason Day is becoming a member of the Bridgestone Tour Workers beginning this weekend in Orlando on the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Phrases of the multiyear deal are unannounced, however Bridgestone does say Day will probably be enjoying the 2022 Tour B X “for the foreseeable future.” Day joins Tiger, Bryson, Matt Kuchar, Fred {Couples} and Lexi Thompson within the Bridgestone steady.
“We’ve been working with him for over a 12 months now,” Bridgestone Golf Ball Becoming Supervisor Adam Rehberg tells MyGolfSpy. “He’s very snug with the ball now and he desires to be an even bigger a part of the group.”
A Lengthy Day’s Journey
Day began experimenting with the Bridgestone TOUR B XS almost two years in the past, after enjoying with Tiger at Bay Hill. He was nonetheless beneath contract with TaylorMade on the time however requested Tiger for a sleeve of his balls to attempt. After his TaylorMade deal ran out, Day put the XS into play on his personal with out a deal.
“However as you guys have stated, the Tiger ball doesn’t match all people,” Rehberg instructed us. “It may be method too spinny, even for a man like Jason Day. He already had loads of spin across the greens, however he discovered with the XS he was getting some floaty photographs along with his 6- by means of 9-irons. The X was a bit of extra steady for him.”
Day switched from the XS to the X final August however lastly went by means of a proper ball becoming with the Bridgestone group final week.
“He favored the XS across the inexperienced, however when he’d hit a 9-iron to a again proper pin, he’d come up a bit of brief and spin it again much more,” says Rehberg. “Then he hit the X and we regarded on the knowledge. He’s nonetheless spinning the X along with his 9-iron round 10,000 RPM. However when he hit the XS, he’d get 11,500 to 12,000 RPM. That’s lots of spin for a 9-iron.
“A man like Tiger, he desires all that spin. And he has the flexibility to take some off. However different guys prefer to hit inventory photographs and becoming the ball to that helps them mechanically.”
A Onerous Day’s Evening
The 34-year-old Day is a number of years faraway from his keep atop the Official World Golf Rankings. After a half-dozen Prime 5 finishes in majors, Day lastly broke by means of in 2015. He received that 12 months’s PGA Championship at Whistling Straits and have become the primary participant to complete a serious at 20-under-par.
That September Day reached No. 1 on this planet after successful the primary two legs of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Jordan Spieth reclaimed the highest spot per week later. The next 12 months Day would recapture the primary rating with wins on the Farmers, the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship and the Gamers.
How sizzling was Jason Day? In January 2017, he signed a $10 million a 12 months attire cope with Nike. Again troubles, nonetheless, would plague Day for a lot of the subsequent 4 years. He hasn’t received on Tour since successful the Farmers for the second time in 2018.
Day was ranked as little as 123rd on this planet throughout that point. He’s been enjoying higher currently, ending third on this 12 months’s Farmers, and is at present ranked 90th within the OWGR.
“We first talked to him a 12 months in the past and he instructed us he wanted to get his swing velocity as much as a sure quantity so he may very well be absolutely aggressive,” says Rehberg. “After we examined him final week, he was effectively previous that quantity. His swing velocity is again and the swing seems smoother and fewer violent.”
What Does This Imply For Bridgestone?
As Jason Day joins Bridgestone, it’s honest to ask: can he assist transfer the needle?
At the moment, Bridgestone and Srixon see-saw between the 4th and 5th slots in golf ball market share, behind Titleist, Callaway and TaylorMade. That pecking order hasn’t modified a lot, even with Tiger becoming a member of the Bridgestone workers in 2016. It’s dicey making an attempt to foretell how a lot Tour presence truly influences ball gross sales, though Bridgestone will let you know Tiger’s win at The Masters in 2019 was a serious increase.
And never for nothing, regardless of 5 years of again woes, Day stays a preferred determine on Tour.
“You wish to speak about a grounded dude?” says Rehberg. “He saved asking us what we would have liked and if there was something he might do for us. He was serving to us transfer stuff. So good, so pleasant.
“And after we instructed him we’re in all probability a few months away from beginning the testing course of for our 2024 balls, his eyes simply obtained vast. He was shocked that we’d already be engaged on a brand new ball.”
Rehberg says Day will be part of Tiger and Bryson within the two-year prototyping course of. And whereas Bryson assaults the method prefer it’s work, Rehberg says Day is extra like Tiger in that he finds testing an absolute pleasure.
“We will already inform he’s going to be enjoyable to do R&D testing with,” Rehberg tells us. “He might have stayed on the market all day and hit balls with us. And that was simply the X versus the XS. We will’t wait to get him concerned in prototyping.”
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