Tiger returns to the Masters — but his sponsor Nike may be losing influence in the post-endorsement era
Red shirts & green jackets... 25 years after his first Masters victory, Tiger Woods is teeing up once again to compete in the Super Bowl of golf tourneys today. The return of the five-time champ made headlines, especially after a serious car accident almost cost him a leg a year ago. But that’s not the only reason: Tiger, who’s famously sponsored by Nike, was spotted practicing in a pair of rival brand FootJoy shoes this week. Why it matters:
- In 1996: Nike turned heads when it signed the still unknown 20-year-old to a sponsorship deal worth a then eye-popping record $40M (nearly $73M in today’s money).
- Today: Tiger’s made over half a billion dollars rocking Nike polos, hats, and shoes ever since. He’s still a Nike athlete, and said he chose the FootJoys to help with his post-accident mobility.
- FYI: FootJoy is owned by golf-merch company Acushnet. The stock popped 3% after Tiger was seen in its kicks.
Splashy sponsorships… Star athletes' astronomical salaries are nothing new, but playing isn’t usually their primary source of income. Endorsement deals made up nearly all of Woods' $800M net worth in 2019. In return, brands get to borrow celebrity status to build credibility and rack up fans. At the 2019 Masters, Nike got $22M worth of exposure just from Tiger’s come-from-behind Sunday win alone.
The post-endorsement era is coming… While athlete sponsorships aren’t going away, big-name players don’t necessarily need brands anymore the way brands need them. The kind of Nike mega-deals pioneered by Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods are no longer inevitable for top players. See: fellow GOAT Tom Brady, who’s leveraging his social-media following to create his own apparel line. Tiger's FootJoy-clad feet could also signal the dwindling power of official sponsors.