Nike's sweep at Masters a major step forward

Trevor Immelman won the Masters this year, but the biggest winner at the tournament might have been Nike Golf.

When Immelman won the first major of the season, he headed a 1-2-3 finish for the Swoosh that included runner-up Tiger Woods and third-place finisher Stewart Cink.

Nike CCi irons

For a company that has been in the golf equipment business less than a decade, and -- despite its size and acumen in other sports -- is still building a reputation as providing performance products for skilled golfers, the sweep was most impressive. Overall, seven Nike tour players finished in the top 41, also including Paul Casey (T11), Justin Leonard (T20), Stephen Ames (T25) and K.J. Choi (41).

"That really opened my eyes up," responded an amateur golfer at a local range when questioned about the performance. "I really had thought of (Nike) as just a 'recreational' golf company, except for Tiger, but you've got to put them up there with all the best equipment names now."

Nike's strategy from the beginning has been to win over better players, then expand. With long-term goals, the company has taken its time and not rushed into every golf category all at once, although it could have. Going back, it stunningly entered the clubmaking business in 2002 with a forged driver and forged irons, types of clubs geared for a small, skilled segment of the golf market.

"Our idea was to make clubs first for the best players in the world, hopefully win over the 'key influencers' and slowly expand our products for all levels of play," said Tom Stites, Nike's director of product club creation.

Stites was one of several veteran craftsmen hired by the company to produce legitimate equipment. Another was Rock Ishii, the company's chief ball designer and the main man in convincing Tiger Woods to play a Nike ball.

At the Masters, Immelman's Nike bag consisted of the new Nike Sumo 5000 driver (10.5 degrees loft), CCi Cast irons (4-PW), three SV wedges (50, 54, 60 degrees), an SQ Sumo 17-degree fairway wood and 21-degree SQ Sumo hybrid. He played the new Nike One Platinum ball, along with wearing Nike footwear, apparel and Dri-FIT Tour glove.

Like several Nike players, including Woods, Immelman opted for a Titleist by Scotty Cameron putter.

In selecting drivers, Nike players seem split. Cink, along with Ames and Lucas Glover, plays an SQ Sumo2, which was introduced in 2007 and is still available. Paul Azinger, Chad Campbell and Casey carry the SQ Sumo driver. Tour players opting for the new Sumo 5000 in addition to Immelman include Choi and Leonard, plus Grace Park and Suzann Petterson. None of the players is reportedly using the new SQ Sumo 5900, a square-shaped driver with enhanced forgiveness and a high MOI rating (moment of inertia, which translates to forgiveness on off-center hits).

Woods, by the way, uses a custom-made SQ Tour 460 driver not generally available.

"The performance by Nike Golf athletes at the Masters is a testament to the depth of talent that we have on our tour staff," said Kel Devlin, the company's global sports marketing director. "In the last three years, the results of a long-term plan have become evident as we've seen many of our athletes emerge as champions. ... This is another validation that Nike Golf products perform at the highest level, success that translates to the average golfer because our products perform in such a way that golfers will find the game easier and more enjoyable."

Here's a closer, selected look at Nike's premium performance equipment.