Greg Norman switches from MacGregor to TaylorMade

The Shark, Greg Norman, has swum over to TaylorMade, according to a March 31, 2009 press release.

The 50-year old, who spent 331 weeks as the number one player in the world during the 1980s and 1990s and shocked the golf world last year by leading the 2008 Open Championship (a.k.a. The British Open) going into the final round, has been a long-time MacGregor player.

According to the press release, though, he was so impressed by the TaylorMade TP Red golf ball with Low Drag Performance (LDP) at last year’s Open, that he decided to go switch to TaylorMade.

The move represents quite a sea change for Norman, who, according to a 2007 interview with Rob Sauerhaft of Golf.com, had been playing MacGregor irons since 1978. In the same interview, he called MacGregor’s R&D “second to none.”

Today’s announcement by TaylorMade makes it clear, however, that Norman would not only be continuing to play the TaylorMade ball but also the company’s clubs, including its irons.

In other words, The Shark has gone for TaylorMade hook, line, and sinker.

Wonder if he’ll take another bite out of the Open field this year…? (Couldn’t resist just one more piscine pun.)