Tiger Woods and Nike’s partnership has been enduring for as long as one can remember! The 15-time major winner has remained loyal to the brand for almost three decades now, with the sports apparel giant reciprocating Woods’s commitment by standing by him through all his ups and downs, both on and off the course. However, the mutually beneficial partnership now seems to be facing challenges.
After weathering various challenges together, the iron-clad bond between Woods and the billion-dollar brand now stands at a crossroads. For the second consecutive year, Woods’s alternative choice of footwear has stirred a frenzy within the golfing fraternity. Paired with rumors of potential contract renewals being halted, this situation reeks of nothing but uncertainty!
Are Tiger Woods and the $172 billion giant splitting up?
Things seem to have changed in recent times between the golfer and Nike since he first debuted on the course wearing the Swish in 1996 after signing a $40 million five-year contract. Over the 27 years that they’ve been together, the contract between the two sides has been renewed many times.
However, as recently reported by TWlegion, the last renewal (10 years ago) is now up for “re-negotiation,” but there hasn’t been much clarity on its progress. And with Woods’s recent move at the Hero World Challenge, it seems that he and Nike stand at a bitter crossroads.
The partnership between the 15-time major champion and Nike is undoubtedly one of the longest-running ongoing alliances in the sports world. Even after the $172 billion giant shut down its subset, Nike Golf, in 2016, it did not end its bond with Tiger Woods. The golf pro, in turn, has always sported Nike shoes, caps, and clothes on the course since 1996. However, that is not the case this week.
There’s some rumblings that his 10 year Nike deal was recently up for re-negotiation as well but not a ton of clarity on that front. https://t.co/kaqm5K2vTS
— TWLEGION (@TWlegion) December 2, 2023
The G.O.A.T has been seen adorning FootJoys’ Premiere Series Wilcox footwear at the 2023 Hero World Challenge in Albany, Bahamas. And surprisingly, this is not the first time the five-time Masters winner has been seen wearing a different brand of shoe either.
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Last year, during the Masters, the golf pro was spotted wearing FootJoy footwear on the course rather than his go-to Nike. While many presume this to be due to the nature of the injuries sustained over the past years, it may also indicate that his bond with the famous apparel brand is fractured and no longer the same as it once was.
In fact, in a sad turn of events, the golf legend’s team has also declined to comment on the burning matter. Due to the continuous hesitation to clarify this from both parties, it certainly seems like the iconic Nike and Tiger Woods deal, which has seen both sides earn hundreds of millions, if not more, over the last three decades, is counting its last breaths. However, only time will tell what the final verdict on the matter will be.
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