End of an Era as Tiger Woods, Nike Part Ways
Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest golfer ever, announced Monday that he will part ways with Nike Corp. The brand has been synonymous with Woods for years, providing the clothing for his 15 major championships and 82 PGA titles.
Woods has been aligned with Nike since he turned professional at age 20 and went on to revolutionize golf. The lucrative Nike deal contributed to Woods' becoming a billionaire, and he expressed appreciation in a social media post Monday to the sportswear firm and its founder, Phil Knight.
«Phil Knight's passion and vision brought this Nike and Nike Golf partnership together and I want to personally thank him, along with the Nike employees and incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with along the way,» Woods said Monday on X, the social media platform.
Woods' deal with Nike was said to be valued at $500 million throughout his career.The news follows a strategic change for Nike after the company stopped making golf products in 2016. Woods formerly was one of four billionaire athletes who committed long-term to the sportswear brand.Basketball stars LeBron James and Michael Jordan are still with Nike, along with soccer's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Nike released its own statement, saying it was an «honor» to partner with «one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.”
The writing may have been on the wall for Woods and Nike when the golfer made a long-awaited comeback at the U.S. Masters tournament in 2022 after a serious car crash. Woods took to the course wearing shoes by rival golf brand Footjoy and said that he was looking for stability and comfort after his leg injury.
Woods' last PGA tour win came in October 2019 at the Zozo Championship, where the iconic golfer tied Sam Sneed
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