Although golf doesn’t have professional teams outside of the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup competitions, we still have our own version of draft day, signing day, and free agency as players move not from teams but from equipment companies. These changes not only bring with them a gluttony of testing, switching, and conversation around performance but also a close examination of a player’s game pre-, and post-switch.

Heading into 2021, the list of unsigned and rumored to be signed players has never been bigger.

These are top free agents heading into the new year.

Jason Day & Jon Rahm

Jason and Jon were noticeably absent from this year’s TaylorMade Christmas card, while the newest staff player Tommy Fleetwood was included right next to Rory and Tiger. As we covered for PGATour.com, both Day and Rahm have been TaylorMade staff players for their entire careers with Jason’s tenure going back to 2006.

It has been rumored that Rahm has been spotted extensively testing Callaway equipment, and considering his ties to Phil Mickelson—Phil’s brother was Jon’s first professional agent—this is the most likely scenario. As for Jason, considering his career earnings and inconsistent health in recent years, it is most likely he will do what a lot of players have done recently and become an equipment free agent and have some sort of golf bag and hat deal outside of the equipment world.

Justin Rose

Justin Rose has had an interesting couple of years when it comes to his equipment. He switched to Honma going into 2019 and won right out of the gate. He then struggled with swing issues, and in early 2020, he and Honma split and Rose was an unrestricted free agent filling his bag with whatever he felt suited him best (Justin Rose 2020 WITB).

With his valuable portfolio of sponsors outside of the equipment world, the likelihood he will sign a full club deal with another equipment manufacturer is unlikely, but it doesn’t make it impossible, which is why it will be something to watch in 2021.

The “unlikely to sign” list

Brooks Koepka – Brooks has made it well known that his time is his time and considering the fact that even now, after four major wins, he has yet to sign an equipment contract puts to rest the possibility he will ever be tied down to a single OEM for clubs.

Paul Casey – Much like Brooks, Paul Casey has had the luxury of using whatever clubs he sees fit since Nike left the hard goods space, and with his global playing schedule and name recognition, you would think by this point he would have signed a deal. But when you have a good thing going, why change, and I think that’s the approach Paul is sticking with.

Ryan Palmer – Ryan in a way embodies everything that is what we at GolfWRX love. He is known to tinker when new gear is released, but still maintains his love for great clubs )Ryan Palmer 2020 WITB). After famously saying in an interview “With the amount of money we play for (on the PGATour) why would I risk using something I don’t 100% feel confident in?” we expect that the status quo will continue, which still makes it a lot of fun to watch!

Billy Horschel – Billy was one of the first players to sign with (at the time) equipment upstart PXG, but for 2020 he joined the ranks of other equipment free agents on tour (Billy Horschel 2020 WITB). Once again, like other veteran players on this list, Billy has done very well with career earning including a FedEx Cup win, so he is likely to stay the course and play what he wants for 2021, but stranger things have happened and he will be a player to follow.