Over the past three decades, Tiger Woods’s career has been nothing less than illustrious! He has had plenty of highs and many wins, and he has also become the highest-paid golfer! But one sponsor that shared a special bond with him was Nike! The two started their partnership in 1996, which lasted for 27 years! But recently, both parties announced the end of it! The ending was sure amicable; however, the journey of nearly 3 decades was beautiful too!

What strengthened the bond between Nike and Woods was not just the $500 million that the golfer got from the brand. It was the fact that their relationship was beyond the professional greens! There were times when things got difficult, and the two stood by each other.

Tiger Woods’s support for Phil Knight

1. Tiger Woods calling Phil Knight after his son’s accident: In 2004, Phil Knight’s son Matthew Knight was on vacation with his friend. The group had visited the east lake in El Salvador’s capital. While diving, Nike’s then-CEO son lost his life accidentally.

In his memoir, Shoe Dog, Knight exclaimed that the first Nike athlete to contact him was Woods. He wrote, “His call came in at 7:30 a.m. I will never, ever forget.” This was the time when Woods supported Knight beyond their business partnership. And then came the knights’ time to show the same support.

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2. Nike standing by Woods after sponsors dropped him: In 2009, Woods’s personal life was a hot topic, and it was all over the news. It was not a pretty sight to witness! At that time, not only Woods’s personal life but also his professional life took a hit.

The 15x major champion’s various sponsors dropped him as he announced the ‘indefinite break’. However, it was Swoosh that stood strong and did not remove him from its roster, even four years after the ugliness signed a deal reportedly worth $200 million with him.

Nike’s unwavering support when Wolds chose a different brand

3. Nike extended support after Woods was spotted wearing FootJoy in 2022: After the disastrous accident in 2021, Woods was left severely injured. So much so that playing while wearing the normal Nike shoes would have aggravated his pain. Due to this, while making his comeback at the 2022 Masters, he chose to wear FootJoy shoes.

This created mayhem in the golf world, and it was the only thing everyone could talk about! People thought that it marked the end of the Nike-Woods saga. But that was not the case! Soon after the 2022 Masters, Nike released a statement saying that the brand will work with the GOAT to meet its needs. “Like golf fans around the world, we are delighted to see Tiger back on the course. He is an incredible athlete, and it is phenomenal to see him returning to the game at this level. His story continues to transcend sport and inspire us all. As he continues his return, we will work with him to meet his new needs,” said Swoosh.

4. Phil Knight came to Woods’s defense amid his split from Elin Nordegren: When Woods was all over the made for his divorce, everyone turned an eye on him, but not Nike. Along with not dropping him from the sponsorship, the brand also came forward to express its support.  

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Knight backed Woods and said in an interview, “When his career is over, you’ll look back on these indiscretions as a minor blip.” Furthermore, the Nike co-founder stated that the media was blowing the whole issue out of proportion. 

These were the times when Woods and Nike stood by each other and quite sternly protected each other’s brand. Although the ties have been severed now, as Nike claimed, it was a “Hell of a round” with Tiger Woods.

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