How Tiger Woods and Ex-Girlfriend Lindsey Vonn Forged a Fierce Rivalry Between 2 Billion Dollar Companies With Their Relationship Announcement

Tiger Woods is one of the most successful golfers in the world. His relationship with Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn, was always in the news. But there was a time when the power couple and their relationship led to a strong rivalry between two brands from the same industry.

Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn ignited controversy between rival brands

Tiger Woods is no longer just a name, but also a brand in itself. Any company or brand that associates with the golfer knows the value of having Woods onboard. And similarly, one of Woods’ oldest and biggest sponsors, Nike, has been in a deal with the golfer for years now.

However, there was a time when Woods’ relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn, struck a  direct competition between Nike and a rival brand. Olympic gold medalist, Lindsey Vonn, has been the face of the famous sportswear brand, Under Armour. And since Nike is one of the biggest names in the same industry, Woods and Vonn being in a relationship posed a big threat to both brands.

Read More: ‘Not Going to Die in My Sport’: When Tiger Woods Applauded His Partner Lindsey Vonn for Dominating the ‘Scary’ Sport

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However, back when Woods and Vonn made their relationship public, the two companies were not direct competitors at the same level. In fact, Baltimore-based Under Armour was just 1/3rd the size of Nike. But the issue came to notice when Woods’ pictures wearing Nike golf shirts also featured Vonn wearing a zip-up jacket with the Under Armour logo. Thankfully, the problem didn’t get any bigger. And before the world knew it, Woods and Vonn decided to split up.

Why did Woods and Vonn break up?

The sports world requires athletes to hustle both on and off the field. And therefore, they have little to no time left for themselves and their families. A similar thing happened between Woods and Vonn who broke up after dating for nearly three years. In response to why they decided to part ways, Woods took to Facebook to make the announcement. “Lindsey and I have mutually decided to stop dating…I have great admiration, respect, and love for Lindsey and I’ll always cherish our time together. Woods wrote.

While Vonn also mentioned the reasons for their break up on Facebook saying, “Unfortunately, we both lead incredibly hectic lives that force us to spend a majority of our time apart. I will always admire and respect Tiger.” Woods also talked about his situation with Vonn in a few interviews later. And he mentioned how Vonn had been wonderful with his kids, Sam and Charlie. The ex-couple are still friends and are always going to be each other’s well-wishers.

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