Former TaylorMade CEO joins Honma Golf as consultant
Mark King heads back to the golf equipment business with Honma Golf.
Former TaylorMade CEO Mark King is heading back into the golf equipment business with high-end manufacturer Honma Golf.
King, who spent some 30 years with TaylorMade, will now reportedly be at the helm of Honma Golf's strategy and direct and expansion into North America.
"He’s in charge," a former Honma employee told Golf Digest. "It’s been in the works for awhile. Mark’s taking over everything."
King announced he was stepping down from his role as president of Adidas North America in April, telling Digest he didn’t intend to return to the equipment business, but he was so impressed with Honma’s operation, he was eager to be involved.
"I was ready to retire, I wasn’t really looking to do anything," said King.
"But as this was presented to me by Chairman Liu, I could see he has big plans and a big vision. I really found it exciting because it is not TaylorMade or Callaway or Cobra or Titleist or Ping. This is a much different brand with very different price points and a fascinating story when it comes to technology and craftsmanship. This is a totally different experience."
According to reports, Honma is planning a major launch for January 2019 and plans to have stronger presence on Tour than it currently does.
