PGA Tour News: Tiger Woods and Nike End Partnership

Written by: Tony Schwartz

Last Updated: January 11, 2024

We first caught wind of the news that Tiger Woods and Nike were ending a 27-year partnership via Tiger and Nike's Instagram accounts. At first, the news seemed surreal as the partnership and relationship between Tiger and Nike has ubiquitously dominated the world of brand deals in sports for nearly thirty years. With the exception of Michael Jordan's storied deal with Nike, Tiger's partnership represented the most aspirational type of relationship that transcended sports, golf, or athleticism. Nike helped to elevate and amplify Tiger's performance on the golf course to become relevant for a broad audience, including people of color, including children and aging adults alike, and Tiger's accomplishments became immediate legend in the sport due to the unparalleled marketing, story-telling, and campaigns orchestrated by Nike on the heels of Tiger's relentless winning streak throughout his career. 

Many of our peers in golf journalism are telling this story from a perspective about how the separation felt inevitable given Tiger's recent storylines, seeming irrelevance to the actual competition of the sport since his last victory came 5 years ago in 2019, the plethora of injuries suffered in Tiger's 2021 car crash, and even the rise of Charlie Woods as a potential legacy holder of the Woods legend. All of these stories have merit, but we prefer to examine how Tiger Woods' partnership with Nike elevated the sport into a stratosphere that did not seem possible in the Nicklaus era. Tiger's roar echoed throughout the most notorious tournaments in golf history and the world heard that roar with a resounding assurance that Tiger may just be the greatest golfer that has ever lived.

As we all wait to see what lies ahead for Tiger Woods, Nike's relationship with the PGA Tour Enterprises, as well as Nike's overall commitment to the sport of golf, let us all pause to acknowledge and honor one of the greatest relationships in sports ever to have been hatched. While both Nike and Tiger brought individual competencies, value propositions, and pedigree to this relationship, it all hinged on Tiger's performance on the golf course. When we reflect on the many glorious moments that Tiger brought to us, we also see the swoosh on the hat, on the red sweater, on the golf ball, and on the golf shoes that have carried Tiger into a timeless athlete that will go down as one of the greatest of all time.

Here at Planet Divot, we are watching closely to see what Tiger meant when he said "People will ask if there is another chapter. Yes, there will certainly be another chapter."

Personally, we would absolutely love to see Tiger Woods link up with a brand like Malbon. We do not have any information that suggests Tiger Woods and Malbon will enter into a partnership, but the overall direction and rising popularity of Malbon makes this possible partnership one that we are rooting for with a Tiger's roar.