Tiger Woods' longest relationship – his nearly three-decade partnership with Nike, that is – has officially come to an end.
The golf icon, 48, has been repping the legendary sports brand on the course for 27 years, putting Nike behind two of the most successful sports collaborations in history: Tiger's endorsement, and their billion-dollar-making Air Jordan deal with NBA superstar Michael Jordan.
Both the 15-time major champion and Nike held on to the once record-breaking sponsorship even after their own respective tumbles; from the professional backlash Tiger faced after his headline-making affair on ex-wife Elin Nordegren, through even Nike's termination of their golf equipment market.
In a statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, announcing the split, Tiger wrote: "Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world."
He recalled: "The days have been filled with so many amazing moments and memories, if I started naming them, I could go on forever."
The sports duo's first contract in 1996 was for a reported $40 million, though when it was renewed in 2001, they upped the deal to a then history-making $100 million. After 27 years, the deal comes to an end with a reported lifetime value of over $600 million.
Moreover, Tiger is one of only three professional athletes to have a billion-dollar net worth. In 2014, Jordan, who according to Forbes is worth $3 billion, became the first to do so, followed by Tiger, who has a net worth of $1.1 billion, and LeBron James, who is worth one billion.
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Further in his announcement, Tiger went on to shout out Nike co-founder Phil Knight, whose story about the makings of the Jordan brand was just told in the Golden Globe-nominated film Air, from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
© GettyHe wrote: "Phil Knight's passion and vision brought this Nike and Nike Golf partnership together and I want to personally thank him, along with the Nike employees and incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with along the way."
Tiger, who has had a tumultuous past two years after his 2021 car crash and subsequent surgeries, concluded with: "People will ask if there is another chapter," maintaining: "Yes! There will certainly be another chapter!"
© GettyThough he is in the midst of a comeback, it's unclear whether Tiger will find a new brand to rep prior to a potential retirement. Though he did continue to don the Nike brand after having to switch golf clubs following the 2016 closing of their golf gear line, in the wake of his car crash, he has been spotted sporting Foot-Joy shoes on the course instead, which he attributed to new needs for his injuries.
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© GettyNike, sharing their own statement on Instagram, shared a photo of their star ambassador with the message: "It was a hell of a round, Tiger."
The caption further read: "Tiger, you challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking. You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And most of all, yourself. And for that challenge we're grateful."
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