Tiger Woods has been sponsored by Nike for the last 26 years of his career. This is the longest brand and athlete partnership we have ever seen. Earlier this month, Woods was spotted hitting a few shots, and TW Legions shared it, which again aggravated the rumors of his probable departure from Nike.
Amidst the year-old debate about whether he has broken up with the sports apparel brand, we decided to get to the bottom of the matter and did in-depth research.
Tiger Woods sports FootJoy instead of Nike
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Tiger Woods is not only a successful golfer but also a smart entrepreneur. The legend added himself to the world’s billionaires list last year. In his 27-year career, Nike has profited immensely. Nike and Woods have signed four contracts and Woods has made $340 million from them over the years, as per reports.
The contract was extended in 2013 but the period or money was not disclosed. Woods has been frequenting the course after his plantar fasciitis surgery. Recently, he was spotted wearing FootJoy again, giving rise to a lot of speculation. During the Masters earlier this year and last year, he had done the same.
Last year, Nike released a statement clearing everything and saying that they’re still in contract with Woods. Tiger too confirmed in a press conference that they’re preparing for something and it will be out soon. However, insider sources reported that Woods has been using his shoe dilemma as an advantage to extend the deal, but these are just opinions and rumors.
And there has not been a single word uttered by either party over a possible split. Woods still wears Nike apparel but for shoe choice, he stays with FootJoy. This might be just a matter of comfort, as he had ankle surgery, but there is no surety.
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Nike missed from Woods’ sponsors list
On further research, we found that Woods’s Forbes profile has missed out on Nike when mentioning his sponsors. However, a question still remains: are they still together? Not a high school relationship, but people are invested. Nike has made some $22 million off of Woods from a single appearance. Why would they leave him now if they didn’t leave him when he had an imperfect form, controversies, and injuries following him?
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As the brand stopped making golf equipment in 2016, Woods has sported their apparel time and again. Additionally, his Nike shoes, Air Zoom Tiger Woods ’20, are still on the official website. And Woods’ agent, in an interview with ESPN, stated that this partnership with Nike will be for the “rest of his (Woods) career.” So, there is no concrete answer to the question. Woods may or may not have separated from Nike. On the next Tiger appearance, keep your eyes open!
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