Tiger Woods parted ways with Nike Golf after 27 years earlier this month, and with his PGA Tour return edging closer, it appears the 15-time major winner may have found a new partner
Tiger Woods could be poised to announce Taylormade as his new clothing partner, after the 15-time major champion parted ways with Nike Golf earlier this month.
On Friday it was first revealed by @LIVGolfUpdates that Taylormade Lifestyle Ventures LLC had filed for the trademark ‘Sunday Red’, the colour famously worn by Woods when competing in the final round of an event. The report also revealed the logo of the clothing line which included a Tiger.
Woods and Taylormade forged a partnership back in 2017 when Nike decided to stop making equipment, and Woods has been carrying the company’s clubs for the past six years.
In recent weeks, the 15-time major champion has also been prominently featured in Taylormade’s new Qi10 driver promotion. It follows the American’s announcement that, following 27 years with the company, he would no longer be sporting the recognizable Nike swoosh on his chest and cap.
Woods rose to prominence as one of Nike’s most recognizable athletes, earning an estimated £400 million in sponsorship deals. Prior to the 10-year contract’s expiration at the end of the previous year, he signed his most recent agreement back in 2013.
The five-time Masters champion posted a heartfelt statement on social media to announce the split. “I had the good fortune to begin a collaboration with one of the most recognizable companies in the world more than 27 years ago,” Woods posted on X. “So many incredible things have happened in the days since.
“This partnership between Nike and Nike Golf was made possible by the vision and passion of [former Nike CEO] Phil Knight, and I would like to personally thank him, as well as all of the amazing athletes and Nike staff I have had the pleasure of working with throughout the years.
“People are going to ask if there will be more chapters. Yes, there will undoubtedly be more than one chapter. I’ll see you in Los Angeles! Tiger. The 48-year-old’s”nextchapter” has not yet been officially announced, but this week’s Sunday Red trademark seems to hint at Taylormade clothing.
The PGA Tour has revealed that Woods’ first competition of 2024 will take place at the Genesis Invitational in February. This means that Woods will make his debut without Nike early next month. Given that Woods is also the tournament’s host, the event at Riviera makes perfect sense for him.
One of Woods’ three PGA Tour appearances in 2023, the event marked the end of a season severely curtailed by an ankle injury he suffered at the Masters last year. He took a break for eight months and concluded the year at the Hero World Challenge, another tournament he hosts, which took place last month.
After making a reappearance, he announced that he would perform at one event per month beginning in February. Following his comeback, Woods stated in a December speech: “Maybe a tournament once a month would be the best scenario.
“Once more, this is how we currently have it set up: there is one major event per month. It positions itself to do so. I have to prepare myself for all of that now. This week, in my opinion, is a significant step in that way. After taking a sabbatical in January, Woods is ready to compete again in less than four weeks.
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