Tiger Woods said Monday that his sponsorship relationship with Nike has ended, bringing to a close a 27-year partnership that teamed golf’s and the sports world’s biggest athlete with the biggest athletic brand.
The partnership began when Woods turned pro at the age of 20. For Nike, it was perhaps the most prominent teaming with an athlete apart from the company’s even longer association with Michael Jordan.
In exchange for the roughly $500 million it paid to Woods, Nike benefited from billions in sales of its golf apparel and gear. The swoosh-emblazoned red shirt and black cap that Woods wore during climactic Sunday rounds of dozens of championships gave Nike untold extra ad impressions.
The partnership faced a major test in 2009 when a flurry of reports about Woods seeing women other than his then-wife, Elle, put the golfer under a harsh spotlight. While AT&T and others bailed and Woods was said to have lost hundreds of millions, Nike stood by him. The company later reaped rewards when Woods returned to form, winning the Masters and becoming a top sports personality as the issues from 2009 faded.
Woods gave no reason for the move in a post on social media today but hinted at “another chapter.”
“Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” he said. “The days since have been filled with so many amazing moments and memories, if I started naming them, I could go on forever. Phil Knight’s passion and vision brought this Nike and Nike Golf partnership together and I want to personally thank him, along with the Nike employees and incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with along the way. People will ask if there is another chapter. Yes, there will certainly be another chapter. See you in LA!”
Woods has not played regularly on the PGA Tour since 2019 because of injuries and several back surgeries, but has played even less after severely injuring his leg and ankle in a 2021 rollover car crash on the winding roads around Rancho Palos Verdes, where he was hosting the PGA stop at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country.
Over the course of his career, Woods has won 82 PGA events, which ties him with Sam Snead for the most ever; wearing that red Nike shirt on Sundays meant he had another victory in his sights, helping TV ratings skyrocket when he was in that week’s field.
His 15 majors is second all time to Jack Nicklaus.
Patrick Hipes contributed to this report.
