It’s hard to think of an athlete more closely tied to a brand than Tiger Woods was with Nike. Even now, as he wears Sun Day Red on the course, the image of Woods in Nike gear is hard to separate from his most iconic moments.
Woods and Nike were together for over 27 years. That partnership finally ended in early 2024, though Woods had already been using TaylorMade clubs since Nike exited the equipment business in 2016.
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That decision was surprising at the time, given that Nike had signed a player many consider the most talented golfer in history.
So many of the sport’s unforgettable images feature the Nike Swoosh right there with him, from championships to championships, and every dramatic Sunday in between.
How Tiger Woods responded to signing his $40 million Nike deal in 1996
These days, Woods is one of the senior figures on the PGA Tour – instrumental in its ongoing efforts to reshape the future of the game. But he didn’t always pay close attention to the business side of things.
Appearing on the Subpar podcast, Woods’ former agent Hughes Norton recalled how Tiger didn’t show much excitement when the Nike deal was put in front of him ahead of his professional debut.
Woods was 20 at the time, about to play his first professional round at the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1996. He also had a $20 million Titleist deal and an IMG representation contract on the table.
“And really, I said indifference, it’s kind of boredom as we go through. Not so much Earl, but Tiger kind of yawning and wondering when SportsCenter’s going to come on,” Norton recalled. “He’s 20 years old, he had no frame of reference whatsoever for this, and I kept trying to put it in perspective.”
“I would say, ‘Tiger, just so you know, this $8 million a year for shoes and clothes from Nike is four to five times what the number one guys in the world right now in your sport are making: Nick Faldo and Greg Norman. How do I know that, because they both were clients of IMG.’ And finally, he signed them, and I said, ‘what do you think?’ He said: ‘not bad, huh.’ He got up and went and watched TV.”
Tiger Woods’ performance on his professional debut at the Greater Milwaukee Open
Woods finished his debut tied for 60th, shooting seven under par, 12 shots back of Loren Roberts. Still, he provided a preview of what was coming by making a hole-in-one during the final round.
He earned $2,544 that week at Brown Deer Park Golf Course, a sum that must have felt minor compared to his new contracts.
For Nike, though, the deal likely felt justified almost immediately – especially once Woods aced a hole in his very first professional tournament.
from HITC https://ift.tt/NpCmoHA
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