While Tiger Woods’ Partnership with Nike Runs into Shaky Ground, Will the $175B Giant Take 14YO Charlie Woods Under Their Wings?

Tiger Woods’ partnership with Nike is reportedly in troubled waters. The 82-time PGA Tour winner has not worn the familiar Swoosh for over a year. While both parties said earlier that they are working closely for a new shoe that would meet Woods’ requirement, more than one year has passed, and we’re yet to see the veteran golfer in his new kicks. Moreover, there are reports that the PNC Championship, where Woods will play with his son Charlie Woods, will also be the last time he will wear a Nike shoe.

In the last year, Charlie Woods has garnered a lot of attention for two reasons. First, obviously, his pop is a rather well-known guy. Secondly, Woods Jr. has shown some glimpses of the block he was chipped from. His stellar run of form has already made him a hotshot in the golf world. At this moment, there is no dearth of brands that want to capitalize on the immense popularity the 14-year-old has enjoyed since he first appeared with his father at the 2020 PNC Championship. So, despite going through some turbulent times with his pop, will Nike partner with the young ‘cub’ like they did when Tiger Woods was just a 20-year-old golfer?

The one rule that opens the sponsorship door for Charlie Woods

Charlie Woods is still a school-going kid who has to worry about his midterms at The Benjamin School in Florida. So, as per NCAA rules, he can’t earn sponsorship money while playing high school golf, as Florida law prohibits that. But the teenager can easily sidestep that by signing up for any of the junior golf leagues.

If he does, the NCAA’s name-image-likeness rule will allow him to partner with any brand to promote their product or service in various ways. A lot of NCAA athletes have leveraged this opportunity to land million-dollar deals. As per ON3, a NIL tracker, 18-year-old Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, the latest in the line of Manning family prodigies, has a valuation of $2.8 million in NIL deals. Closer home, John Daly II, son of two-time Major winner John Daly, signed a NIL deal with Hooters, a restaurant brand.

So, the ball is in the father’s court as to whether he would allow his son to play on the junior golf circuit and cash in on the opportunity or would want to protect him from the limelight as much as he can. But if Woods chooses to let his son remain out in the open, Charlie Woods has a high probability of landing a Nike deal.

That’s despite the 14-year-old going to high school. What’s in it for Nike? Sam Weber of Opendorse, an NIL platform, told Sportico that it “would be surprising if the brands that have been prominent in Tiger’s career would not want to join the fold. You can almost see the Nike commercial with the two of them.” There are precedents for Nike tapping into raw talents.

Recently, the $175 million apparel giant signed a NIL deal with Bronny James, the older son of LeBron James. In fact, Nike signed Tiger Woods for a reported $40 million deal in 1996, when Woods was still a debutant golfer. The hugely successful deal was extended four times, the last of which came in 2013, for a reported $200 million. However, there is a catch in the case of Charlie Woods.

Nike’s troublesome history in the golf business

Recent reports suggest that the megabrand is looking to make some major changes in its golf apparel operations. Although there has not been any confirmed report of Nike bringing the shutter down on their golf business altogether, the apparel giant is looking to outsource their business through Srixon or Cleveland.

Let’s not forget that Nike used to make golf equipment as well. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy both used Nike’s clubs. However, after twenty years, the business became a lost cause, and the brand decided to jettison Nike Golf.

Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike, made a rather blunt admission, shocking everyone. The 85-year-old CEO said, “We lost money for 20 years on equipments (sic) and balls and realized that next year is not going to be any different.” There were multiple reasons behind this. Nike failed to hit the mark with their equipment. Moreover, Woods was never fascinated with the new gear Nike was making, sticking to his traditional guns instead. So, the new-age clubs that the company didn’t find any resonance among common golfers.

Read More: Tiger Woods’ Fractured Nike Deal Reportedly Ending Per Insider’s Shocking Revelation

Is Nike’s footwear business going in the same direction? We don’t have an official announcement yet. But Tiger Woods has not worn a Nike shoe since his 2021 accident. The

47-year-old golfer prefers to wear FootJoy shoes. The kicks, in fact, have decked Charlie Woods’ feet as well. The teenager was spotted earlier using a FootJoy sneaker while practicing with his father.

Nevertheless, it’s still four years for Charlie Woods to officially qualify for the PGA Tour. And with the recurring episodes of LIV Golf and PGA Tour drama shows, a lot can change in four years. If Nike remains in the golf business all by themselves and Charlie Woods can carry the amateur days’ momentum to his pro career, it’d be a hard deal for Nike to miss out on.

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