Max Homa Believes His Future Fit is with COBRA PUMA.

Max Homa has left Titleist for COBRA, which is interesting, I suppose, if only because it has been a while since a PGA Tour player changing equipment brands was the least bit noteworthy. We’d probably have to go back to John Rahm leaving TaylorMade for Callaway to find anything consequential.

The fact is that the market has changed. You can chalk that up to changing philosophies around the best way to maximize the value of Tour staff and the rise of LIV, which, regardless of how you feel about the league, is inarguably low value in terms of eyeballs and, ultimately, sponsorship ROI.

And that brings us to this week’s announcement.

Max Homa has signed with COBRA PUMA Golf.

Homa is currently ranked 41^st in the world, but it wasn’t that long ago that he was a Top 10 player. With both Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas struggling (and all due respect to Wyndham Clark), Homa has arguably been Titleist’s most marketable asset. He brings more personality to the table than your average Tour professional and has a strong social media following, which likely explains why COBRA was willing to make its biggest investment since Bryson.

Hopefully this turns out better.

Pro tip, Max, avoid phrases like the driver sucks.

According to the press release, Homa will play a full bag of COBRA clubs, though it appears he has TaylorMade fairway woods in the bag this week. Adjustment periods are common with new equipment deals, so we probably shouldn’t make too much of that. Homa will also wear PUMA shoes, though his new apparel deal is with lululemon.

COBRA needed a guy

COBRA boasts a sizeable staff of 30 professionals. The fine print here reads across worldwide tours, and when you consider that Homa joins a COBRA Top 5 that includes Rickie Fowler, the semi-retired Lexi Thompson, Gary Woodland, and Jason Duffner, it’s fair to say COBRA needed more star power.

The timing certainly feels right. With the combination of 3D printing and the new FutureFit33 hosel on its DS-ADAPT metalwoods, COBRA feels like it’s sitting on a pair of game changing technologies. It seems not the least bit coincidental that Homa’s first official quote as a COBRA staffer mentions both.

“I am super excited to join the COBRA PUMA GOLF team. Gear that’s on the cutting edge of technology and the most comfortable shoes in the game are a great combination for any player. Throughout the testing process with the COBRA Tour and R&D team, I was incredibly impressed with the performance of the clubs, and I think they will truly give me a competitive advantage. I love the look, sound and feel of the new DS-Adapt driver, and the new FutureFit33 hosel is a gamer changer in terms of fine-tuning performance. And what the COBRA team was able to do with my personal set of 3D Printed irons absolutely blew my mind. The COBRA PUMA GOLF brands are undoubtedly a natural fit for my game, style, and personality and I’m looking forward to a long-term relationship that will be fun and exciting for years to come.” – Max Homa

DS-ADAPT ✅
FutureFit33 ✅
3D Printed irons ✅

Nailed it.

The bigger picture

Take the quote for what it is (part and parcel for this kind of thing) and while access to COBRA’s tech comes with the deal, we can safely assume that like most contracts, this one has quite a bit to do with the money.

For Titleist it’s a numbers game. That is to say, it’s not so much about who as it is how many, and while losing Homa will likely sting for a bit, breaking the bank for any single player has never been part of the company’s approach.

Homa isn’t the first to leave for greener pastures.

For COBRA, it’s easy to make the case that it desperately needed to spend and maybe overspend on Tour staff. The company has been one of the most innovative in golf over the last decade and the clubs perform. It doesn’t lack for products, the missing piece is awareness. With that in mind, Max Homa, with his ability to raise awareness of 3D Printing, FutureFit33 and anything else COBRA brings to the table, seems like an ideal fit for a brand that has struggled to capture its share of attention in recent years.

It’s too early to say how this will work out, but it sure makes sense right now.

Have your say

What do you think? Is this a smart play for COBRA? Does the move make sense for Max Homa?