Villegas signs with TaylorMade
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TaylorMade have announced that Colombian Camilo Villegas will join them as a staff player in 2011.
The deal will see the world number 25 end his association with Cobra Golf and switch to TaylorMade equipment.
Rumours had been rife about Villegas considering a switch of club manufacturers and these were increased when he was spotted using a TaylorMade Burner Superfast fairway wood at St Andrews in the Open Championship.
Now Villegas has signed a deal to play TaylorMade equipment as of next year. The deal will also see him play a TaylorMade ball, wear TaylorMade headgear and glove, carry a TaylorMade bag and wear adidas shoes.
“Camilo is a winner, a gentleman, and a fan favourite,” said Mark King, president and CEO of TaylorMade-adidas Golf.
“Cameras tend to find him because he has presence and magnetism that’s impressive and rare. Camilo also shares the same values with our brand and our people, including a burning desire to improve and reach his potential. We very much want to help him do that, which is why we believe this is a great fit.”
Villegas, who is famous for his “Spiderman” crouches when lining up putts, notched two runner-up finishes and a total of four top-tens in 2006, his rookie year on the PGA Tour. His breakthrough triumph came at the 2008 BMW Championship, where he became the first Colombian to win on the PGA Tour; he also captured the TOUR Championship later that year. His most recent victory was the 2010 Honda Classic. He has also won twice internationally: the 2001 Columbian Open and the 2007 Coca-Cola Tokai Classic.
He joins other Tour pros such as Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, Y.E. Yang, Retief Goosen and Sergio Garcia as TaylorMade staff players.
