Word: golfed
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...this sounds like the sort of obsessive behavior to which the ordinary duffer can relate, that's because Harrington is the patron saint of duffers. In his twenties, at an age when Tiger Woods was shattering records, Harrington was training to become an accountant on the assumption that professional golf was too difficult to crack. Between his first professional victory, in 1996, and his second four years later, he recorded nine runner-up finishes, and spent most of his early years on tour being chided for his plodding style and slow play. But Harrington has always had one great skill...
Sporting geniuses such as Tiger Woods have an intuitive, almost artistic feel for golf; Harrington belongs to a breed of amateur scientists who use an agonizing process of trial and error to master their craft. "Padraig is the hardest worker I've ever coached, and the most curious," says Bob Torrance, Harrington's 77-year-old swing guru. "[Former great Ben] Hogan was similar, both struggled early in their career. Both learned long and hard, and both became great...
...golf stop the slump? Polegato insists that his customers have asked that GEOX create a comfy golf shoe. "Golf is a perfect environment for GEOX technology," he says. "You walk long hours, often on a damp surface, and in warm if not hot climates. Why suffer with your feet? In the third millennium, it is impossible that people still suffer from such a basic problem as sweaty, smelly feet." Right on, Mario. The problem for GEOX, however, is that the world's economy may stink even worse...
...have golf shoes proven recession resistant? For one, all that walking around in the grass (and for many, the sand) really wears down your spikes. "Golf is very hard on shoes," says Matt Powell, an analyst at SportsOneSource. "Grass creeps in them, they get wet, and they can even get moldy. It's easier to play in an old golf shirt than play in old, rotten shoes." While you can send weary brown shoes to the repair shop, it's harder to fix up a pair of sneakers. Plus, consumers might be trading down from expensive golf equipment to shoes...
Despite this favorable environment for golf shoes, GEOX's success is no gimme. First, the shoes are expensive, ranging from $160-200. Some golf shoes in the market cost even more, but that's still a steep price during down times. Plus, golf is a crowded marketplace; in the U.S., for example, Nike owns 56% of the market. With Tiger Woods returning to the course, in his usual Swoosh-clad clothes, an upstart like GEOX is unlikely to make a serious dent. "It's not like the industry is crying out for a new brand or a new idea," says...