Tiger Woods bids farewell to a 27-year partnership with Nike, and British sports enthusiasts will soon see him sporting a new look on tournament Sundays.
This marks the end of one of the lengthiest and most lucrative sponsorship deals in sports history. Woods, acclaimed as the greatest golfer of all time with 15 major championships, expressed gratitude in a social media statement, thanking Phil Knight and various Nike personnel and athletes.
While Woods did not explicitly outline his future plans, he hinted at another chapter in his career. Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent, noted that the golfer made a business decision not to renew the contract with Nike. In response, Nike praised Woods for redefining golf, breaking barriers, and inspiring generations globally.
The sportswear giant acknowledged Woods’ record-setting achievements and extended best wishes for the future, sharing a social media post featuring an image of Woods fist-pumping with the caption “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.”
The year 2000 marked a pivotal deal between Woods and Nike, reportedly valued at £100 million for a 10-year period, making it the largest sports deal at the time.
Nike stood by Woods during personal controversies in 2009 and supported him in 2016 when the company exited the golf equipment business. Despite rumors of Woods switching allegiances, he clarified that his choice of FootJoy shoes from Titleist was based on stability for his post-surgery ankles.
While Nike has shifted focus to sports like basketball and running, it continues to maintain associations with prominent golf figures such as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka, according to Arabian Business.
