Tiger Woods and Nike parted ways after 27 years of sponsorship

Tiger Woods announced that its sponsorship agreement with Nike ended, as reported by the golfer himself on his social networks, putting an end to almost three decades of relationship with this sports brand of which it became one of its main standards.

“More than 27 years ago, I was fortunate to enter into a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world. The days since then have been filled with so many incredible moments and memories that if I started naming them, there would be no end. The passion and vision of Phil Knight – former CEO of Nike – led to this partnership with Nike and Nike Golf and I want to personally thank him, along with the employees and the incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with over the years. this path. People will wonder if there is another chapter. Yes, there will surely be another chapter. “See you in Los Angeles!” wrote Woods. on their social networks.

Woods did not provide details on any new sponsors, but hinted at revealing “another chapter” in the Genesis Invitational, which will be held from February 15 to 18 of next month at Riviera Country Club, in Los Angeles.

Woods and Nike became synonymous throughout the American’s career, from the moment he announced his professional debut in August 1996 with an acclaimed advertising campaign in which he declared simply: “Hello world.”

At first, the association of woods with Nike was limited to clothing, but the sporting goods giant later moved into making balls and clubs, partly fueled by Woods’ success in broadening golf’s global appeal.

Tiger Woods’ earnings from his partnership with Nike

That year, Woods signed a five-year, $40 million contract with Nike. At the end, Tiger signed for another five years, but this time he did it for 100 million. In 2005, Woods signed a third contract worth about $20 million annually for the next five years. Over 27 years, Tiger Woods could have earned more than $500 million just from being the face of Nike’s golf division.

Nike had words of praise for Woods, with a post on Instagram titled: “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.” over a photo of the player wearing his characteristic Nike ‘Sunday red’ t-shirt. “Tiger, you challenged your competition, the stereotypes, the conventions, the old school way of thinking,” Nike said in the post. “You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And, above all, yourself. And for that challenge we are grateful to you.”

In another statement, Nike said Woods “he broke barriers for the entire sport”. “We watched him set records, challenge conventional thinking and inspire generations of people around the world,” Nike said.

The company supported him throughout his career, especially in 2009, when it was affected by the sex scandal that destroyed his image. While other sponsors walked away, Nike stood firm. Woods, in turn, reciprocated that loyalty even after Nike exited the golf equipment business in 2016, continuing to wear the brand’s apparel.

However, signs that the association was coming to an end began to emerge after the terrible car accident of woods in California in 2021, which left him with serious injuries and almost led to the amputation of his right leg.

The end of the relationship between woods and Nike He was venturing out a month ago when, during the PNC Championship press conference, the American golfer was questioned about his future with the brand and responded, on two occasions, with a brief: “I still use their products.”