Tiger Woods tipping his cap — and TW brand — on the 2022 Masters.
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When Tiger Woods strolled on to the primary tee on the Genesis Invitational Thursday morning, one thing was totally different — and we don’t imply his fused-ankle gait or the TaylorMade Qi10 3-wood he added to his bag this week.
No, the obvious change was on the back and front of his egg shell-white sweater, on the heel of his footwear and on the billboard of his cap: the tiger-themed brand of Woods’ new attire model, Sun Day Red. If you’re attuned to golf-world happenings, you seemingly already had seen Woods’ new emblem, and also you may even know its hidden that means: the 15 stripes within the cat signify Woods’ 15 main wins. But if the primary spherical at Riviera was your first peek, Woods’ new branding might need jarred you, like once you first noticed one other GOAT, Michael Jordan, in Wizards blue.
To recap, after Woods and Nike determined to half methods (we don’t know who broke up with whom, however the relationship formally ended on the finish of 2023), Woods wasted little time doing his personal factor. That strategizing resulted in Sun Day Red, an attire line Woods launched earlier this week in partnership with TaylorMade, whose golf equipment Woods has been taking part in since 2016.
Endorsement offers come and go like the seasons, however the Woods-Nike cut up appeared to hit golf followers slightly otherwise, as a result of after two-plus many years collectively the endorser and endorsee had grow to be synonymous. Nike first signed Woods in 1996, that means Woods was Swooshed-up for all 15 of his main titles. By 2001, Nike additionally had given Woods his personal brand: a “TW” that incessantly adorned his cap and the again of his shirts, mocknecks and sweaters.
On Wednesday at Riviera, SI golf reporter Bob Harig requested Woods in regards to the TW brand and whether or not he’ll “ever get that back.”
“No,” Woods mentioned curtly.
“Do you want it back?” Harig requested.
“I don’t want it back, I’ve moved on,” Woods mentioned. “This is a transition in my life. I’ve moved on to Sun Day Red, and we’re looking forward to building a brand that elicits excitement and is transformative.”
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Woods’ remarks would appear to recommend that he doesn’t personal the emblem, however right here’s the place issues get murky. According to documents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Woods’ licensing firm, ETW Corp., owns the rights to the emblem, or at the very least it did till lately. As of Thursday, a seek for the TW brand within the trademark’s database turns up six outcomes, all of which at the moment are labeled as “dead” and “cancelled.”
Meanwhile, Nike is continuing to sell TW-branded attire on its web site.
Tiger Woods’ supervisor, Mark Steinberg, didn’t instantly reply to an e-mail requesting clarification in regards to the brand’s proprietor. But maybe it’s moot. Woods doesn’t appear notably wistful about his previous mark, and Nike’s TW stock absolutely is dwindling.
It was a superb run, however we’ve crossed the end line.
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