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TSN Senior Reporter

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Jason Day has gone from three stripes to a Swoosh, and it likely means he won’t be teeing it up at the RBC Canadian Open any time soon.

The Australian golfer, who will tee it up this week in the SBS Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, officially made the move to Nike clothing on January 1 after many years in adidas. While the deal had been known for months, Nike announced the official move in a splashy video sent out over social media channels.

The deal became possible after Nike shuttered its club and ball operations, going with a shoe and clothing only approach as it does in other sports, notably tennis. It used to demand that all its sponsored players use its equipment. Day will remain with TaylorMade when it comes to woods, irons, putter and ball.

However, one of Nike’s stipulations with all its contracts is that no other corporate logos appear on a player’s clothing. That meant that RBC, which, as part of a healthy arrangement with Day had a logo on his collar, had to move it elsewhere. The only option was on his golf bag and the bank decided that the value wasn’t there and didn’t renew its deal.

It means Day is unlikely to tee it up in the RBC Canadian Open any longer. All the players RBC sponsors are required to play in the two events it backs, the other being the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, S.C. Day won the Canadian stop in 2015.

Both events are held the week after major championships, a time when many top players traditionally don’t play. It’s especially hard for the RBC Canadian Open, which follows the Open Championship and requires a transatlantic trip.

 

While the PGA Tour has a policy that prohibits paying appearance fees, it’s widely known that it happens at almost every tournament that isn’t a major or world championship event.

Another player making a change is Rory McIlroy. According to the web site NoLayingUp.com, the Northern Irishman will use Callaway woods and irons, and an Odyssey putter and a Titleist ball and wedges when he plays this week’s South African Open.

McIlroy has not signed a contract with either company to play the equipment, which gives him the ability to make further switches if he wishes. It also keeps his overall deal with Nike intact. According to a source, when the Swoosh company ended its equipment business, it kept all its player sponsorship agreements intact, stating that golfers were free to use any gear they wanted but if they signed endorsement deals, then the arrangement with Nike was to be renegotiated. It’s not clear how that affects Tiger Woods who recently inked a deal to use Bridgestone golf balls.

Day wasn’t the only top-ranked golfer making a switch. Lydia Ko, the top female player, has left Callaway and signed with PXG, the club company started a year ago by GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons. Ko was joined by Brittany Lang, Christina Kim and Ryan O’Toole in the move to PXG.

In addition to new clubs, Ko has made other significant off-season changes. She parted ways with instructor David Leadbetter with whom she worked for three years and near the end of last season, she fired caddie Jason Hamliton.

The LPGA Tour starts its 2017 season in the Bahamas Jan. 26.