Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa played a new game that could well be baptized as 'Golf-Pool'. It was a promotional event for the TaylorMade company, which promotes both players.
In a video released by the company that produces high-end golf equipment, McIlroy and Morikawa are seen playing a kind of billiards, but instead of playing on a table, they did it by marking the boundaries and holes on a golf course.
Of course, they didn't use billiard balls or cues either in 'Golf-Pool'. Instead, they played with putters and golf balls.
McIlroy comprehensively defeated Morikawa, who was dissatisfied with his performance. The American golfer missed quite a few putts after all.
How Golf-Pool works
First of all, it must be said that 'Golf-Pool' is not an official or widespread game in the world of golf. However, it could make an excellent workout for improving golfers' putter skills.
How does Golf-Pool play, according to TaylorMade's design? Well, as seen in the promotional video, it involves marking the playing area on a green or similar ground. The dimensions are similar to those of a pool table and consists of six pockets.
The game starts with 12 balls, six for each player. The initial stroke is made with a yellow ball, which is then removed from the game. Who takes the first stroke is decided before the game starts.
Each player takes one stroke at a time, alternating from one stroke to the next. However, when the player is able to put his ball in the hole, he may continue to hit the next ball.
The objective is to send each ball into a pocket, and the same player may not put two balls in the same hole. The first player to get all six balls in the hole wins.
TaylorMade's place in the golfing world
Taylor Made is one of the world's leading manufacturers of golf equipment. Its main renown comes from golf clubs, where it is the market leader.
The company was founded in 1979 and, at that time, marketed only one item - the 12-degree loft metal wood, a breakthrough for the time.
TaylorMade's innovations in metal drivers quickly positioned it in the market, and the company did not go unnoticed. So much so that, with an initial start-up capital of $24,000, TaylorMade closed its first year of sales in excess of $47,000.
Over the years, a series of mergers have taken place, linking the brand with other companies, but always maintaining the line of production and innovation that made it transcend. This raised the company's prestige, as well as its market value.
In 2021, it was announced that the Korean company Centroid Investment Partners bought TaylorMade for 1.7 billion.
The company sponsors a large group of the best players in the sports, not only McIlroy and Morikawa, but also the likes of Tiger Woods, Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson, and Scottie Scheffler.