Rickie Fowler headlines sponsorship changes in hot-stove season for PGA Tour's top players

The hot stove season for PGA Tour pros always heats up at this time of year.

Max Homa kicked things off with the flip of the calendar at the Sentry. A longtime Titleist ambassador, he officially began endorsing Cobra clubs, Puma shoes and Lululemon apparel. But he’s not the only one with different logos on his apparel and bag.

Golfweek has learned that Rickie Fowler has signed a deal with Ernst & Young to wear its logo on the front right of his chest. Fowler wore the EY patch during the debut of TGL on ESPN last Tuesday and will be sporting it this week at his PGA Tour season debut on Tour at the American Express.

“They were in a position where they wanted to get back into the golf space a bit more,” Fowler wrote in a text to Golfweek. “Lucky for me I happened to be in the right place at the right time and everything came together organically.”

Fowler replaced independent CPA firm Grant Thornton with EY, one of the big four accounting firms.

“I had an amazing run with Grant Thornton and left on good terms,” said Fowler, who competed in the Grant Thornton Invitational with partner Lexi Thompson last month.

He’s also made a significant equipment change, transitioning from playing TaylorMade’s TP5x ball with his endorsement contract expiring to being a free agent in the category and choosing to start the year with the 2023 Pro V1.

“Everyone makes great product these days and I felt like there were multiple options I could go play from different manufacturers,” wrote Fowler, who is not being paid to endorse the Titleist ball but noted the Pro V1 just fit him best.

Scottie Scheffler's deal with TaylorMade coming up for renewal

TaylorMade also let Kurt Kitayama leave for Bridgestone Golf and Chad Ramey head to PXG this season. Scottie Scheffler’s multiyear deal with TaylorMade is coming up for renewal and given his run as reigning world No. 1 and winner of three straight Player of the Year awards, his price tag, should he wish to re-up, is likely climbing.

In some other player movement, Nico Echavarria, who caught fire in the fall with a victory at the Zozo Championship, has signed a club and ball deal with Srixon.

Viktor Hovland will continue to wear some bright and provocative outfits as he renewed his apparel deal (dating to 2019) with J. Lindeberg, who also added Frenchman Mathieu Pavon to a multiyear deal as one of its official brand ambassadors.

Jake Knapp will have a snazzy, new cap this season. He signed a deal with premium headwear company Melin.

“I’ve been wearing their hats for a long time so joining the team was a no-brainer,’ said Knapp in a press release. "The quality of the product is what spoke to me in the first place, and after getting to know the team and seeing what they have in store coming up, I’m super pumped to be a part of that future.”

Even coaches to the stars are getting into the endorsement game. Claude Harmon III, who counts Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson in his stable of pros, inked a deal with Magellan Jets to be the private aviation company's head golf professional.

“When I fly domestically and overseas to help Tour players and others improve their games, it’s essential my private air travel is seamlessly managed,” said Harmon III in an announcement of the relationship.  “Magellan’s reliability, comfort and safety-first orientation gives me peace of mind, as does its access to a wide range of planes where and when they’re needed, even last minute.”

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Rickie Fowler leads sponsorship changes in PGA Tour's hot-stove season