Tour
A traditional and family-run company, Mizuno has always preferred to invest in product rather than marketing and sponsorship - and it is this commitment to the quality of their clubs that has attracted many of golf's biggest names. Multiple major winners past and present have either peaked or broken through with Mizuno.
Mizuno's reputation for quality was forged from the moment it began exporting clubs to Europe in the late 1970s. At that time irons were forged from a single mould and would emerge rough-and-ready and in need of plenty of hand grinding - a process that created inconsistency. A tour pro would need to order around 10 sets to find nine irons he was happy using. But Mizuno's double forging process, which used two moulds, was very precise and needed only minimum hand grinding. Consistency was much greater.
In an era where the public are increasingly aware of the workings of media and sponsorship, Mizuno's approach has created a reputation that outlasts any individual player. Tour Operations Manager Andy Kikidas, "Mizuno's standard equipment is of a quality that tour players are able to use it straight out of the box.
"That makes us a great choice for young players coming through the ranks and big names in-between equipment contracts. These are the players whose equipment choices really count. Last year we had 3 previous Major winners and a multiple winner of the European Order of Merit winner active with our irons on tour. Not one of them was paid. It's rumored one of them bought his set of MP irons at a local shop."
In addition to its agreement to run the European Tour's official workshop until 2024 Mizuno will always keep an up and coming team of players to represent its brand on tour. Brian Gay, Daniel Vancsik, Jonthan Byrd, Jeff Overton, Luke Donald and Stacy Lewis all have their best years to come.
"Luke Donald is an ideal ambassador for us - a precise shotmaker. He played our irons at college - when he signed with Mizuno as a professional he was already sold on the equipment. If he ever left us, he could walk down to his pro shop and order an identical set".
It's an approach that may lack razzmatazz or a high tour profile, but one that ensures the next generation will be treading in the footsteps of legends.