One would fight back a tear. At least if at some point in his life he paid tribute or cheered or just occasionally watched the most beautiful sport — golf. Tiger Woods is no longer associated with the Nike brand.
The umbilical cord was cut, at least publicly, when Woods announced on Instagram that the partnership was ending. It lasted a respectable 27 years, and to say that one episode ended with its ending would be an understatement. An era has literally ended.
An era in which Tiger Woods won fifteen majors. An era during which tournament Sunday (final round) meant a red polo with the Nike logo. The era from which comes perhaps the most legendary sports ad-like moment – the incredible putt on Augusta National’s 16th hole in the 2005 Masters.
This is what every athlete’s brand’s dream come true.
Of course, the collaboration was not only iconic, but also extremely lucrative. Tiger Woods signed his first contract with Nike in 1996. He was five years old and worth $40 million, which was a record at the time.
He then renewed it several times to sign a ten-year contract in 2013, earning around $200 million over the years and millions more in additional deals. In total, according to estimates, it was worth half a billion dollars and at the same time one of the most valuable partnerships in sports history.
«For more than 27 years, we’ve had the honor of being partners with Tiger Woods, one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen,» Nike said.
That it was not just any sponsorship is evidenced by the words of Tiger Woods from his Instagram, where he explicitly expressed his gratitude to Nike founder Phil Knight and his employees. At the same time, he attached a photo with his mother and Knight to the announcement.
The deal was understandably beneficial for both parties, because the sale of clothing, accessories and golf equipment with Tiger Woods’ stamp generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Nike annually. Sports fans on the green will remember Nike caps with the TW logo, balls and Nike Victory Red golf clubs.This era, no doubt opening a box of nostalgia for some, ended in 2016, however, when Nike decided to stop making golf equipment. The development of the business relatively copied the development of Tiger Woods’ career, which was damaged first by a scandal in his personal life in 2009 and a subsequent series of injuries.
In April 2014, Tiger Woods announced that he would miss the Augusta Masters for the first time in his professional career due to health issues.What followed was a silent period of several years, lined primarily with surgeries and disappointments, with the notable exception of a runner-up finish at the 2018 PGA Championship, only for Tiger Woods to return in full force to win the Masters and his fifteenth major in monumental fashion in 2019. This time with Taylor Made clubs, but still wearing Nike.
Since then, rather than sporting success, Tiger Woods has once again had health complications, but loyal fans still believe that he will see great things. Something the golfer already outlined in that post on Instagram: “There will definitely be another chapter. See you in LA!”
7. 27.03.2024
