Justin Rose Leaving TaylorMade For.... Honma? Says "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire"

Golf Channel — Despite moving within striking distance of Francesco Molinari for the European Tour’s Race to Dubai title with his win in Turkey, Rose isn’t playing this week’s Nedbank World Challenge or the European Tour season finale in Dubai. When asked about that decision by reporters after his win Sunday, the Englishman remained somewhat vague.

“I don’t really know how to answer that one,” Rose said. “It might become apparent next year, but there are things that I need to kind of get figured out.”

Those “things” apparently include adjusting to new equipment, as multiple reports indicate that Rose is expected to swap his TaylorMade gear for that of Japanese manufacturer Honma beginning in 2019. When probed further by reporters in Turkey about a possible switch, Rose reportedly offered a coy reply: “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.”

Pretty wild move from Justin Rose. He’s currently 3rd in the Euro Tour’s Race To Dubai… yet he’s skipping the final two events because he’s switching equipment companies? And he’s switching equipment companies now? Right now? In the midst of becoming no. 1 in the world, winning the FedEx Cup, sitting 3rd in the Race To Dubai, and having posted the following level of consistency over the last year…

…he’s just switching companies? What the hell?

Honma must be paying him a goddamn FORTUNE. They must be giving him control of Japan or something. Giving him his own Japanese island. It’s not like TaylorMade is some slouch in the endorsement game. Right now they’ve got Rose, DJ, Day, Rory and Tiger. Yet Rose is skipping the final two events of the Euro Tour — right after he reaches no. 1 in the world — to change over to Honma? Fucking Honma!?

What a weird thing.

PS — Gold irons? Of course they make gold irons.