Parsons Xtreme Golf, Nike Golf announce new staff players for 2016

A number of high profile tour professionals have switched golf club equipment sponsorships to begin 2016, according to multiple brand announcements on Monday. Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) made the biggest noise during a busy day in the golf equipment circle, announcing the signing of eight players to their brand. Most of these names shouldn't surprise you, since rumors of most (if not all) of the following players making the jump have been circling for awhile.

Zach Johnson is the biggest "get" for PXG, as the reigning British Open Champion leaves Titleist behind for the upstart company. Billy Horschel (Ping), Chris Kirk (Callaway), Charles Howell III (Mizuno), and James Hahn (TaylorMade) round out the list on the PGA Tour circuit. Ryan Moore has already been an established PXG gamer.

Three LPGA Tour players also signed with PXG, including Christie Kerr (Titleist), Gerina Piller (Adams) and Alison Lee (Ping). Beatriz Recari, Sadena Parks and Anna Rawson have also played the brand prior to January.

Nike Golf also made some moves over the past few weeks to sign up-and-comers Brooks Koepka (Titleist) and Tony Finau (Callaway). As Tony Covey at MyGolfSpy.com correctly points out, both Koepka and Finau fit the new "bold mold" that Nike is working hard to establish with its staff players in the post-Tiger era.

Nike also swooshed up (get it?) amateur players Denny McCarthy, Cheng-Tsung Pan and Ashley Chesters (who apparently isn't a porn actress, believe it or not). The Euro Tour's Tom Lewis and Lucas Bjerregaard also penned deals with The Swoosh.

(Photo credit PGATour.com)