For more than a quarter century, golf fans watched Tiger Woods dominate pro golf while wearing the Nike swoosh. The two teamed up for countless memories on the course and nearly as many memorable commercials off it.
Heck, even Woods’ most famous shot, his chip-in on No. 16 during the final round of the 2005 Masters, featured his then swoosh-covered golf ball pausing perfectly on the edge of the hole for millions to see before dropping into the cup.
But one of the greatest sports marketing partnerships in history ended at the close of 2024 after 27 fun—and profitable—years. Woods and Nike parted ways, and the 15-time major champ partnered with TaylorMade to create a new brand called Sun Day Red.
Still, it’s a testament to both Tiger and Nike that we remember so much about that relationship. It also shows just how much things have changed in pro golf.
For decades, golfers sported much cleaner looks when it came to logos. But with so much more money being invested in the pro game now, players have seemingly evolved into walking billboards—with just about every part of them up for sale from their hats to their shoes.
We at Golf Digest took a deep look into the infiltration—and evolution—of sports marketing in the game from the days of legendary golfer and pitchman Arnold Palmer to Tiger and beyond. We explore how these endorsement deals come about, why they’re made and just how much they’re worth for both players and the companies they represent.
We also talked with Adidas president Jeff Lienhart, who has signed deals with many of today’s top tour pros and who was at Nike in 1996 when they inked a certain up-and-comer out of Stanford. Anyway, we hope you enjoy:
Main Image: Keyur Khamar
