Years of togetherness and then a sudden estrangement. Does it ring a bell? Well, that’s what happened as one of the longest-running and most profitable brand/athlete deals between Tiger Woods and Nike came to an eventual end. Even after weeks of Nike and the 48-year-old ending their once-believed forever-together story, the golf world is unable to put its finger on what went wrong. But now it seems we might just find out!
In our attempt to revisit the pages of history, we discovered a shocking truth. Years ago, the 15x Major Champion disclosed a few concerns and indirect suggestions that he had in his mind regarding Nike. And by the looks of it, it seems Woods’s plea for ‘comfort’ went unnoticed.
How did Tiger Woods signal Nike years ago?
History stands opposed to previous suspicions that the birth of a changed narrative between Tiger Woods and the multi-billion dollar conglomerate came after the 2022 Masters Championship. A clip from 2021 suggests that Woods had given signals about his expectations to Nike in 2021 itself.
His focus on comfort had been a pre-requisite for some time. He had conveyed to the brand, directly or indirectly, that he wanted apparel that “works in unison” with his game and acts as an extension of himself. Maybe that’s why, when Nike was not able to provide the comfort Woods needed, he turned to FootJoy for what Nike could not provide.
In an interview from a couple of years ago, Tiger Woods shared what’s most important to him apparel-wise. He said, “Well, my apparel is an extension of me. I want everything to work in unison, whether it’s from my clubs all the way to my apparel, including footwear, my gloves, everything. I don’t want to feel uncomfortable because when we’re out there competing, we’re in a very uncomfortable environment. The last thing you need to do is have something that’s nagging at you.”
Like any relationship, the long-standing deal between the giants also went through years of trying to make it work; however, as time passed, the problems in the partnership seemed to increase. Woods’s deteriorating health due to his injuries only acted as fuel for the fire that had already burned between him and his 27-year-old partner. But did Nike not even try to keep the sensational golfer they discovered on their side?
Did Nike not pay heed to Woods’s matter of comfort?
As a matter of fact, Nike did try its best to keep the 5x Masters Champion on their side. Even after the golfer was spotted wearing Footjoy in 2022 Masters, the brand supported his decision. The duo hinted that they were working on something to provide more comfort to Woods. “Nike’s been fantastic over the years of providing me with equipment and we have worked, we’ve been working on trying to find something to allow me to do this and swing again. We’re still going to continue doing it and hopefully we’ll have something soon.”
According to Jordan Rogers, a former Nike employee, the brand “bent over backwards” to find out what it was that bothered Woods. However, their attempts at making the suffering relationship work were of no use, as the famous pro seemed to have already made up his mind.
What followed afterwards is a saga known to all. After Woods’s amicable adieu, Nike bid him a memorable goodbye and wrote, “It was a hell of a round, Tiger.” And it surely was.
