Although the “Fully Equipped Hotline” has been operational for nearly two months, the recent emergence of a Tiger Woods-related query from a caller was a notable occurrence.
The most recent memory of Tiger Woods in competitive play was his withdrawal during the third round of this year’s Masters due to re-aggravated plantar fasciitis. For the second consecutive year, he sported FootJoy spikes, sparking renewed inquiries about his association with Nike Golf, a brand he played a pivotal role in establishing in the golf world 26 years ago.
During the 2022 Masters, when Woods unveiled a pair of FootJoy Premier Series Packard spikes, Nike confirmed their collaboration with Woods to address his “new needs” moving forward. In a statement, Nike expressed delight at seeing Tiger’s return to the game, highlighting his inspiring story and their commitment to working with him to meet his evolving requirements.
Yet, to date, there has been no sign of a suitable Nike alternative for Woods. Nike continues to promote Woods’ Air Zoom TW ’20 on its official website, a shoe currently worn by Scottie Scheffler but not by Woods.
Speculation has arisen within the industry that Woods might be using his footwear situation to negotiate another deal with Nike, but this remains mere conjecture. Since his last Nike contract in 2013 and his reduced participation in regular tournaments, it seems unlikely that clarity on the shoe matter will emerge anytime soon.
Nevertheless, over a year ago, Nike confirmed they were working on something. Even if they cannot provide Woods with a retail-ready version to wear on the course, it would be prudent for Nike to develop a prototype that caters to his needs, thus laying this storyline to rest. This proactive approach would prevent the reemergence of this issue when, as anticipated, Tiger makes his comeback to the golf course.
Nike certainly wishes to avoid this narrative resurfacing when Tiger returns to a future Masters tournament. If you’re interested in hearing more about Nike’s golf shoe dilemma, you can tune into this week’s episode to hear the insights of the Fully Equipped crew.
LIV Golf players have made some notable remarks about TGL, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy during their season finale in Miami.
In a league that has struggled to generate natural attention during its second season, LIV Golf has allowed its players to take the spotlight at the season-ending event in Miami.
The LIV Golf Team Championship at Trump National Doral is the concluding event of the league’s second campaign, backed by Saudi Arabia. The LIV players have been unusually candid and outspoken this week.
For instance, Phil Mickelson, who has only managed one top-10 finish out of 13 LIV starts this year (bearing in mind that the fields consist of just 48 players), expressed his strong belief that more PGA Tour professionals will make the switch to the league led by Greg Norman.
Mickelson confidently stated, “Do I think that? No, I know that’s going to happen.” He believes that when golfers look at LIV, they are drawn to be a part of it because of the camaraderie and the global aspect it offers. However, he noted the challenge lies in the limited available spots relative to the interest from players.
Bubba Watson, who captains the LIV team RangeGoats GC, claimed that there has been significant interest from external parties looking to purchase the team. Watson mentioned, “Anywhere from 10 to 20 people have asked to buy the RangeGoats.” This interest surged after a recent event in Singapore.
Additionally, some players have criticized Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and their technology-driven league, the TGL, set to launch in January 2024. They perceive it as an attempt to keep these prominent figures involved and guarantee substantial financial gains.
However, other players argue that the trend of celebrities and sports stars investing in team sports is not new, citing examples like Michael Jordan’s ownership of the Charlotte Hornets and Serena and Venus Williams’ stake in the Miami Dolphins. They also pointed out that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney acquired Wrexham almost three years ago.
Ian Poulter emphasized that this trend has been ongoing for some time and sees LIV Golf as a leader in this space, contributing to the growing interest in team sports ownership.
In the coming days, Poulter and teammate Lee Westwood are set to compete against Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz of Fireballs GC in the quarterfinals.
Leave a Reply