For anyone who knows me, this neatly brings together two of my favourite things: sport and IP.
Back in the day, I was a pretty decent chess player (and yes, chess is a sport), so I can really relate to this. Once you develop that mindset, the pursuit of marginal gains, constant iteration, always looking for an edge - it never really leaves you.
Which is why I love this story about Bryson DeChambeau. Rather than going down the usual sponsorship route, he’s taken ownership of the innovation itself, and went a step further by actually designing and manufacturing his own golf clubs. This isn’t a superficial brand collaboration, it’s deep technical problem-solving, backed by serious R&D.
It was particularly interesting to see some of that innovation taking shape during his time in my home country of South Africa. It's a reminder of how global (and often unexpected) the innovation pipeline in sport can be.
Unashamed IP plug: I really hope he’s got the IP protection covered, especially when it comes to trade marks. When athletes, founders or sports-tech start-ups go this far into product development, getting the IP strategy right from the beginning is essential.
P.s if you haven't already, don't forget to sign up to our M&C Sport & Sportstech Summit 2026 here.