Tiger Woods and Nike’s ‘seismic’ partnership is over. Where do they go from here?
Tiger Woods reacts after winning the Masters golf tournament in April 2019. It was his 15th major title and his first since 2008. David J. Phillip/AP
Woods had his first brush with fame when he was just 2 years old. The young golfing prodigy appeared on “The Mike Douglas Show” in 1978, winning a putting contest with comedian Bob Hope. CBS Archive/Getty Images
Woods, 6, sizes up a putt in Los Alamitos, California, in 1982. His real name is Eldrick, but his father nicknamed him “Tiger” after a South Vietnamese soldier he fought alongside with during the Vietnam War. Jack D. Miller/The Orange County Register/AP
Woods and his father, Earl, celebrate after a 15-year-old Tiger won the US Junior Amateur Championship in 1991. He won the event in 1992 and 1993 as well. Rick Dole/Getty Images
Woods, 16, tees off at the Los Angeles Open in 1992. That was his first taste of PGA Tour competition, albeit as an amateur. He missed the 36-hole cut. Bob Galbraith/AP
Woods played for the United States during the World Amateur Team Cup, which took place in France in 1994. Getty Images/Getty Images
Woods hits a tee shot during the 1995 Walker Cup, an international team event. David Cannon/Getty Images
Woods talks to the media after winning his third-straight US Amateur in 1996. Throughout his life, Woods has worn red on the final day of a big tournament. Robert Beck/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
Woods played two years of college golf at Stanford University. He won the NCAA individual golf title in 1996. Patrick Murphy-Racey/Allsport/Getty Images
Woods turned professional in August 1996, and it didn’t take long for him to win his first tournament. Six weeks after he announced he was going pro — with a famous “Hello, world” ad campaign for Nike — Woods won the Las Vegas Invitational. That earned him this big check, a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a spot in the following year’s Masters tournament. Lennox McLendon/AP
Woods made history at the 1997 Masters, blowing away the field by 12 strokes to win his first major. At the time, it was also a record-low Masters score of 18 under par. Stephen Munday/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Woods hugs his father, Earl, after winning the 1997 Masters. Earl, a former Green Beret, was widely credited with developing his son’s prodigious talent and pushing him to be the ultimate competitor. Dave Martin/AP
Woods arrives at an airport in Hamburg, Germany, in May 2000. Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images
Woods plays a shot from the ninth fairway during the 2000 US Open in Pebble Beach, California. Woods won the tournament by 15 shots, a record for any major. It was Woods’ third major title by this point; he had also won the 1999 PGA Championship. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
A month after the US Open, Woods won the 2000 British Open at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. That gave him the career Grand Slam — a win in each of the four different majors — at the age of 24. David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images
Woods chips out of the rough at the 2000 PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. Throughout his career, Woods has always had the largest galleries, with thousands of people flocking from hole to hole to watch him play. He’s also been credited with bringing in millions of new fans to the sport. Andy Lyons/Allsport/Getty Images
Woods reacts as he sinks a putt during a playoff at the 2000 PGA Championship. Woods defeated Bob May in the playoff to win his third straight major. David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images
Fans watch Woods tee off on the 18th hole at the 2001 Masters. Woods went on to win the event and complete what’s now called the Tiger Slam — four consecutive major titles. Fred Vuich/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
Woods chats with golf legend Jack Nicklaus at the Memorial tournament in June 2001. The two are widely considered to be the two greatest golfers in history, and only Nicklaus has won more major titles than Woods. Andy Lyons/Allsport/Getty Images
Woods arrives in a military vehicle before a golf exhibition in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2004. Woods spent the week training with Army troops before hosting a junior golf clinic for his Tiger Woods Foundation. Woods’ father, Earl, was stationed at the base in the 1960s. Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images
Woods and Phil Mickelson line up their putts during the final round of the Ford Championship in March 2005. For much of Woods’ career, Mickelson was considered his biggest rival. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Woods celebrates with his caddie, Steve Williams, after his famous chip-in at the 2005 Masters. Woods went on to win his fourth green jacket. Harry How/Getty Images
Woods hugs Williams after winning the British Open in Hoylake, England in 2006. It was Woods’ first major win since the death of his father just a couple of months earlier. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Woods stands with his mother, Kultida, and his daughter, Sam, as a statue of him and his father is unveiled at the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, California, in January 2008. Damian Dovarganes/AP
Woods had a fractured tibia and a torn ligament in his knee, but he gutted out a playoff win over Rocco Mediate at the 2008 US Open. It was his third US Open win and his 14th major title. Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports
President Barack Obama hosted Woods in the White House Oval Office in April 2009. Pete Souza/The White House/Getty Images
Woods hits a shot during a PGA Championship practice round in August 2009. Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Woods holds his daughter, Sam, as he and his wife, Elin, attend a Stanford football game in November 2009. Woods married Elin, a model, in 2004. The couple also have a son, Charlie. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Woods approaches a lectern before giving a televised statement in February 2010. Woods apologized for being unfaithful to his wife and letting down both fans and family. “I had affairs, I cheated,” he said. “What I did was not acceptable, and I am the only person to blame.” It was his first public appearance since being hospitalized a couple months earlier following a car crash outside his home. Woods said he was in therapy for “issues,” which he did not explain. He and his wife divorced in August 2010. Eric Gay/Pool/Getty Images
Woods plays virtual golf with talk-show host Jimmy Fallon in 2011. Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Woods jokes with golf great Arnold Palmer after winning the Bay Hill Invitational in March 2013 and regaining his spot as the world’s top-ranked golfer. David Cannon/Getty Images
Woods falls to the ground in pain after hitting a shot at The Barclays in August 2013. A few months later, he would undergo back surgery for a pinched nerve. Chris Condon/PGA Tour/Getty Images
From left, Woods, Jason Dufner and Mickelson hang out at the Muirfield Village Golf Club, where the Presidents Cup was taking place in Dublin, Ohio, in October 2013. Chris Condon/PGA Tour/Getty Images
Woods kisses his then-girlfriend, skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn, at an event in Beaver Creek, Colorado, in 2015. The two dated for a couple of years. Marco Trovati/AP
In 2017, Woods was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Woods, who was rehabbing from another back surgery, said in a statement that he had “an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications” and that alcohol was not involved. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and went on probation. Lannis Waters/Pool/Getty Images
Woods is trailed by jubilant fans during the final round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta in 2018. It was his first PGA Tour victory since 2013. John Amis/AP
President Donald Trump presents Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in May 2019. It was just a month after Woods won his fifth Masters and 15th major. Trump hailed Woods as a “global symbol of American excellence” and congratulated him on his “amazing comeback.” The Asahi Shimbu via Getty Images
Woods captained the US team to a Presidents Cup win in December 2019. Warren Little/Getty Images
Woods putts during the second round of the Masters in November 2020. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Woods and his son, Charlie, warm up before the final round of the PNC Championship in December 2020. Videos of Charlie’s impressive swing, a swing that looks much like his father’s, went viral on social media. Ben Jared/PGA Tour/Getty Images
Law enforcement officers investigate the scene of Woods’ rollover crash in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, in February 2021. Woods suffered serious leg injuries in the one-car accident and had to be pulled from his vehicle by emergency responders. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
Woods plays a shot at the PNC Championship as his son, Charlie, watches in December 2021. It was Tiger’s first time competing since the car crash, and he used a golf cart to get around the course. He and Charlie finished in second place. “I’m a long way away from playing tournament golf,” Tiger said. “This is hit, hop in a cart.” Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Woods attends the trophy ceremony for the Genesis Invitational, which he hosted in Pacific Palisades, California, in February 2022. A year after his crash, he said he still hoped for a return to the PGA Tour but said he was “frustrated” with the timeline of his recovery. He spoke of his intention to return to competitive golf while conceding he won’t be able to play a full tour schedule. Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
Woods and his mother, Kultida, pose for photos during his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in March 2022. “I had unbelievable parents, mentors, friends who supported me in the darkest of times and celebrated the highest of times,” he said in his acceptance speech. “All of you allowed me to get here, and I want to say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.” Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Woods hits a tee shot at the Masters as he made his return to competitive golf in April 2022. He finished his first round with a 1-under-par 71. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters In pictures: Golf icon Tiger Woods Prev Next CNN —
“It was a hell of a round, Tiger.”
And just like that, one of the most prolific commercial partnerships in the history of sport was over.
After 27 years, 15 major championships, 82 PGA Tour wins and hundreds of millions of dollars in endorsement contracts, Tiger Woods and Nike announced the end of their collaboration on Monday.
‘Hello World’
When Nike and Woods sealed their first deal in 1996, a 20-year-old – just turned professional – became heir to a $40 million fortune.
Promised across a five-year deal, the numbers were remarkable for any athlete, let alone for a rookie – yet Woods was a remarkable professional debutant.
A six-time junior world championship winner and the first three-peat US Amateur champion, as Nike looked to sign the most talented prodigies across the sporting world, few came more prodigious than the Stanford University starlet.
Their decision was vindicated almost immediately, records tumbling as Woods hurtled towards golf’s summit at breakneck pace. Within a year of Nike’s iconic “Hello World” commercial – based on Woods’ maiden pro event press conference – their new star had won three PGA Tour events, become the youngest winner of The Masters and become the fastest player to reach world No. 1 after turning pro.
Woods en route to his third straight US Amateur Championship at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course in Cornelius, Oregon, in 1996. J.D. Cuban/Getty Images
When Woods signed a five-year endorsement contract with Nike in 2000 worth an estimated $85 million – an unprecedented sum in sporting history at the time – his status as golf’s dominant force and a global sporting superstar was concrete.
For Nike, more typically associated with other sports, it was a dream come true. With Woods marking the sportswear company’s “significant entry” into golf, the partnership – and its impact – was “seismic,” explained Ben Peppi, sports commercial expert at JMW Solicitors.
“For a long time post-Michael Jordan’s retirement, pre-Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods was Nike,” Peppi told CNN Sport.
“He is one of the transcendent athletes that Nike have had as a brand ambassador for the duration of their partnership. He transcends his sport – he wasn’t just a golf ambassador, he was a Nike icon.”
As Woods became synonymous with golf, Nike became synonymous with Woods. From cap to shoes, the company’s swoosh logo was ever-visible for the countless iconic shots and trophy lifts Woods celebrated across his career, aided by a string of memorable commercial campaigns, from “Golf’s Not Hard” to “Never.”
It meant that Nike’s massive outlay on Woods across the 48-year-old’s career often reaped significant reward. Almost 57% of Nike’s investment in Woods’ (then) $181 million endorsement deal was made back from the sale of golf balls alone between 2000 and 2010, according to a 2013 university study examining the golfer’s impact on ball sales.
When he donned his trademark Sunday red polo and a black Nike cap emblazoned with his own “TW” logo to defy expectations and claim The Masters in 2019, one sponsorship analytics research firm calculated Nike had received roughly $22 million worth of exposure from the win.
“Particularly in a sport where you see players’ shirts covered in different sponsorships, all you ever saw with Tiger was Nike – a swoosh and nothing else,” Peppi said.
“That says something about the importance, not only of Tiger to Nike, but also of Nike to Tiger … not many athletes get their own logo with their brand – Nike or whoever else.”
Woods closes in on his 15th major title at Augusta National in 2022. David Cannon/Getty Images An amicable break-up
Woods’ relationship with Nike remained steadfast through a series of off-course scandals, even as other sponsors cut ties.
While brands such as Gatorade, AT&T and Accenture pulled the plug on deals following his professed infidelity in late 2009 – losing him an estimated $20 million – Nike stood by the star. When the golfer won the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational to make his long-awaited return to world No. 1, Nike toasted the feat with a “winning takes care of everything” advert.
Woods signed a 10-year deal that year worth an estimated $200 million, though by 2019 it was worth roughly half of that sum annually, Bob Dorfman, an endorsement and executive creative director at Baker Street Advertising, said at the time.
And despite Nike reeling in its golf equipment business in 2016, stopping production of golf clubs, balls and bags – leading Woods to use other brands – their partnership continued, even as Woods switched to FootJoy shoes for additional ankle support following his recovery from a serious car accident in 2021.
Those leg injuries – and various subsequent surgeries – have severely limited the golfer’s playing time ever since, yet Woods has continued to represent Nike in his sporadic competitive appearances.
“Like golf fans around the world, we are delighted to see Tiger back on the course,” Nike said in a statement upon his return to competitive action at the 2022 Masters.
“He is an incredible athlete, and it is phenomenal to see him returning to the game at this level. His story continues to transcend sport and inspire us all. As he continues his return, we will work with him to meet his new needs.”
The seemingly amicable nature of the partnership was reflected in the parting statements from both sides – Nike lauding the golfer for challenging “stereotypes, conventions” and “the old school way of thinking,” with Woods offering special thanks to Nike co-founder Phil Knight in a post on X.
Woods and Knight at the Tiger Woods Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, held at the New York Public Library in 2016. Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images
It is because of this accumulated good faith that Peppi believes the split came down to a financial decision, specifically on Woods’ side – as opposed to concerns over the golfer’s playing time or the desire to re-center on a younger name.
“There’s not like there’s necessarily been a falling out or anything,” Peppi said.
“If Nike were staying in golf, they certainly wouldn’t end their partnership with Tiger … they would have been in a better negotiating position than most given the legacy of the relationship.
“Even if they wanted to go younger with a hero ambassador as such – an up-and-coming young golfer who is going to be what Tiger was in 96’ to 97’ – then that could be the case, but there still would have been an offer there for Tiger, it just might not have been what he was used to.”
The next chapter
Woods made it clear in his statement that “another chapter” is certain, but what could that look like, both for himself and for Nike?
Peppi finds speculation that Nike could be scaling back from golf “consistent” with their retreat from equipment production in 2016, splits from other high-profile golfers – most notably Australia’s former world No. 1 Jason Day earlier this month – and rumors that their golf apparel production could be next to go.
“There’s clearly a shift going on,” Peppi said.
“Nike is obviously an incumbent in the market and there are new challenger brands that you’re seeing now come to the fore when it comes to golf apparel, designed to cater to this new generation of golfer.
“Golf as an industry needs to engage a new audience, and Nike have maybe decided that golf generally is not where they need to be from an apparel standpoint.
“So it’s almost like you could suggest that Nike Golf started and ended with Tiger,” he added.
Nike has been here before. In the summer of 2018, tennis icon Roger Federer ended a similarly synonymous 24-year partnership with the brand to move to Japanese clothing retail chain Uniqlo on a 10-year, $300 million contract.
Federer is revealed as Uniqlo’s global brand ambassador at a press event in Japan in 2018. Yoshikazu Tsuno/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
The fact both have now left for new pastures could be a sign that seemingly endless, one-brand partnerships between brands and athletes could be scarce looking ahead, Peppi theorized.
“You look at Michael Jordan and Nike, you look at David Beckham and Adidas, Usain Bolt and Puma – you still have those synonymous relationships, and you would have assumed that Roger Federer and Tiger would have done the same with Nike,” he said.
“There are just certain iconic athletes who transcend their sport that do have those one-brand relationships … You never would have thought Federer would have left, so maybe there is this kind of shift of these lifetime deals that these global superstars sign into.
“They’re going to be very, very few and far between, that’s for sure.”
For Woods, who said he plans to play on the PGA Tour at least once a month in 2024, his availability could provide an opportunity for a challenger golf brand to pull off a major coup.
Woods has a club deal with golf manufacturing company TaylorMade, which Peppi believes could represent one possible landing spot.
“You look at the statement – ‘Tiger challenged competition, stereotypes, convention and old school ways of thinking’ – well the new way of thinking might be these new brands that Tiger could be a part of,” Peppi said.
“So the question is: does he go to a challenger brand where he can actually have that active involvement in the development and growth of it globally and have equity in it and all that kind of stuff? … There’s rumours that TaylorMade are getting into golf apparel, so is he going to sign with them?
“We just don’t know,” he added. “But it’s certainly the end of one of those few relationships in world sport between athlete and brand that you never thought would actually end.”