Padraig Harrington picked a good time to become a free agent in the club department. His contract with Wilson expired last fall, just after he won three of the last six majors.
Mr. Harrington was the hot commodity, golf's version of C.C. Sabathia. But unlike the pitcher, instead of jumping to Titleist or Callaway, golf's version of the Yankees, Mr. Harrington remained with Chicago-based Wilson.
Don't think for a minute Wilson retained Mr. Harrington for a bargain price. Nobody would disclose the exact figure, but you have to figure the deal was worth $2 million to $3 million per year.
However, loyalty also played a key role in Mr. Harrington's decision.
"I wanted to stay with what works," said Mr. Harrington, who has been with Wilson for 11 years. "From the Wilson side, they've always given me 100%. They produce tremendous products, and they're always prepared to move mountains. It's been a great relationship."
Another important factor, Mr. Harrington said, is Wilson never forced him to use all of its clubs.
"Wilson is the most liberal of all the manufacturers," Mr. Harrington said. "Other manufacturers say you have to use all of their clubs. Wilson doesn't. They know I'm a Wilson player, and they are confident that they will make good enough clubs that I will want to use them. I use 12 of their clubs.
"They don't force me to do what I don't want to do. It's a great release for me as a player."
From its standpoint, Wilson definitely needed to keep Mr. Harrington. While it always is a battle for the company to gain a foothold in the U.S., Wilson is a strong brand in Europe. Obviously, having Europe's top player in the fold is a major asset.
"A lot of it is driven by Padraig," said Tim Clarke, the general manager of Wilson's golf division. "He's our marquee guy. He's a good fit for our brand."