Rory McIlroy’s multi-million dollar signing with Nike has come at a price for Scotland’s Marc Warren.

The expectant father has been with Nike for a decade but was dumped at the end of 2012. 

Fortunately, Warren has managed to sign a 12-club deal with fellow equipment giant, Callaway that will see the double European Tour winner now join fellow Scots Colin Montgomerie and David Drysdale in the Callaway stable of players. 

He said:  “It’s exciting times. I was with Nike for 10 years, and this is the first time as a pro I’ve used other equipment. 

“I used Callaway as an amateur for a while and the first driver I ever had was a Callaway an 11-degree Warbird driver with a regular shaft, so I’ve got a bit of history I suppose there. 

“Of all the stuff that I tested after the World Championship in Dubai last year Callaway, for me, was the best, so it was a pretty easy decision. 

“Mainly it was the ball for me I wanted to get right. Because all companies make good stuff now. The new Callaway drivers looked really good, and I knew I wasn’t going to have a problem there. It was just the ball that was going to be right for me, and the balls I tested Callaway ones were the best.” 

And in a big plus Warren, who wife Laura is expecting the couple’s first child in two months, can add sponsors logos to his attire unlike Nike’s ‘clean cut’ no other sponsor policy as now evident with McIlroy. 

Warren said:  “I’ve now got Farm Fresh as a logo and with Nike you were not allowed.” 

And the biggest winners in Warren’s move to Callaway is his close mates who have benefitted of 10 years of Nike clothing the Scot has accumulated. 

Warren is among a big field of 12 Scots, including Volvo Champions runner-up Scott Jamieson, contesting this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.