Golf: partnership between Nike & Tiger Woods (USA, 48 years old) ends after 27 years

"It was a hell of a round, Tiger", was Nike's headline on social media to announce the non-renewal of its partnership with American golfer Tiger Woods, who is still active at the age of 48, on 08/01/2024.

The American equipment manufacturer has been with Tiger Woods since he was 20 and turned professional in 1996, despite the golfer's non-sporting setbacks in 2009, which led to the departure of several of his sponsors in the years that followed (Gatorade, AT&T, Accenture, Tag Heuer, Gillette, etc). In 1996, the man from Cypress (California) signed a five-year deal with Nike (1996-2001) worth $40m, a contract that was renewed and upgraded several times. The latest contract, signed between the two parties in 2013 for ten years (2014-2023) and a total of $200m (€176m), expired on 31/12/2023.

This 27-year partnership would have earned the holder of 15 Grand Slam titles (between 1997 and 2019) and 82 on the PGA Tour a total of $500m (€453m as of 31/12/2023), according to US media estimates.

"Tiger, you challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking…