Grant Horvat, YouTube golf star, signs equity deal with Takomo Golf

Walk into your local golf pro shop or retail outlet and you will see clubs from brands like Callaway, Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist gleaming on the walls, but you won't see gear made by Takomo Golf, but the Finnish equipment maker that also has offices in Dallas, Texas, may have just signed the most-coveted golfer of the off-season, YouTube star Grant Horvat.

On Friday, Horvat and Takomo jointly announced that the 26-year-old, who played collegiately at Palm Beach Atlantic University for four years, is now an equity holder in the direct-to-consumer golf equipment company.

Horvat signed an endorsement and content creation deal with TaylorMade two years ago and stated that he would continue to use the brand's drivers, fairway woods and golf balls. However, he is expected to now use Takomo's irons, wedges and putters. Horvat also has a golf apparel deal with Primo Golf and a footwear deal with OluKai.

Takomo Golf has taken an untraditional path to growing its business. Instead of working with PGA Tour or LPGA Tour golfers, building distribution channels and hiring networks of sales reps, the company sells its clubs directly to golfers online. It also sells clubs at prices below what golfers pay in stores for gear from established brands. A seven-club set of Takomo's hollow-body, game-improvement clubs, the 101 irons, lists for $489 on the company's website. A set of the brand's better-player irons, the 301 CB or 301 MB, is $649. It's Ignis driver is $359.

Targeting younger players and new golfers who don't have established relationships or ideas about established brands, but who are social media savvy, Takomo also relies on reviews from YouTube and social media stars to help get the word out about its equipment. Rick Sheils, James Robinson, and others have created content about Takomo that has generated hundreds of thousands of views.

That's why signing Grant Horvat makes sense. PGA Tour and LPGA Tour stars are golfers who play on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but Horvat has nearly a million subscribers to his YouTube channel and they can watch him play 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And they do. Whether it's a one-on-one match against Phil Mickelson, a collaboration with other YouTube creators like Bob Does Sports or making content with stars like Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Horvat's videos draw hundreds of thousands of views in hours, often topping a million views.

The exposure Horvat can bring to Takomo and the legitimacy his swing and game can bring to the clubs is equal to (or greater than) the value of nearly any professional golfer. So, for a brand that doesn't have a tour staff, inking a deal with Horvat is a smart next step for its business.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Grant Horvat signs deal with Takomo Golf