Mckayson, signs World #1 Lydia Ko to 3 year sponsorship deal

Mckayson, the newly launched golfwear brand of MCS Sports Co., Ltd inked a sponsorship deal with the world number one female golfer Lydia Ko at MCS Holdings Inc.(parent company of MCS Sports Co., Ltd) headquarter showroom.

The initial term of the sponsorship will be 3 years starting from 2017 through 2019, giving Mckayson the right to use Lydia Ko’s name and likeness in their advertising, brand product, and logo.

The focal point of this signing is that Lydia Ko will take a direct role in developing her new golf apparel line.  The ‘Mckayson LK line’ will reflect Lydia Ko’s thoughts and knowhow on tour and is expected to bring a breath of fresh air in the golf apparel market. 

Lydia Ko commented after the signing “I’m so happy to be here at this special occasion, and i want to thank you all for your continued support.  It’s only been four years since I became a professional and to be able to have my own apparel line at this time in my career is a tremendous honor and I hope this relationship will last for a long time”.

MC Kim, the chairman of MCS Holdings Inc. commented “Mckayson was formed with purpose of building a global brand beyond the local Korean market and we are putting a lot of effort as we speak to compete in the global market”.  “We are fortunate that the opportunity to title sponsor the LPGA’s Mckayson New Zealand Women’s Open came to us but foremost, we are very honored to be able to sponsor the world number one golfer Lydia Ko”

MC Kim affirmed “We are taking on the heavy responsibility of being THE brand worn by the world number 1 golfer but at the same time we will do our best to push Mckayson to become a global brand”.

In order to develop the Mckayson LK line, MC Sports signed a strategic partnership deal with the two leading textile companies in Korea: Samil Spinning Co. Ltd.(CEO Hyun Ho Noh), and Selim High Tech (CEO Chang Su Han).  With the signing of the MOU, Samil Spinning Co. Ltd will focus on developing and supplying the raw garment while Selim High Tech will focus in development and investment in final production of knit garment and direct dying process.

After the signing ceremony, Lydia and Mckayson’s designers exchanged ideas about the colors and styles she prefers based on her tour experience.  Mckayson is targeting on launching its brand in North America, Oceania, and Asia as well as launching Lydia’s LK line around the same time.  Lydia will be debuting the Mckayson LK line at her first tournament of the 2017 LPGA season at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, and communicating her feedback on her apparel back to the Mckayson designers so they can put the finishing touches in completing the LK line.

Below is the interview of Mckayson’s new spokesperson, Lydia Ko:

– How do you feel about the new partnership with Mckayson?

– “I’m so happy to be here in such special occasion, and i want to thank you all for your constant support.  It’s only been four years since I became a professional and to be able to have my own apparel line is a tremendous honor and I hope this relationship will last for a long time”..

– Mckayson will be title sponsoring the 2017 Mckayson New Zealand Women’s Open.

-Yes, that’s right. I’m so grateful that Mr. Kim who runs his company in Korea has shown so much interest in a tournament in New Zealand and I’m sure that all those involved with the tournament share the same feeling.  Mckayson is not a New Zealand company but a Korean company with a global mind and I’m very appreciative that such a global company has shown interest, not only in me but also with the tournament.  When I go to play the Evian Championship, I feel good not because it’s a major tournament but because it’s a tournament sponsored by my sponsor and in the same way, I feel more affection towards the McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open because it’s also my sponsor’s tournament and where my friends are.

– Although the name hasn’t been finalized yet but the ‘Mckayson LK line’ will be launching soon and that you’ll be involved with the designing input.

-The shirt with the V line that I wore today was designed by my sister applying my tastes and preferences.  I don’t tend to wear flashy type of clothing so I told her I liked simple design with a bit of point and stripes.  Even if the design is pretty but the color is not, then consumers will have second thoughts about purchasing.  These are some of the things which I plan to discuss with the design team at Mckayson so that my ideas are reflected in the designing of my line and hopefully turn it into something that everyone can relate to.

I’m the kind of a person that sticks to one thing if I like it.  For clothing, I like teal or coral colors.  You’ll know what I mean if you look back at what I wore during tournaments.  There are many different color tones within the same color and I think it would be good to bring that out in designing.  I normally like to wear comfy clothes like trainers or jeans but when I’m in front of crowds, I need to be conscious of what I wear and I try to look my best.

– Your plans and schedule when you’re back in the US?

– I won’t be playing the season opener in Bahamas.  The ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in February will be my first tournament.  I plan to train back home in Orlando.  I’d like to work on some things I feel like I lacked last year.  I’ve made a few changes in many areas including my apparel and my plan is to adapt to the new changes as quick as possible.  That’s why I’ll be skipping the season opener in Bahamas.  I want to be ready to start my first tournament with confidence.

-What will you work on in detail?

-I want to increase my driving accuracy.  I realized that on tour there’s a big difference depending on if your tee shot falls in the fairway or rough.  Since the greens on the tour are becoming faster it’s important to hit the ball far but what’s more important is putting myself in a position to hit the second shots from the fairway.  If I’m able to increase my driving accuracy, my greens in regulation percentage goes up as well and that helps to keep me away from situations when I have to hit approach shots around the greens to save par.  Regardless I spend a lot of time practicing on my short game and I plan continue to that to keep my feel for the short game at the level I want it to be.

-Will you be making changes to your swing?

-Not really. The basic form will stay the same. It’s not like I’ll be taking apart everything about my swing but try to find a way to make minor changes to allow my swing to be a little bit more stable.