Check out some of the greatest moments of Tiger Woods and Nike in their two decades long partnership.
On Monday, golf great Tiger Woods announced his split with Nike, thus ending a 27-year partnership. The two parties had been together since 1997 and throughout this long deal, they have seen a lot of success and failures together.
Nike first signed Woods in 1997 when the golf great was just 21 years old. The shaking of hands in 1997 would later lead to one of the most glorious chapters in sporting history as Woods climbed the stairs of success using Nike as his sponsor.
While the partnership between the two has now ended, there have been countless memories between them. Let’s delve deeper into this and take a look back at some of the iconic moments between Woods and Nike since 1997.
Top 5 Tiger Woods and Nike moments
The Introduction
Tiger Woods in 1997 (Image via Bleacher Report)
While Tiger Woods is probably the biggest name in the golf industry at the moment, it did not happen just by chance or overnight. He spends several years training to reach the top of this mountain. Since a young age, Woods had been fond of golf and broke various records.
However, when Nike signed him, he was still a rookie. To introduce him, they dropped a commercial young golfer telling the world “I am Tiger Woods“. These words would soon echo around the golfing community as the Cypress native made his intentions clear.
Earl Woods narrates Tiger Woods’ journey
Tiger Woods and Earl Woods (Image via NY Times)
Tiger Woods and Nike have been synonymous with each other. The two have gone hand-in-hand for the past 27 years. In this timeframe, they have created several commercials together. However, one of them stands on top of everyone, the narration by Earl Woods.
The former US Army official is credited for getting Woods into the game. So it was fitting that Nike would approach him for one commercial. In this one, the Senior Woods could be seen narrating the life of Tiger and speak about his relationship with him while guiding him to be a good golfer.
Tiger Woods’ impact on Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy shaking hands with Tiger Woods (Image via Imago)
Over the years gone by, Tiger Woods has left an ever-lasting impression on the golfing world. His success has led to a huge impact on many current stars including Rory McIlroy. The two golfers have been close and have crossed paths on several occasions.
With McIlroy a partner of Nike as well, the sports brand decided to make an epic ad titled “Ripple” in 2014. The ad features the story of how a young McIlroy watches Woods on TV and gets inspired by him. At the end of the commercial, he could be seen teeing off together with his childhood hero, implying that nothing is impossible.
Nike congratulating Tiger Woods on 2019 Masters win
Tiger Woods (Image via The Guardian)
The 2019 Masters triumph of Tiger Woods is considered one of the best victories in golf. After trailing at the start of the final round, Woods came back to claim his 15th Major and his first since 2008. The words, “The Return to Glory” from Jim Nantz sums up the situation perfectly.
Woods had become a shadow of his former self due to several injuries. However, very few would have predicted him to walk with the green jacket. Nike would take this opportunity to once again reflect on his journey from a young prodigy to becoming one of the greatest to ever play this game. The chilling ad ends with a young Woods’ claiming he wants to beat Jack Nicklaus.
The unplanned Nike Commerical at Masters
Tiger Woods at the 16th hole (Image via Scratch Hit Sports)
While almost every commercial is planned, there are some instances where things get promoted without any plan. Something similar happened with Nike during the 2005 Masters tournament.
From an improbable angle, Woods would make an unbelievable shot at the 16th hole that would roll along the way. The ball would soon slow down and stop right near the edge for a brief moment before falling down the hole. The crowd along with Woods would burst into life as the ball went in the whole. The Nike logo on the ball was clearly visible to everyone giving them an unplanned commercial.
