Tour Pro Becomes Latest To Leave Nike Golf As Malbon Snaps Up Another Player

Malbon Golf has snapped up another Nike player after former teen prodigy Ryan Ruffels inked a deal with the lifestyle brand.

Earlier in the season, 13-time PGA Tour winner Jason Day brought an end to his seven-year association with Nike when announcing he had signed an ambassadorial deal with Malbon ahead of The Sentry.

And the clothing-wear company has now poached another Nike player after Ruffels announced he was signing with the company.

"Things about to look a little different in 2024 @malbongolf," the 25-year-old captioned a post on Instagram as he posed alongside Day and company founder Stephen Malbon to announce the deal.

Ruffels, who enjoyed a stellar amateur career which saw him win the 2014 Junior World Golf Championships, has not teed it up in competition this year. The Australian predominantly competed on the Challenge Tour in 2023, with his best result a T19 finish at the Andalucía Challenge de Cádiz.

The brother of LPGA Tour player Gabi Ruffels, the 25-year-old attended the LIV Golf Promotions Event in December but failed to make it past the first stage. He also has his own YouTube channel and has recently appeared in a number of videos alongside Rick Shiels.

Day and Ruffels are not the only names to leave Nike in the new year, with LIV's Matthew Wolff and former Ryder Cup star Francesco Molinari also ending their deals.

Most notable, though, was Tiger Woods, who ended his iconic 27-year partnership with the brand in January. The 15-time Major champion has recently announced the launch of his new clothing brand, Sun Day Red, in partnership with TaylorMade.

Nike, however, still has high-profile deals in place with Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Tommy Fleetwood and Nelly Korda and recently announced the signing of DP World Tour player Guido Migliozzi.

Another big name to join Malbon Golf recently was multiple LPGA Tour winner and Solheim Cup star Charley Hull.