He must have known the pictures would make headlines all over the world. The timing was perfect, too: there couldn’t have been a better opportunity to showcase his brand new enterprise – a new line of lifestyle clothing and accessories. The Genesis Invitational at Riviera – a signature event on the PGA Tour sandwiched right between the Masters and the PGA Championship – has been the most awaited event ever since Tiger Woods announced his intention to tee it up. Just a few days after unveiling his new brand – Sun Day Red – Tiger teed it up at the Riviera for the first time not clad in the Nike gear he has worn for over two and a half decades. And rather counterintuitively, Tiger didn’t make any obvious references: the Sun Day Red ensemble he wore was pure white. It was an effective strategy: the lack of colour amplified the message.
Tiger’s game held up pretty well, too. On the first day, he shanked his approach on the 18th hole. “My back spasmed on it,” he said of his eight-iron shot, and added, “It had been spasming over the last three holes, and it just locked up on me and didn’t move, didn’t rotate.” Tiger, whose spine has been fused since 2017, followed up the shank with a vintage recovery, splitting two trees with a punch hook to find the green. He didn’t have any issues walking the course throughout the day. After he underwent fusion surgery on his ankle following his withdrawal from the Masters last April, Tiger clarified on a number of occasions that his ankle didn’t hurt anymore. But he was clearly in pain, this time with back spasms kicking in during the final stretch of the round. He bogeyed two out of his final four holes, finally signing off for a one-over 71.
At the time this column is being written, the second round is underway, and Tiger has just withdrawn from the tournament after suffering what was described as flu-like, symptoms. It’s clear how much Tiger’s priorities have evolved over the years: this is the same man who played 18 holes on a broken leg. Funnily enough, the flu is good news. There are much bigger health concerns when it comes to Tiger’s well-being. “Not physical at all. His back’s fine,” said Rob McNamara, a longtime association and vice president of TGR Ventures. “It was all medical illness, dehydration, which now the symptoms are reversing themselves now that he’s had an IV.”
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Engaging the Indian-Australian diaspora Back to Sun Day Red. The launch of the brand drew curtains on an epic partnership between Tiger and Nike. Earlier this year, Tiger had confirmed the end of the deal that began when he turned pro after winning his third straight US Amateur. “I guess, hello world, huh?” said a 20-year-old Tiger Woods at his professional debut at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open – sparking off Nike’s Hello World campaign a couple of days later that became the stuff of advertising lore. Tiger wrote a social media post acknowledging his journey with Nike. “Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” Tiger wrote. “The days since have been filled with so many amazing moments and memories if I started naming them, I could go on forever.” “It was time for the next chapter,” Woods’ agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, told The Associated Press.
Nike also posted to social media, saying in a photo, “It was a hell of a round, Tiger…You challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking,” the Nike post was captioned. “You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And most of all, yourself. And for that challenge we’re grateful.”
Woods signed a five-year deal worth $40 million when he turned pro in 1996 – an unheard of sum at the time. As the years went by that $40 million turned to $100 million when the deal was renewed in 2001. In 2006, Woods’ eight-year deal in 2006 was reported to be $160 million, and his latest deal was signed in 2013 for a reported $200 million. Not only was Woods synonymous with Nike Golf, he also owned his own TW brand.
In sports marketing circles, it’s become fashionable to say that Woods doesn’t just move the needle, he is the needle. Even at this late stage in his career, far removed from the performance levels he touched in his prime, just his presence sends television viewership soaring – the Genesis Invitational is expected to be the most viewed golf telecast of the year.
Besides his unflagging popularity, there’s a tacit fear that draws the crowds to the sporadic events Tiger tees it up at. At some point, it gets to lasts, and there’s no avoiding the fact that the end of Tiger’s career could come at any time now. The Riviera was where it all began: where Tiger first teed it up at a PGA Tour event as a lanky 16-year-old amateur.
But it is not where it ends – Tiger Woods is not quite done yet. After the opening round, the man pressed the point home, appearing before the press in a hoodie emblazoned with the new logo of a tiger with 15 stripes, signifying his 15 championship titles. “What happens when we win another major championship?” Woods preempted the obvious question. “We’re going to have to redo the trademark.”
He must have known the pictures would make headlines all over the world. The timing was perfect, too: there couldn’t have been a better opportunity to showcase his brand new enterprise – a new line of lifestyle clothing and accessories. The Genesis Invitational at Riviera – a signature event on the PGA Tour sandwiched right between the Masters and the PGA Championship – has been the most awaited event ever since Tiger Woods announced his intention to tee it up. Just a few days after unveiling his new brand – Sun Day Red – Tiger teed it up at the Riviera for the first time not clad in the Nike gear he has worn for over two and a half decades. And rather counterintuitively, Tiger didn’t make any obvious references: the Sun Day Red ensemble he wore was pure white. It was an effective strategy: the lack of colour amplified the message.
Tiger’s game held up pretty well, too. On the first day, he shanked his approach on the 18th hole. “My back spasmed on it,” he said of his eight-iron shot, and added, “It had been spasming over the last three holes, and it just locked up on me and didn’t move, didn’t rotate.” Tiger, whose spine has been fused since 2017, followed up the shank with a vintage recovery, splitting two trees with a punch hook to find the green. He didn’t have any issues walking the course throughout the day. After he underwent fusion surgery on his ankle following his withdrawal from the Masters last April, Tiger clarified on a number of occasions that his ankle didn’t hurt anymore. But he was clearly in pain, this time with back spasms kicking in during the final stretch of the round. He bogeyed two out of his final four holes, finally signing off for a one-over 71.
At the time this column is being written, the second round is underway, and Tiger has just withdrawn from the tournament after suffering what was described as flu-like, symptoms. It’s clear how much Tiger’s priorities have evolved over the years: this is the same man who played 18 holes on a broken leg. Funnily enough, the flu is good news. There are much bigger health concerns when it comes to Tiger’s well-being. “Not physical at all. His back’s fine,” said Rob McNamara, a longtime association and vice president of TGR Ventures. “It was all medical illness, dehydration, which now the symptoms are reversing themselves now that he’s had an IV.”
Back to Sun Day Red. The launch of the brand drew curtains on an epic partnership between Tiger and Nike. Earlier this year, Tiger had confirmed the end of the deal that began when he turned pro after winning his third straight US Amateur. “I guess, hello world, huh?” said a 20-year-old Tiger Woods at his professional debut at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open – sparking off Nike’s Hello World campaign a couple of days later that became the stuff of advertising lore. Tiger wrote a social media post acknowledging his journey with Nike. “Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” Tiger wrote. “The days since have been filled with so many amazing moments and memories if I started naming them, I could go on forever.” “It was time for the next chapter,” Woods’ agent at Excel Sports, Mark Steinberg, told The Associated Press.
Nike also posted to social media, saying in a photo, “It was a hell of a round, Tiger…You challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking,” the Nike post was captioned. “You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And most of all, yourself. And for that challenge we’re grateful.”
Woods signed a five-year deal worth $40 million when he turned pro in 1996 – an unheard of sum at the time. As the years went by that $40 million turned to $100 million when the deal was renewed in 2001. In 2006, Woods’ eight-year deal in 2006 was reported to be $160 million, and his latest deal was signed in 2013 for a reported $200 million. Not only was Woods synonymous with Nike Golf, he also owned his own TW brand.
In sports marketing circles, it’s become fashionable to say that Woods doesn’t just move the needle, he is the needle. Even at this late stage in his career, far removed from the performance levels he touched in his prime, just his presence sends television viewership soaring – the Genesis Invitational is expected to be the most viewed golf telecast of the year.
Besides his unflagging popularity, there’s a tacit fear that draws the crowds to the sporadic events Tiger tees it up at. At some point, it gets to lasts, and there’s no avoiding the fact that the end of Tiger’s career could come at any time now. The Riviera was where it all began: where Tiger first teed it up at a PGA Tour event as a lanky 16-year-old amateur.
But it is not where it ends – Tiger Woods is not quite done yet. After the opening round, the man pressed the point home, appearing before the press in a hoodie emblazoned with the new logo of a tiger with 15 stripes, signifying his 15 championship titles. “What happens when we win another major championship?” Woods preempted the obvious question. “We’re going to have to redo the trademark.”
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