Thu Aug 27, 2009 10:56 pm EDT
What would it take for you to wear top-tier golf clothing and play with top-of-the-line equipment? Would you don somebody's logo if they gave you a few free shirts? How about if they offered you, oh, three hundred grand?
If it was me, I'd've sold out at the free shirts. But Ryan Moore, winner of this past weekend's Wyndham Championship? He goes logoless to every match, preferring to wear his own gear. It's a mix-and-match collection of various brands, all of which Moore bought himself. As Golf.com notes, here's what he's leaving on the table each year, broken down by equipment:
Hat: $200,000
Chest logo: $50,000
Golf bag: $50,000
Ouch. That's a lot to stand on principle, but that's exactly what Moore is doing. As he said in January, this isn't about some anti-sponsorship tilt, it's about focusing on golf itself: "I pick a club because I want to play, not because I have to make it work. To me, there is a lot of comfort and a lot of confidence in that," Moore said. "Everything you see me wearing, I paid for."
Well, maybe it's a little anti-sponsorship: "He doesn't want to be a billboard," Moore's brother/manager Jeremy told MSNBC's Darren Rovell. "He doesn't want to look like a NASCAR driver with logos everywhere. Ryan is a unique person and he wants to do his own thing."
Rovell summed up a lot of people's confusion: "The sports marketing world is not used to this -- someone who is seemingly untouchable because they are almost not part of the capitalistic society. The only parallel I can think of in the golf world is the Masters, where Augusta National doesn't care about making the most money they can make."
Somebody who's into golf rather than the money. First question: will wonders never cease? Second question: would you do it?
Rebel without a brand [Golf.com]
Less is more for Moore, but for how long? [Sports Biz]
Ryan Moore is enjoying (sponsor-free) golf more than ever [FanHouse]
____
For more daily golf news, info and other strangeness, click here to bookmark Devil Ball and follow us on Twitter.
Popular stories across the Yahoo! network:
• ‘The Office’ star gets engaged to celebrity actress
• 7 expenses that could be keeping you in debt
• See what ‘Blossom’ star looks like now
Devil Ball is a golf blog edited by Jay Busbee. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Posted Nov 20 2009
Posted Nov 16 2009
Posted Nov 16 2009
Edited by MJD
Edited by 'Duk
Edited by J.E. Skeets
Edited by Greg Wyshynski
Edited by Matt Hinton
Edited by E. Brennan
Edited by Jay Busbee
Edited by Jay Busbee
Edited by Steve Cofield
Edited by Chris Chase
Edited by Chris Chase
Edited by Andy Behrens
614 Comments
1 - 24 of 614
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Seriously though.....much as I purely love the game, I don't think I'd turn down the chance to make a few...hundred ...thousand dollars on top of it. : ) Good luck to him, though.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Like Ryan's style.He would fit on any public course.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
And that hat?
The comparison to Augusta is baloney. Apples to oranges. Maybe if he won more, I'd pay attention
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Some of us prefer not to be owned by others.
Way to go, Ryan.
Report Abuse
the man has won a lot of money so he is all ready happy.
haha and scroll up n read # 18 by will S
haha u dont know anything your assuming ....H A T E R
1 - 24 of 614