Ernie Els Signs with Adams Golf

Four-time major winner Ernie Els has signed a multi-year sponsorship contract with Adams Golf, according to a statement released from the company today.

Els, who has 70 tournament victories worldwide, was previously a staff player under the TaylorMade and Callaway brands. The Adams Golf name will appear on Els' golf bag, on his headwear and likely on his equipment.

"As a player, there are many factors in something as fundamentally important as your equipment. Everything about Adams impresses me, starting with the enthusiasm and energy from company leadership and R&D, along with their strong products,” Els explained in the statement. “I’m partnered with a company where innovation is at the heart of everything they do, where they’re always looking to push the envelope and pursue new ideas that ultimately help players of all skill levels play better."

From a marketing standpoint, this move makes a ton of sense. Adams Golf was recently acquired by TaylorMade Golf in 2012, instantly becoming a secondary equipment option under the company umbrella. Over the years Adams has shifted their focus to creating easy-to-hit clubs for players of any caliber. Ernie Els has long been nicknamed "The Big Easy", who will now play the easiest clubs to hit.

How convenient!

Gear Review: 2013 Adams Tight Lies

It's baaaaack! The Adams Tight Lies -- the fairway wood that changed the way the game was played for professional and amateur golfers alike -- is back with a new look for a whole new generation of golfers. Designed with new clubhead technology, the 2013 version of the Tight Lies will still help you get the ball up and into the air from virtually any lie on the course, including heavy rough, sand and from divots in the fairway.

According to the company website, the reboot of the Tight Lies is sure to pick up where the original design left off 18 years ago.

The new Tight Lies will revolutionize the game just as the original did. The playability from every type of lie, and the ease at which golfers can get the ball in the air makes Tight Lies the perfect club to hit those long par-4's and par-5's. For the first time in a long time, golfers will love hitting a fairway wood again.

I had the chance to try out the new Tight Lies design thanks to the good folks at Adams Golf and was incredibly impressed. Not only was I able to hit the golf ball from any lie, but I hit the ball farther than my current Callaway X Hot club. That's not an easy thing to do for me since I already hit that 3-wood over 240 yards.

The Adams Tight Lies retails for $199.99 and will be available on August 15 in 16 degrees of loft.